Sunday, July 5, 2009

GREAT WHITE NORTH RESULTS (2009)PICTURES AND WINNERS







Tom Evans was first out of the water in the 2009 version of the Great White North Triathlon in Stony Plain and he stayed in front for the rest of the day. His race finish time was truly remarkable and I will let his finish line picture tell that story.

At 41 years old, Tom is truly the top master triathlete in the world.


Even his transitions are world class. I took his picture coming out of the water and walked "fast" to get his picture as he came out of transition on his bike. That was my big mistake. I should have "ran." I got there just in time to see him already leaving transition. I can't swear to it, but that transition must have been around 20 seconds. So no cool bike picture for this blog.

That reminds me, I heard these two guys talking down by the bikes about 30 minutes before the swim start. One was showing off this stunning bike and he said "I made a trade for this bike for my wife." The other guy said...Wow! You got a great deal!"




Sarah Gross led the women out of the water, but the win for the women at the 2009 GWN went to Rosemary Gerspacher. She did not break the women's course record, but Tom broke the men's so won a cool $5000 bonus for his efforts.


As of July 8th, the official race results do not appear to be available yet, however here is the top three placings and time for men and women.

1. Tom Evans 3:49.09
2. Kyle Marcotte 4:05.08
3. Ben Adam 4:05.22

1. Rosemarie Gerspacher 4:24.52
2. Kristina Schultz 4:25.15
3. Tanya Salomon 4:28.34




The weather Gods were smiling in Stony Plain Sunday morning as 749 individual entries and 45 teams set out on the GWN swim. A stunning, glassy lake and the bright sunshine made up the backdrop for the 2009 swim-start at Stony Plain.


As with every triathlon there are many stories to be told. In this 2009 version of the GWN there were over 800 stories that unfolded over the course of race-day and everyone who took part should feel pretty good about themselves. Just making it to the start line of a demanding event like the GWN takes a certain amount of courage, dedication, and passion. That on it's own says a lot about a person and makes them a winner before the swim-start gun even goes off.

All in all it was another spectacular event put on by Wade Church and his incredible army of volunteers in what is becoming a showcase North American triathlon. It was such a pleasure to take Ironstruck on a roadshow and go up there and see them in action.


Most likely there would be no problem finding 1500 or even 2000 people who would love to be in this race any given year, but at some point it becomes unmanageable and you have to draw the line somewhere. So I guess the only way to ensure yourself an entry into the 2010 edition of the Great White North is to enter as soon as registration opens.





It was so special to me to see and hear Steve King as race announcer. It brings back so many amazing Ironman Canada memories for me. Steve is truly the premier ambassador for the sport of triathlon in Canada and adds so much to every race where he happens to be the announcer.








It would be very special to have a Great White North finisher medal hanging on your wall. I know I'm very proud of the one I have and it has a place of honor with my IM finisher medals including Kona 1984. There are just some triathlons that will always have special meaning to some people and the GWN is one of those for me.