I have been informed that the old LEON’s race in Hammond IN. looks to be coming back in 2010. I was told that they are looking at making the race bigger & better from the early 90’s race. I was asked that if anyone out there could provide some positive comments from your race experience that would help in formulating title sponsors and the state to gives Leon and his team the road closures he needs. Leon is working hard with local and state Officials to make this happen.
Any constructive feedback from your past experience would be helpful to the race staff. Let’s get some responses so Leon himself can get this race finalized for 2010 race season. That way we get a blast from the past with another good race for all of us to compete in.
Thanks
I myself was able to race in 2 of those Leon races back in 94 & 95 and had a great race. I like my finish the best with Leon himself waiting for you and shaking your hand and asked if you had a good race. Nice personal touch by Leon. I did enjoy racing over the steel mills and having complete road closure but that 95 race was maybe the hottest race for me in my 16 years of racing. That was the weekend in Chicago that the heat was so bad that people where falling out and here we were racing in the same heat. Still have both of my Leon’s race shirts that I still wear today.
wow—what a flashback, and a subject that’s been on my mind often. i still wear my shirt from the 1993 nationals i did there—my first nationals. i thought the course was great, particularly with having a freeway to ourselves. it was a good learning experience for me and i had a good time—this, in spite of the heat, a tire blowout at mile one of the bike (and ensuing help from officials and fellow competitors), and rain during the awards.
i agree that leon was a huge personality presence at that race. he seemed very invested in race enjoyment for us, which i appreciated. my only reason for going there was to do nationals, but i’d surely do it as a yearly race if i lived anywhere near it.
peggy
I still have my Leon’s tank top that I wear as an undershirt for cycling on cold days.
I have fond memories of that race, it was the first race I ever broke 2:00:00 for an olympic distance and the first time I ever rode under 1:00 for 40k.
No drafting, completely closed roads (an interstate at that) way better race then some of the big name races that took place within a 5hr drive of the area.
Actually, an athlete I coached (David Evans) won one of those horses - in 1984 I think. He went on to finish 7th overall at IM that year, just a couple minutes behind some unknown named Mark Allen.
But Leon’s wasn’t then held at the location most people remember up in Hammond. In those years, he put in on at the Sir Isaac Walton League clubhouse on a freeway lake along the west side of I-65 about five miles south of I-94. We couldn’t set up the bike racks until after midnight, however - had to wait for the bingo-night crowd to vacate. And the bike course was just on two-lane roads open to traffic (including a whole lot of pickups with gun racks - that was one of the ground zeroes for Reagan Democrats).
Tom Cooney was doing the timing back then, way before modern computer systems. And I have a photo from the 1986 race, on a very cold and windy day. Only a couple of wetsuits visible - the old grey, blue, and pink surfing jobs. And Deb Kauzlarich had apparently scouted the course, because she started way off on the freeway side of the lake and was running along the shallows while everyone else was starting to swim.
I hate to destroy old memories - but that bike course was over a mile short (remember - the turnaround on the bike was one of convenience at a freeway exit) and the run was probably just over 9k. I think Bill Riley went nearly 2:02 at the age of 55 at one of the three nationals held on the Wolf Lake course.
Talking with Leon several times on the cell he looks to be going for a Olympic (Intermediate ) distance race.
Also pushing to throw in the same distance duathlon which should not cause any cunfusion with the merging
of triathletes and duathletes and since we are all there, and more than likely with familes in tow for Leon
to look into adding a kids race.
Everything Leon and I have talked about he wants this to be bigger than before with the proper planning
since he looks to be rolling out with a 2010 start and hopefully it will lead into another NC race or at least
a Regional Qualifier. If that is his goal,then everything needs to be nailed down on the first race to hit a home
run with the athletes, cover all his bases and that should start the process of the race growing.
I told him many of us have great memories of his races and his personal touch had the athletes spreading the
word about the race.
