Our local paper likes to promote "community sports" like running, cycling, and triathlon- probably because of the popularity of our hometown race, St. Anthony's Triathlon. They always have coverage from Great Floridian Triathlon, which is 100 miles away in Clermont.
[/url]
Athletes fulfill their dreams Series: CYCLING / TRIATHLON; [STATE Edition] JESSICA FISH.
St. Petersburg Times. St. Petersburg, Fla.: Oct 12, 2005. pg. 4
Abstract (Document Summary)
Other top ITU finishers were [Sharon Beltrandelrio] of Palm Harbor, 14th in the 35-39 class; Joe Bonness, Naples, 17th in 50-54; Don Ardell, St. Petersburg, third in 65-59; Winston Allen, St. Augustine, third in 75-59; and Charles Futtrell, first in 85-59.
Among the other Ford Ironman Triathlon World Championship athletes are Laura Dewitt, 44, Brooksville; Steven Mandel, 44, Clearwater; Pit Gills, 35, Clearwater Beach; Marty Gaal, 33, Orlando; Farshad Charmforoosh, 30, Orlando; Todd Knouse, 43, Sarasota; Pete Adams, 40, Sarasota; Bob Wagoner, 32, Seminole; Dean Cosgrove, 45, Tarpon Springs; [Stephen Morris], 50, Tarpon Springs; Christian Sadowski, 33, Winter Park; and Fredericka Rapp, 61, Clermont.
GREAT FLORIDIAN: The Great Floridian Triathlon - a full Ironman event consisting of a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride and 26.2- mile run - is set for 7:30 a.m. on Oct. 22 in Clermont.
Full Text (947 words)
Copyright Times Publishing Co. Oct 12, 2005 Hawaii is the ultimate place to be in October for the country's best multisport athletes.
As in past seasons, the list of qualifiers for the Team USA and Ironman Triathlon World Championships includes some of Florida's top amateur or age-group competitors.
AQUATHLON: Leading the pack to the podium in the ITU Aquathlon World Championships - a 2-mile run, 1,000-yard swim and 2-mile run - in Honolulu, Hawaii, on Oct. 4, were the following Team USA locals:
Sharon Beltrandelrio of Palm Harbor, first place in the female 35- 39 division with a performance of 38 minutes, 3 seconds; May-Li Cuypers, Belleair Bluffs, fourth in 35-39, 40:48; and Patricia Hoffman, second, 55-59, 52:20).
WORLD COMPETITION: Many competitors chose to stay in Hawaii for the ITU Age-Group Triathlon World Championships. The 1,500-meter swim, 40-kilometer bike ride and 10K run was held Oct. 9 in Honolulu.
Florida fans celebrated a major victory after Marc Bonnet- Eymardproduced the fastest overall performance (1 hour, 55 minutes, 48 seconds).
The 33-year-old from Winter Garden captured last year's St. Pete Mad Dog Madeira Beach Triathlon crown and topped his St. Anthony's Triathlon division in 1:55:51.
Bonnet-Eymard says he enjoys training and racing in the area, often using sprint events at Fort DeSoto Park as part of his speed work. He also won the Escape From Fort DeSoto Triathlon on April 16 and Top Gun Triathlon on Aug. 6.
Other top ITU finishers were Sharon Beltrandelrio of Palm Harbor, 14th in the 35-39 class; Joe Bonness, Naples, 17th in 50-54; Don Ardell, St. Petersburg, third in 65-59; Winston Allen, St. Augustine, third in 75-59; and Charles Futtrell, first in 85-59.
Ardell also won a silver medal in the ITU Duathlon World Championships' 10-kilometer run, 40K bike ride and 10K run in Newcastle, Australia, on Sept. 25.
Ardell, 66, an author and wellness expert well known to University of South Florida physiology students, stopped on his way to Hawaii, giving several lectures in Japan.
"I really do enjoy the traveling," Ardell said.
"My wife, Carol, will also compete in the Worlds," he said, "and she will catch up with me out in Hawaii."
COUNTDOWN TO KONA: The Ford Ironman Triathlon World Championship - a 2.4-mile swim, 112 miles of cycling and 26.2-mile run - is scheduled for 7 a.m. on Saturday in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii.
The top 10 men and women will split the $580,000 cash prize. For the rest of the 1,800 competitors, from 51 countries and 49 U.S. states, the goal is to reach the finish line on Alii Drive before the midnight cutoff.
Real-time updates, live audio and video, text updates and photos on
http://www.ironmanlive.com will allow friends and families all over the world to follow the event.
