Tri-Maine Series - Training & Preparation

Tri-Maine Series Races 2008

Tri-Maine has announced its race schedule for 2008.

The 2008 series begins with the PolarBear, formerly the Iron Bear, on May 3, 2008. The PolarBear is a hugely popular sprint triathlon that takes place at Bowdoin College in Brunswick. The race features a 525 yard pool swim, a 12-mile bicycle time trial and a 5K run. Tri-Maine is expecting approximately 500 competitors for this event. Registration opens on February 15, 2008.

New this year, the Belgrade Lakes Triathon replaces the Wild Bear triathlon from 2007 and 2006. Taking place on the summer solstice, June 21, 2007, The Belgrade Lakes Triathlon - or BLT as Tri-Maine refers to it - is a modified Olympic distance tri and a duathlon. The BLT tri features a .5 mile swim in beautiful Belgrade Lakes, a long, 25-mile bike time trial and a five mile run, while the BLT duathlon starts with a 2-mile run with the same bike and final 5-mile run. Tri-Maine expects 300-400 competitors in its inaugural edition. Lodging and tent campground sites are available at Camp Runoia. Registration is currently open.

The Scarborough Tri is also new to Tri-Maine in 2008. Scheduled for July 13, 2008 at 8AM, the Scarborough Tri replaces the Shipbuilders Triathlon in Bath. The Scarborough Tri is a sprint distance triathlon that begins at Scarborough Beach with a 1/3-mile swim, followed by a 15-mile bike ride and a 3-mile run. The race finishes next to the Scarborough 350th Anniversary Celebration in Memorial Park in Scarborough Town Center. Tri-Maine expects 300-400 competitors in its inaugural edition. Registration is currently open.

The Zone Urban/Epic Triathlon returns to Tri-Maine in 2008. A popular Olympic distance triathlon, the Urban Epic is held in downtown Portland, Maine and features a 1-mile swim, a 24-mile bike ride and a 10K run. The Urban Epic also boasts an Urban Festival with live music and a beer garden for this spectator-friendly event. Last year, over 300 athletes participated. This year Tri-Maine expects over 400 participants. Registration is currently open.

The Lobsterman Triathlon in Freeport, ME is Tri-Maine final event for 2008. Taking place on Saturday, September 13 in beautiful Winslow Park, the Lobsterman Triathlon is an Olympic distance event featuring a 1.5K ocean swim, a 40K bike ride and a 10K run. Some of the regions toughest triathletes contest the Lobsterman each year. The 2008 race will be no different. The Lobsterman Triathlon is open for registration now and is the only Tri-Maine event to feature an Aquabike competition (swim, bike).

All the Tri-Maine races in 2008 are sanctioned by USA Triathlon, the National Governing body of the Sport.

Lobsterman Triathlon 2007 Results

Lobsterman Triathlon 2007 Results: Tri-Maine race leader Kurt Perham took the overall win today in the 2007 Lobsterman Triathlon with a winning time of 2:04:33. Perham bested his results over last year's Lobsterman by over 2 minutes on a rain soaked course in scenic Freeport. For Perham, the race was equalized on the bike when he caught second place finisher Milos Janicek of Boston, who was ahead of Perham by a minute coming out of the water. Perham won the race on the run, where he put another minute into Janicek. With his victory today, Perham has cemented the overall title for the Tri-Maine Series Races. Congratulations to Kurt!

Catherine Sterling of Kents Hill, ME edged out the 2006 Lobsterman winner, Kim Webster, by a mere 12 seconds with a winning time of 2:11:00. Sterling was out of the water 2 minutes more quickly than Webster, who closed the gap by a minute coming off the bike and drew within 12 seconds of Sterling on the 10K run. Great race!

Tri-Maine women's leader, Erin Brennan, finished first in her age group (40-44) and 3rd overall among the women with a time of 2:20:37.

OA's very own Dr. Scott Marr finished 30th overall with an impressive time of 2:16:57. Dr. Marr was 3rd overall on the 40K bicycle course.

And Angela Bancroft, featured in this blog earlier this summer, finished first in her age group (35-39) and 62nd overall with a time of 2:24:02. In a quick email exchange with OA, Angela summed up the day pretty well, "It was quite a day out there!!! Lots of fun and challenging! The cold rain made our hands and feet numb which made the
transitions the trickiest part of the day!!! I could Not manipulate my hands to shift, put on a hat or tie my shoes!! Guess those things will improve with experience. I will Never skip the speed laces the next time it rains!" Way to be tough! Great job Angela!

