SALISBURY — The Vermont Sun Triathlon Series kicked off its 30th season on Saturday at Branbury State park in Salisbury with a pair of races — a Vermont Sun Sprint Triathlon and a longer Lake Dunmore Olympic Triathlon. Local athletes fared well in each event.
The sprint consisted of a 600-yard swim in Lake Dunmore, followed by a 14-mile bike ride and a 5-kilometer (3.1-mile) run. The Olympic swim was 1,600 yards, while the bike ride was 28 miles and the run a 10K.
The race began in a cool 58 degrees, but as the racers got out of the water the temperature soured to the mid-70s with brilliant sunshine and a light south wind which helped push the bikers down Route 7. A near-record time was posted on the men’s side in the sprint, as Jason Franks won in 1:00, Kevin Bouchard-Hall was second in 1:01:40 and Don Kjelleran was third in 1:02:37.
Franks led out of the water with the day’s best swim. Bouchard-Hall had the best bike ride and caught Franks in the transition to the run, only to have Franks get his running shoes on faster and go on to have the day’s best run (17:56) to secure the win.
Julia Schofield won the women’s sprint race. She took the lead three miles into the bike ride en route to a 1:13:05 time, with Elizabeth Bouchard-Hall (Kevin Bouchard-Hall’s wife) the runner up in 1:16:49.
Linn Larson of Middlebury was the sixth woman overall and won the 55-59 age group in 1:23:52. Kim Rheaume of New Haven took second in women’s 40-44 with a 1:31:33.
In the Lake Dunmore Triathlon, 42-year-old John Dunbar finished the swim in eighth, but took the lead by the end of the bike ride and then sealed his win with the day’s second-best run (39:11:08) in an overall time of 2:14:37. Carl Regenaure claimed second in 2:17:55.
Maggy Ralbovsky was the women’s Lake Dunmore champ in 3:00:55. Adel Joobeur finished second in 3:02:32.
Middlebury’s Steve Hare placed ninth overall while winning the men’s 55-59 age group in 2:33:04.
Complete results and splits for both events can be found at 802timing.com.
The next event in the triathlon series is the July 12 Vermont Sun Triathlon. On Sunday August 9, the final Vermont Sun Triathlon and the final Lake Dunmore Triathlon will be held. Those interested in entering or volunteering to help in each event may visit [email protected].
KIM RHEAUME, ABOVE, of New Haven competes in Saturday’s Vermont Sun Sprint Triathlon. Rheaume finished with a time of 1:31.33. Below, Steve Hare of Middlebury emerges from the swim portion of Saturday’s Lake Dunmore Olympic Triathlon. Hare finished in ninth place with a time of 2:33.04.
Photos by Pat Hendrick Photography