SALISBURY — Thirty-two-year-old Kyle Flack of New Haven, winner of the Lake Dunmore Olympic Triathlon, led a contingent of Addison County men who garnered impressive finishes in this past Saturday’s season opener in the Vermont Sun Triathlon Series. 
Flack’s winning time was 2:30:53 in the longer of the two swim-bike-run triathlons contested at Branbury State Park in Salisbury on June 22; and Middlebury’s Steve Hare, 62, placed fourth overall in that race in 2:35:28.Vergennes’s Cory Coffey claimed third place in The Vermont Sun Sprint Triathlon in 1:07:51; and Salisbury’s Jeff Schuman, 63, was fourth overall in 1:08:53.
The Olympic Triathlon is a 1,600-yard swim in Lake Dunmore followed by a 28-mile bike ride around Dunmore and Fern Lake and finishes with a 6.2-mile run. The Sprint Triathlon is a 600-yard swim, 14-mile bike and 3.1-mile run. 2019 is the 34th season for the racing series, which started in 1986.
The Lake Dunmore Triathlon started at 8 a.m. Hare finished the swim in third place, but the veteran triathlete made the transition from swim to bike much faster than the leaders and was in first overall heading out on the bike. Flack came out of the water in 4th, 1:26 behind Hare. Flack passed the first two racers in front of him on the road and caught Hare toward the end of the first loop of the bike course. The two traded the lead back and forth before Flack opened up a minute gap on the final climb up “Fish Hatchery Hill.”
Flack had the day’s fastest Olympic bike split (1:14:43, Hare’s was second best) and fourth-best swim. His 7th-best run (47:35) allowed Bill Boben of Lancaster, Pa., with the fastest Olympic run (41:42) to close within 45 seconds to take second in 2:31:37. Third place overall (2:33:12) went to Chris Prescott of Thompson, Conn., who had the second-best run (42:14). Hare settled for fourth two minutes and 16 seconds back. 
Flack is not your usual triathlete. He was an all-state football player at Mount Abraham Union High School, weighing 240 pounds and playing for Vermont in the 2005 Shrine Maple Sugar Bowl Team. 
“I got up to 275 pounds playing college football, and I considered running around the field an endurance workout!” Flack said. “My swimming and biking keep improving. My body fat is really low now but, by dropping 10 to 20 pounds of bulk could really help my run times.”
Hare, the race director and founder, is three decades Flack’s senior.
“I felt really good in the water and the bike, but, out on the run my body reminded my mind that I’m not 35 anymore,” Hare said. “It was a great day for all who raced. Beautiful weather, spectacular setting and great camaraderie.”
Meanwhile, 34-year-old Mariana Wingood of Waterbury, Vt., used the day’s fastest women’s bike and run to move up from 7th place after the swim in the Olympic Triathlon to claim the women’s title in 2:38:14. Montreal’s Sandrine Tirode (33) finished second in 2:43:58. 
Kirston Coe of Addison was 5th overall in 2:52:03. Debra Huber of Bridport won the women’s 45-49-year-old age group (3:36:56). Daniel Huber of Bridport placed 5th in the men’s 45-49 age group in 3:32:16.
For 2020, USA Triathlon (the national governing organization) has designated the June 27 Lake Dunmore Triathlon as the Vermont State Championship.
The Vermont Sun Sprint Triathlon began at 8:30 a.m. Past winner Cory Coffey, 42, had the fastest sprint bike time (35:04), which allowed him to get within 30 seconds of the leader Sean Fleming of Charlotte, who was the first sprinter out of the water in 8:39. Fleming had the second-fastest bike time (36:04) and third fastest run (18:57) to clinch the win in 1:05:08. Second place went to Zane Fields of Charlotte, who had the best sprint run of the day (17:36) and finished in 1:06:24.
Schumann was second after the swim and had the fourth-fastest bike ride (36:30). He posted a 22:15 run to hold onto fourth place. Race organizers called it a “very impressive performance” for the 63-year-old retired school superintendent.
On the women’s side in the Sprint Triathlon, Liv Herdman, 36, of Middlebury was the top local finisher earning fifth overall in 1:27:43.8. Twenty-one-year-old Kathryn Talano of Middlebury won the women’s 20-24 age group in 1:28:25. Wendy Puls of Bristol won the 65-69 group and was 17th overall. For complete results, splits and information on upcoming events go to vermontsun.com.
The July 14 Vermont Sun Sprint Triathlon is the next series race and is the 2019 USA Triathlon Vermont State championship. All ability levels can enter.