Lobsterman Triathlon 2007 Results (Top 20 + notables)

1 KURT PERHAM BRUNSWICK ME 2:04:33
2 MILOS JANICEK BOSTON MA 2:05:09
3 ROB MCCULLOCH OTTAWA ON 2:05:48
4 MATT BRIGGS CONCORD MA 2:06:07
5 JONATHAN MCCALL SHREWSBURY MA 2:07:17
6 JAMES YOUNG OTTAWA ON 2:07:33
7 THOMAS MCWALTERS THORNDIKE ME 2:08:18
8 DOUG PRESLEY ARLINGTON MA 2:09:01
9 SHAWN BERRY CARIBOU ME 2:09:46
10 STEVE KIMBALL BOLTON MA 2:10:16
11 ROBERT MAHONEY MANCHESTER ME 2:10:53
12 STEPHEN REED LOUDON NH 2:10:53
13 CATHERINE STERLING KENT HILL ME 2:11:00
14 KIM WEBSTER FRAMINGHAM MA 2:11:12
15 TIM DOWNES CENTERVILLE MA 2:11:20
16 PAUL KNEPLEY WAYNE PA 2:11:53
17 BRIAN HANAK ROXBURY MA 2:11:59
18 STEPHEN FLYNN FREDERICTON NB 2:12:07
19 DAVID SINCLAIR WAITSFIELD VT 2:12:24
43 ERIN BRENNAN PORTLAND ME 2:20:37
20 GARY DAVID STOW MA 2:12:34
30 D. SCOTT MARR FALMOUTH ME 2:16:57
62 ANGELA BANCROFT PARIS ME 2:24:02

For complete Lobsteman Triathlon 2007 Results, click here.

Lobsterman Triathlon

The Lobsterman Triathlon is the 7th featured event in the 2007 Tri-Maine race series calendar. With 650 individual triathletes representing 20 states and several Canadian provinces, the 2007 Lobsterman Triathlon is the largest triathlon in Maine and one of the largest multisport events in New England. Featuring an Olympic distance triathlon as well as an aqua-bike (swim, bike, call it a day), the Lobsterman Tri attracts elite athletes from around New England.

Last year, Andrew Boone of Cambridge, MA won the elite men's classification with a winning time of 1:57:54, while Kim Webster of Framingham, MA took the women's title for the 2006 Lobsterman. Webster is returning to defend her title this year. Boone is not.

Kurt Perham, who finished fifth in the 2006 edition of the Lobsterman, is the only triathlete from the 2006 Lobsterman's top 5 returning in 2007. Perham currently leads the Tri-Maine Series race competition having won the Wild Bear, Ship Builders and the inaugural edition of the Urban Epic Triathlon in August.

The Tri-Maine race leader will have plenty of competition though at the 2007 Lobsterman. The Northeast Collegiate Triathlon Conference (NECTC) has designated the Lobsterman Tri as one of their official race events for 2007. The NECTC was formed in 2006 to provide an organized series of collegiate triathlon races for northeast schools. NECTC teams include Harvard, Boston University, West Point, Yale and MIT among others. (You can bet the MIT triathletes will have the aerodynamics down!). With fast young college kids participating, the winning time is again likely to be below two hours at this year's Lobsterman. (OA's very own Dr. Scott Marr and Dr. Eric Hoffman are also registered participants at this year's Lobsterman, so Perham had better watch out!)

Earlier today, OA spoke to race organizer, Will Thomas of Tri-Maine Production about the Lobsterman. Besides the competitive field, OA wanted to know what made the Lobsterman truly unique. "Definitely, the venue," says Thomas. "The venue is spectacular. Winslow Park in Freeport serves as the transition area, start and stop. The park features a beach, an open field, water on three sides - it's ideal for a triathlon. The protected cove is a perfect place for spectators to watch the 1.5K swim. The bike features a lollipop loop that is exactly 40K over rolling terrain, and the run is exactly 10K. The parking is abundant and easy to reach. The Lobsterman Triathlon is a great, end of the season attraction for triathletes and spectators looking for a last hurrah."

Taking place this Saturday, September 15, the Lobsterman Triathlon begins with an ocean swim at 11:00am to coincide with the tides in Freeport, Maine at Winslow Park. Enjoy the race and check back here later for results.

Pumpkinman Triathlon Results

The Pumpkinman Triathlon - an affiliate race of the Tri-Maine Series – was won by Cumberland's Mike Caiazzo in a time of 1:08:09. Aaron Coleman and Kurt Perham, the overall Tri-Maine race leader, finished second and third with times of 1:13:27. and 1:13:42 respectively.

