Athletes run, bike and swim in the Jordanelle Triathlon

A previous year's Jordanelle Triathlon Photo: Michele Roepke

WASATCH COUNTY, Utah — Saturday saw the annual Jordanelle Triathlon, one of Triathlete Magazine’s Top 100 Races, and since its inception in 1998, TriUtah’s longest running event.

Sprint and Olympic distances were offered whereby two different colored swim caps were worn.  

Shuttles started at 5:30 a.m. from the Francis Fairgrounds to the Rock Cliff State Park start/finish area.

Helpful hints to friends, family and registrants included bringing headlamps as it was still dark. Also communicated to competitors was the fact that, “The expected water temperature in June is between 60 – 65 degrees,” thus most athletes opted to don wetsuits.

One year, the water levels were so low that it was colloquially referred to as a ‘quadrathlon’ due to the added distance athletes needed to run simply from the water line to the bike staging area. This year’s event page reads, “Plan on a .10 run from the swim venue to T1.”

This swim, bike, run brought racers from OR, NC, CA, IL, ID, AZ, CO, and Puerto Rico.

Along with awards for the top male finishers, the top female finishers and many age groups between 18 and 80, there was an category for ‘Clydesdales’ who are men that weigh a minimum of 220 lbs., and for ‘Athenas’ who are women who weigh a minimum of 165 lbs.

PODIUMS:

Mens Sprint Distance

1. Garrit Garberich, 27 yrs. old, from Heber, finish time 1:16:17.95
2. Brandon Brown, 23 yrs old, from Orem, finish time 1:17:58.2
3. Miles Moran, 16 yrs old, from Salt Lake City, finish time 1:19:06.15

Womens Sprint Distance

1. Sage Maaranen, 34 yrs old, from Salt Lake City, finish time 1:24:11.37
2. Carley Higley, 39 yrs old, from South Jordan, finish time 1:30;57.40
3. Deborah Biesinger, 42 yrs old, from West Valley City, finish time 1:34:18.23

Mens Olympic Distance

1. Mark Harousseau, 31 yrs old, from Salt Lake City, finish time 2:01:34.17
2. Parker Watt, 32 yrs old, from Salt Lake City, finish time 2:01:58.42
3. Sebe Ziesler, 46 yrs old, from Park City, finish time 2:04:59.69

Womens Olympic Distance 

1. Kathleen Merrill, 36 yrs old, from Salt Lake City, finish time 2:34:24.49
2. Shannon Florea, 44 yrs old, from Lexington, KY, finish time 2:34:41.07
3. Cassidy Breneiser, 27 yrs old, from Salt Lake City, finish time 2:37:22.78