Triathlon Winners Do It Again

With temperatures still below 60 degrees Sunday morning and a strong breeze blowing across the beach at North Idaho College, more than 350 people plunged into Lake Coeur d’Alene in order to compete in the 14th annual Coeur d’Alene Triathlon.

More than two hours later, Matthew Seeley and Ann Seifert became repeat champions.

The men’s 50-and-older class was the first to hit the water at 7 a.m., followed by the women’s and other men’s groups in 20-minute intervals.

The triathlon required a 1.5-kilometer swim in Lake Coeur d’Alene, a 40-kilometer bike ride up and down hills on the outskirts of town and a 10-kilometer run to the finish line on the NIC campus, where the race began.

Seeley, 26, of Missoula, was the first runner to finish, crossing the line with a time of 2:20:39.

“It’s a different format,” said Seeley, who favors the North Idaho event. “I like the staggered format of starting at different (intervals). I got to chase everyone through the race to get in the lead.”

Seeley, who looked as if he was ready to race again, already has won six triathlons this year. His goal is 10.

Seeley is a member of the Stampede Club, one of the top triathlon clubs in the U.S. Members, who number about 30, work out and do heavy training together to prepare for triathlons all over the country.

Seifert, 40, also a club member, was the first woman to cross the line. Seifert, from Clancy, Mont., posted a time of 2:42:24. It was Seifert’s first year in the 40-44 age group.

Seifert, who already owns event records for the 30-to-34 and 35-to-39 age groups, said she felt “pretty good,” although she was disappointed by her time.

“I’ve been doing a lot of training for an iron man coming up in Hawaii soon,” she said. “It’s strong, slow training which has slowed my time (in the triathlon).”

Seifert, who just joined the Stampede Club, is looking forward to a team-championship triathlon in California.

“I’m excited to go down there with the Stampeders,” she said. “You race individually, but your scores are added up as a group.”

Seifert had a two-minute lead during the transition stage from bike to foot, then stretched it to a 5-1/2-minute advantage by the time she crossed the finish line.

Susanna Gaunt of Missoula was second among the women with a time of 2:48:03. Tracy Orcutt of Seattle was third in 2:48:30.

Among the men, second and third places went to Tony Richardson, 36, and John Weston, 41, from Florence, Mont., who came in neck and neck with a time of 2:21:59.

In the 50-and-over age group, 50-year-old Mike McCutchen of Yakima took first place with a time of 2:31:10, followed by Ron Challender, 50, of Spokane at 2:32:33. Bob McRae, 53, of Lake Oswego, Ore., was third in 2:37:49.

Seventy-one-year-old former Iron Man champion Charlie French of Ketchum, Idaho, finished with a time of 2:56:21 to take first place in the 70-and-over age group.

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