Among female racers, Mary Miller of Elliot was the winner of the inaugural edition of the Pumpkinman Triathlon with results of 1:18:21, followed by Catherine Sterling of Kents Hill at 1:20:35 and Jessica Broderick of Middlebury, CT at 1:21:18.

Full Pumpkinman Triathlon results can be located here.

Urban Epic Triathlon Race Results

Tri-Maine race leader Kurt Perham crushed the field in the inaugural edition of the Zone Urban/Epic Triathlon with a winning time of 2:14:54, almost seven minutes ahead of second place finisher, Griffin Weiler at 2:21:23, and Sam Evans-Brown in third at 2:22:00. Perham was the only participant to complete the 40K bike course in less than 1 hour, and he had the fastest transition times of all the top participants.

Katie Payson lead the women's field with a time of 2:29:45, just ahead of the Tri-Maine women's race leader, Erin Brennan at 2:31:31 and Carrie McCusker at 2:33:54.

The Top 25 finishers of the Urban Epic are as follows:
1 73 KURT PERHAM BRUNSWICK ME 2:14:54
2 263 GRIFFIN WEILER BOALSBURG PA 2:21:23
3 109 SAM EVANS-BROWN PORTLAND ME 2:22:00
4 191 ROBERT MAHONEY MANCHESTER ME 2:22:10
5 197 OWEN MCGONAGLE BOSTON MA 2:22:51
6 327 MATT BOOBOR PLYMOUTH NH 2:23:50
7 147 JOHN FLANAGAN COHASSET MA 2:23:58
8 295 PETER WEILER BOALSBURG PA 2:25:37
9 85 RANDALL WOODS PORTLAND ME 2:25:43
10 28 JOSEPH CORCORAN CAMBRIDGE MA 2:26:39
11 280 JIMMY BUNNELL DUXBURY MA 2:27:02
12 260 ROB SMITH CUMBERLAND FORESID ME 2:27:21
13 230 CATHARINE PAYSON CAPE ELIZABETH ME 2:29:45
14 176 STUART OLSEN NEWBURYPORT ME 2:30:27
15 110 JON MCGONAGLE PORTLAND ME 2:30:29 2
16 82 IAN SIMON SOMERVILLE MA 2:30:50
17 229 ERIN BRENNAN PORTLAND ME 2:31:31
18 71 DAVID GAUTHIER STOUGHTON MA 2:31:46
19 37 THOMAS HEDSTROM CAMDEN ME 2:32:24
20 192 GREG GOODHUE SIDNEY ME 2:32:27
21 79 DOUGLAS DELAPP MYSTIC CT 2:32:33
22 103 GRADY JACKSON CAPE ELIZABETH ME 2:32:49
23 87 JEFFREY ARONIS WALTHAM MA 2:33:53
24 212 CARRIE MCCUSKER CAPE ELIZABETH ME 2:33:54
25 268 RICK DURGIN WESTBROOK ME 2:34:04

For the complete results and story visit MaineToday.com

Congrulations to all Urban Epic race participants.

Tri-Maine Series Race Standings

Prior to the inaugural edition of the Urban Epic Triathlon in Portland on August 18, Kurt Perham leads the both the men's competition and the overall competition, while Erin Brennan leads the women's competition.

Here's the top 10 triathletes in the Tri-Maine Series race standings:

1. Kurt Perham
2. Sean Teel
3. Charles Carter
4. Rob Smith
5. Matthew LeBrun
6. Greg Goodhue
7. Robert Turner
8. Shawn Berry
9. Marcus Deck
10. Erin Brennan

Kurt Perham, Rob Smith, Robert Turner, Greg Goodhue and Erin Brennan are all registered from the Urban Epic this weekend. Look for the leaderboard to change on Saturday!

Urban Epic: Course Assessment

OA spoke to Tri-Maine race series leader Kurt Perham about the unique challenges faced by triathletes in the first edition of the Zone Urban Epic Triathlon taking place this weekend in Portland.

Earlier this week, Kurt completed a practice run of the Urban Epic course, and he told OA that the swim course could be a little challenging. At 1.2+ miles, the open water swim in Casco Bay is longer than most Olympic Distance triathlons. And while the current created by the Presumpscott River at low tide will increase speeds towards the end, it will still swim longer than the typical .93 mile Olympic Distance course. Kurt estimates that a strong swimmer will finish in the Urban Epic swim in the 25-27 minute range, compared with 20-21 for a typical shorter course. The open water, the current and the ocean chop will also make the swim more challening, especially for those that do not have their open water skills refined. Swimming straight and drafting effectively will play important roles. And newbies will have to overcome the inherent fears of swimming in the ocean. A wet suite and a Tri-Maine series cap will be mandatory attire for the cold open water swim.

