TRIATHLON
Experience helps Vance
Six months ago, Jim Vance came to Honolulu to scout the course for the International Triathlon Union World Age Group Championships.
Yesterday, his knowledge of the route paid off for himself and several other competitors.
Vance, a former elementary school teacher from San Diego, won his 25-29 age division at the World Age Group Championships, completing the 1.5-kilometer swim at Queen's Beach, 40K bike ride from Kapiolani Park to Hawaii Kai and 10K run around the park in 1 hour, 56 minutes and 13 seconds.
His time was one of the fastest of the day as more than 2,000 athletes from more than 35 countries competed in the event. Brazilian Diogo Martins had the day's fastest time, claiming the men's 20 to 24 division in 1:55:38.
Mark Speck was the top local finisher with a time of 2:01:54 in the men's 35 to 39 division.
"My April race prepared me well," Vance said of the Honolulu Triathlon, which he won. "(I) made sure that I packed up on the bike, hydrated, got in my salt (tablets)."
With 600 more competitors in yesterday's race than the April event, Vance had to battle it out with a crowd of athletes throughout the day. In April, he had a 4- to 5-minute lead going into the run. Yesterday, he was 45 seconds behind the leader going into the run.
"It's always easier to have a lead, especially a big one like that," Vance said. "You're more in control and monitor to make sure things don't blow up on you.
"Today, I had to go pretty quick."
He took the lead 3 kilometers into the run and pushed it the rest of the way.
"At the turnaround on the bike, it just kind of hit me," Vance said. "There was a slight incline and I just threw it into a gear and I outran those guys off my back and pulled away. I can't believe how big the gap got. They all kind of reeled me back in near the end."
Also winning with knowledge of the course was Linda Robb of Juno Beach, Fla., who repeated as the women's 40-44 winner with a time of 2:12:36. Several years ago, Robb did the Tinman Triathlon in Honolulu, which competes on a similar route.
"I was not expecting it at all," Robb said of defending her title. "I've been training hard for the race, but all the heavy hitters were here."
Robb passed the lead competitor in her division during the run, but wasn't sure if there was anybody else ahead of her. Since the race had a staggered start with different age divisions starting at different times, competitors ended up mixing with each other during the race.
"We, the girl who was ahead of me, came out of transition together," Robb explained. "But I didn't know if there was anybody else ahead of us. Then when you get onto the run course, you do two loops, so you're mixed in with everybody. I honestly had no clue. I just tried to bear the heat, go out as hard as I could and hang on."
Margaret Shapiro, a 28-year-old mother of two and running-store owner from Annandale, Va., had the women's fastest time at 2:07:10. She was followed by Justine Whipple, a junior cross country and track athlete at the Naval Academy who won the 20-24 division at 2:10:11.
"My run was probably the biggest difference between me and my competitors," Shapiro said. "I was a runner in college (Georgetown University), so that's my background."
Kalen Darling, a senior at Moanalua High School, just wanted to make it onto the podium for his 16-19 division. He placed second in 2:06:37.
Darling was first out of the swim but got passed by two competitors in his division during the bike. He caught one of them during the run but was edged by New Zealand's Benjamin Christopher by 3 minutes.
"This is just an overwhelming experience for me to race with people 10 times faster than I am," Darling said. "Training in this weather has helped me. This is a home-court advantage in my backyard. This is just a beautiful day in my backyard and I took advantage of that."