His race was my first attempt at that distance and truthfully I got beat up. Had an old steel sled of a bike (Nishiki)
nothing aero about it, terrible fitting bike and had no idea on training or nutrition and as a newbie I learned alot
that race. I still remember this lady passing me after the overpass turnaround and she had 65 on her calf. I rode
like crazy to re-pass and told mself that a 65 year old lady is not going to beat me. This went on for miles…back
and forth and then we started the climb back over the stell mills and she dropped me like a bad date. Humbled me
to the point you never ever look at someones age or physical presence and think you can beat them. Then that
run into the local neighborhood with the locals spraying us down with water. Then at the finish I grabbed a drink
that was carbonated and had to pour it out. Again, I have two shirts that I keep with my IM finishers shirt. They
have the swimmer,biker, runner pics stacked up in color. One I have I did on my 35th birthday…so it is
indeed special. I think Bryan Boggs from the Indy area won that 95.
Leon’s in '84 was my 1st triathlon. I grew up in Munster, IN so the race was close. That year, the race was in Hobart, IN. I thought doing a triathlon would be good cross training for the upcoming high school cross country season. Never having done one before, I went to a “tri workshop” put on by Bob Curtis the day before. Bob won the race the next day. I believe the distances were 1/2 mi swim, 40k or 25 mi bike, 10k run. I did the bike and run in my x/c team uniform, including shoes - the old Nike Internationals (blue w/ yellow swoosh and waffle treads). Helmet was the big bulky Bell helmets of that era. It had a small race feel to it, the race (and triathlon) wasn’t big time yet. I had tons of fun and was pleasantly surprised that the race went as well as it did.
The only other time I did Leon’s was in 1991 at the Hammond/Wolf Lake location. Like others have posted, closed highway bike course was amazing. That year, the race served as the qualifier for determining Team USA for World’s. There was a lot of talent there. I think Nate Llerandi was in my age group. Never saw the contenders all day. I came out of the water almost last (according to my wife) in the M20-24 age group, looked at my watch and had just swam a PR for 1.5k. I remember blasting the bike on my old (new then) J-Disk and starting the run. I was clicking off sub 6:00 miles (oh to be young again) when some dude just flew by me like I was walking. It is awesome to be a little fish in a big pond and race the best field.
Leon’s races were excellent. The ONLY complaint was the water quality at Wolf Lake. But the water quality is probably no worse than the state park’s lakes I swim in around here (Cincinnati).
It would be great for the sport if Leon’s came back. Leon was one of the most energetic and positive race directors that I’ve ever met. I competed there in 1993, and witnessed him work around the clock to put on a first class Amateur National Championship. His team of volunteers was equally impressive, and I have only positive things to say about my experience at Leons.
Ah those were the days. I did a few Leon’s back in the 80’s. Fantastic to see it coming back. Man I miss racing in the Midwest of the US. It certainly brings back fond memories.
I agree and understand your comment on the water quality. Every race I do I think about the water quality and
what I am jumping into. There is no way, today, that many of the lakes we all jump into that have houses lined
completely around the lake that there is absolutely no discharging into the water…then we jump in and swim.
Over the years I personally have jumped into some questionable swims but seem to be doing OK today. I have
swam the Ohio river many of times, some small tri’s with lakes that are as weedy and murky you can barely
see your hands in front of you, many rivers that are questionable ( but as long as the logs and sticks are moving
faster than me…thats OK and then my worst memory back in 98 with Springfield Lake in Illinois. That was the
start of a long recovery from that dreaded day. Had a good race though.
I have never done this one race in Chicago but I have read here on this forum as well as others that the water
quality was very questionable…but they swam and seems like everyone is ok.
So I think Wolf Lake will be looked at very closely on the water quality just as most if not all races today.
Leon will surley cover all his bases on this race. I hear it in his voice when talking to him on how he wants this race
to unfold for all of us…the athletes.
I want this race to come back for so many reasons.
Porter County Has two really good Triathons in Valpo and Michigan City and Lake county has zero…WTF?
Hammond/Gary/EC need to promote a healthier lifestyle.
This could be a huge fundraising opportunity for the region
I know there is a chicago constituent that would love to just drive down the skyway for a championship caliber race.
North Lake county needs events like this to show that its not just a bunch of rusty abandoned buildings and industrial zone. There are real opportunities for different types of commerce in that part of Lake County.
You can send a letter of support to www.qblastinfo@aol.com. Your comments and support would be greatly appreciated. You can see photos of the 1988 triathlon at the leons-tri thread.
and then my worst memory back in 98 with Springfield Lake in Illinois. That was the