Largely, however, Kurt thinks that the Urban Epic will play out similar to other international distance races, except for the inclusion of the mini-transition area. Swimmers will exit the water into a mini-transition area where they will dump their wet suits and put on a pair of running shoes. They will run up hill about 1/2 mile before entering T1 for the transition to the bike. Kurt thinks that the mini-transition might actually help get blood into the legs so that triathletes can rider harder on the bike from the get-go.

Kurt says that the bike route is quite fast except for Walnut and Fox Streets on the way out and on the way back. Walnut Street, in particular, is very steep and runs through a residential area. The rest of the ride is very fast thereafter except for the return up Fox and Walnut Streets. "That will leave a little sting in the legs after 24 miles on the bike."

From T2 the 10K run course of Urban Epic heads straight back up the Fore Street Hill towards the Eastern Prom. So it starts out tough, but Kurt says its really "pretty easy" until the 4.5 to 5.0 mile mark where there is another big hill that race organizer Tri-Maine seems to have added just to make the course more challenging. Thereafter, the Urban Epic 10K race course runs through the Red Bull arch and drops back down to the bike path and the finish line.

What's it going to take to win the inaugural edition of the Zone Urban Epic Triathlon? Kurt says, "Go real fast." And fast, he does go. He completed the Shipbuilders Triathlon in late June in 2:05, but he says not to expect a PR given the swim and the hills. He says to look for a winning time in the neighborhood of 2:10.

We'll see on Saturday...

Urban/Epic Olympic Distance Triathlon

On Saturday, August 18, three hundred fifty (350) triathletes will be transported via ferry from Portland's East End to Macworth Island, and the premier edition of the Zone Urban/Epic Triathlon and Festival will be underway.

The Urban/Epic Triathlon is the fifth featured event in the Tri-Maine Series races, and according to race organizer Will Thomas of Tri-Maine Productions, the Urban/Epic has become all that more epic over the past several weeks.

The unexpected death of a 38-year old man during the swim leg of the inaugural edition of the Cohasset Triathlon at Sandy Beach on July 8 prompted the Coast Guard to revisit Tri-Maine's plan to have swimmer's jump from a barge located a mile off shore on Casco Bay. Early in the month of June, Tri-Maine's Thomas had visited the Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon in San Francisco Bay to observe logistics for the Urban Epic swim. With the unfortunate turn of events in Cohasset, Thomas had to adapt the race to satisfy the safety concerns of the Coast Guard.

According to Thomas, the revised swim from Macworth Island is spectucular. "Macworth is a desolate island that looks back directly at the Portland skyline. It's absolutely beautiful." Tri-Maine race participants will swim straight toward the B&M Baked Bean Factory and go through a gate marked with boueys. As triathletes near the shore, they will encounter the current generated by the Presumpscott River emptying at low tide. The tide will cause swimmers to sweep toward East End Beach. The total distance of the swim is slightly longer than planned at 1.2 to 1.3 miles, but according to Thomas, "It will swim like 1 mile because of the current that will move athletes swiftly towards the first transition area."

Only triathletes and Tri-Maine staff will be transported to Macworth for the mass start race. Fans, friends, family and media will be able to observe the swim from a Casco Bay Ferry anchored safely along the course. Tri-Maine Productions has charted the ferry, and interested spectators can go on the boat for free. The boat launches at 6:40am.

As swimmers meet the East End shoreline, they will enter a mini-transition area. Athletes will strip their wet suits and put on their shoes which Tri-Maine Productions will transport in a numbered gear bag designated for each race participant. Triathletes will then run approximately 1/2 mile along a path before entering T1 and heading out on a 40K (24.84 miles) bike ride throughout Greater Portland. Athletes are advised to pack a second set of shoes (not your race shoes) for the mini-transition run to T1, which is located within a boat-building warehouse.

Race participants will want to make sure to pace themselves as the bike race begins by climbing a steep hill on Fore Street. It will be quite easy to redline in the first mile of the race! "That would be a mistake," relates Thomas, "because athletes are going to need everything they have to complete the bike course which includes two steep climbs back up to the Peninsula, one on Fox Street and the other on Walnut Street."