Some of the many athletes to watch are Marcos Alegre, 69, of Largo; Joe Bonness, 50, Naples; Arthur Halttunen, 55, St. Petersburg; Stephen Morris, 50, Tarpon Springs; Linda Musante, 51, Tampa; and Tom Russell, 35, Tampa.
Alegre set an age-group record in the 2001 Ironman and has impressed his St. Pete Mad Dogs Triathlon Club training partner by staging a comeback.
Bonness, who won the 45-49 age group in Kona the past two years, is returning for an attempt to capture his third Clermont's Great Floridian Triathlon title on Oct. 22. Bonness also will try to repeat his famous "Ironman Triple" by racing in Ford Ironman Florida on Nov. 5 in Panama City Beach. Last season, he was 20th overall and second in his division.
Among the other Ford Ironman Triathlon World Championship athletes are Laura Dewitt, 44, Brooksville; Steven Mandel, 44, Clearwater; Pit Gills, 35, Clearwater Beach; Marty Gaal, 33, Orlando; Farshad Charmforoosh, 30, Orlando; Todd Knouse, 43, Sarasota; Pete Adams, 40, Sarasota; Bob Wagoner, 32, Seminole; Dean Cosgrove, 45, Tarpon Springs; Stephen Morris, 50, Tarpon Springs; Christian Sadowski, 33, Winter Park; and Fredericka Rapp, 61, Clermont.
Among the professionals will be Heather Gollnick, 35, Bradenton; and Alison Hayden, 33, Dade City.
GREAT FLORIDIAN: The Great Floridian Triathlon - a full Ironman event consisting of a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride and 26.2- mile run - is set for 7:30 a.m. on Oct. 22 in Clermont.
Director Fred Sommer said the race has been awarded the USA Triathlon National Championship designation for the Ironman distance. Often referred to as "The People's Ironman," the GFT does not require special qualifying procedures.
CFT/Sommer Sports offers two other events on race day, not including the Ironman relay team competitions.
The Florida Challenge - a half Ironman with a 1.2-mile swim, 56 miles of cycling and 13.1-mile run - is scheduled for 8:30 a.m.
It will be followed by the inaugural Floridian Super Sprint Triathlon - a quarter-mile swim, 8 miles of biking and 2-mile run - at 9:30. Some of the 1,000 volunteers will begin the day by competing in the sprint distance triathlon.
Each year, CFT/Sommer Sports awards a special $1,000 cash prize to the club with the best water stop. St. Pete Mad Dogs members have designed memorable stops in the past, using such themes as a haunted house.
For information, contact
http://www.greatfloridian.com or Sommer, (352) 394-1320.
[/url]
Ironman Triathlon World Championships; [SOUTH PINELLAS Edition] JESSICA FISH.
St. Petersburg Times. St. Petersburg, Fla.: Oct 15, 2005. pg. 5.C
Abstract (Document Summary)
LOCALS: Marcos Alegre, 69, Largo; Bob Wagoner, 32, Seminole; Art Halttunen, 55, St. Petersburg; Tom Russell, 35, Tampa; Linda Musante, 51, Tampa; Dean Cosgrove, 45, Tarpon Springs; Stephen Morris, 50, Tarpon Springs.
Full Text (119 words)
Copyright Times Publishing Co. Oct 15, 2005 WHERE: Kailua-Kona, Hawaii.
WHEN: 1 p.m. EDT today.
RACE DISTANCES: Swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 miles, run 26.2 miles.
ENTRIES: Some 1,800 competitors from 51 countries and 49 states.
PRIZE MONEY: $580,000 awarded to the top 10 finishers. First place men and women receive $100,000.
LAST YEAR'S WINNERS: Normann Stadler, Germany, 8:33:29; Natascha Badmann, Switzerland, 9:50:04.
COURSE RECORDS: Luc Van Lierde, Belgium, 8:04:08 (1966); Paula Newby-Fraser, Zimbabwe, 8:55:28 (1992).
LOCALS: Marcos Alegre, 69, Largo; Bob Wagoner, 32, Seminole; Art Halttunen, 55, St. Petersburg; Tom Russell, 35, Tampa; Linda Musante, 51, Tampa; Dean Cosgrove, 45, Tarpon Springs; Stephen Morris, 50, Tarpon Springs. Two professionals: Heather Gollnick, 35, Bradenton; Alison Hayden, 33, Dade City.
COVERAGE:
http://www.ironmanlive.com.
- JESSICA FISH, Times correspondent
[/url]
Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction or distribution is prohibited without permission.
Section:
SPORTS Text Word Count 119 Document URL:
Copyright © 2005
St. Petersburg Times