Then, athletes can settle into a beautiful 10K (6.21 miles) race along the Eastern Prom and the Back Cove Path. This course is literally on the ocean from start to finish!

One thing is for sure, the premier edition of the Zone Urban/Epic will be just that - EPIC!

Tri-Maine in the News

Tri-Maine and the Tri-Maine Series of Triathlons have been in the news lately as race season kicks into high gear.

The Brunswick Times Record featured a story on Kurt Perham, winner of the Shipbuilders Triathlon, on July 2, 2007. Kurt told readers of this blog how to win a sprint triathlon, and he then went on the win the Wild Bear and Ship Builders. Looks like he can do Olympic distance races as well!

Then on July 8, the Maine Sunday Telegram ran a story entitled Making Strides, which focused on Tri-Maine Productions, Will Thomas and the Tri-Maine Series.

Derivations of this article were picked up on July 9 by WMTW - Triathlons Make Inroads in Maine - and by Fosters - Triathlons Gaining Ground in Maine.

Wild Bear Sprint Triathlon/Duathlon

On Saturday, June 23 at 8:15am, 300+ race participants will discover why the Wild Bear is so aptly named. Featuring a one-third mile, open-water swim on scenic Range Pond; a 16-mile bike race; and a 5K run – 2 miles of which is off road on trails; the Wild Bear is the best short-distance adventure race that rural Maine has to offer.

“Range Pond is pristine,” says race organizer Will Thomas of Tri-Maine Productions, “and the bike ride is chalk full of surprises.”

Now in its second year and at capacity for both the triathlon and the duathlon, Wild Bear was designed by Tri-Maine to be more of an adventure race than its series predecessor, Iron Bear. According to Thomas, Range Pond State Park is a fantastic venue – a wooded setting with rolling landscapes and a “real backwoods Maine wilderness feel.” Whereas Iron Bear has more of a college, campus feel, Wild Bear is just that – wild.

“It’s kind of hard core out in the back woods of Maine,” relates Thomas. “At the same time, Wild Bear is clearly a ‘first timer, friendly race.’”

Participants may wish to test the bike course once or twice before they do the race. The ride starts out as a 4-mile flat course. There is a sharp right hand turn, and then, bang. There it is. A wall. The ride turns up for .25 miles with an average gradient of 10%. “Last year there was a lot of carnage,” relates Thomas, “People didn’t expect the steep gradient, and their gearing was not where it should have been. Chains came off. People came off their bikes. More than a third of the field walked their bikes to the top.”

Oh, and watch out for the train. Thomas tried to determine its schedule to work around it, but apparently there is no pre-determined schedule. People could get stuck waiting behind the train, kind of like the pro cycling peloton in the 2006 edition of Paris-Roubaix.

Beginning promptly at 8:15AM, racers will go off in waves of 50-60 people by age category. The fastest swimmers will go first. Thomas is looking for a winning time in the neighborhood of 1:05. He has sited local triathletes Rob Smith and Kurt Perham as possible winners. But watch out for the ladies. A majority of this year’s participants are woman, and a “wild bear” with a fast time could be hiding among them. There are also a bunch of unknowns participating from states as far away as Colorado, South Dakota and Florida. In fact, a total of 11 states are represented at this year’s Wild Bear.

The only thing certain about this race is that it is sure to be wild!

Did you participate in the Wild Bear last year? If so, tell us about your experiences. What should readers know?

Iron Bear Triathlon/Duathlon

The Ironbear Tri/Duathlon is the first multisport event of the year and the first of five races in the Tri-Maine Series in 2007. The race begins at 9 a.m., Saturday, May 8, at Farley Field House on the Bowdoin campus.

The Iron Bear consistently sells out hundreds of entries in a matter of hours, making it one of the most popular races in New England. The hardest part about the race is getting in! And indeed, the Iron Bear sold out this year in record time.

The Ironbear Triathlon is a sprint distance multi-sport event that will include a 525-yard swim (21 lengths in Greason Pool), an 11-mile bike ride (along the country roads of Brunswick), and a 3.1-mile run (around the Pickard Fields, an off-road loop that takes athletes through the woods and across large open areas with mostly grass and dirt terrain).

Ironbear will also feature a simultaneous duathlon, which will substitute a 2-mile run for the swim.

With registration consistently over 400 athletes, the Irobnear is the premier early season event. A portion of the proceeds are given to the Bowdoin College Common Good Grant Program, which supports a number of local charities in the Brunswick area.

For more information, visit Tri-Maine.com.