Cross tops Passler at tough Sea to Summit Triathlom
- - by Irene Thomas
The Sea To Summit Triathlon is a low key, hard coreendurance event
designed to challenge seasoned endurance athletes. Many of the applicants
that get accepted into a field that is limited to 35 participants are outdoor
enthusiasts with resumes loaded with multiple marathons and ironman distance
triathlon finishesto their credit. Best described as a hybrid resulting from
blending an Ironman distance triathlon with an adventurerace, the course
consists of sea kayaking 12 miles, bicycling 90, and an 8.5-mile up hill run.
By the way, therun features just over a mile of vertical gain!
Some last minute cancellations from those who accepted the challenge meant
that 26 athletes (25 male and 1 female) took up starting positions on the
shores of New Castle Island. Shortly after rounding the US Coast Guard
Station by the mouth of the Piscataqua River, the paddlers were faced with
turbulent waters created by changing tides and boat traffic.
Taking an early lead was Stuart Olsen, and then followed by Tom Cross and
Justin Ellenton. On the somewhat calmer waters beyond Portsmouth, Olsen had
continued to pull away from the rest of the field. Reaching the paddle to bike
transition area in a time of 1:45:20, Olsen had a 2:12 advantage over Cross,
and almost six minutes ahead of two-time S2S winner Gary Passler. Jenny
Johnson, the sole female participant, is a 22 year old from Orono, ME,
completed the paddling segment in 2:14:31. All 26 participants
safely completed the first leg within the 2:30:00 cut-off.
Within the first 20 miles of the bicycle course, it became apparent that four
athletes were pulling away from the rest of the field. Cross eventually
caught up to Olsen and traded the lead back and forth twice before reaching
Milton, NH. Passler and Tom Lewis were 4 and 5 minutes back respectfully.
Just north of Union,NH, Olsen abandoned the race due to back problems. Now
25 cyclists continued riding north towards the WhiteMountains, faced with a
steady 5-mph head wind.
Throughout the day the athletes were treated to near ideal conditions with
temperatures in the low 70's and partly sunny skies. At 60 miles into the
ride, Lewis had closed to within one minute of Cross, with Passler six minutes
back. Lewis began to experience stomach problems and couldn't reduce the
deficit. Meanwhile, Cross increased his pace, which netted him an 8-minute
lead at the bike to run transition in Jackson, NH. Passler followed 2 minutes
later and after a quick change from cyclist to runner, began the 4.5-mile
uphill road running side by side with Lewis. It should be noted that this
section of the run gains 1,000 vertical feet and reaches 11% in steepness.
Meanwhile, Jenny Johnson, continued a strong and steady ride to Jackson, NH
moving up 3 more spots along the way. Rick Rapone, suffering from severe
cramping had to drop out after cycling 50 miles. Two down, 24 athletes were
still on there feet heading up towards Mount Washington, their
final destination.
Maintaining a steady pace, Cross was able to build his lead to nine minutes by
the time he reached the beginning of the Tuckerman Ravine Trail. Passler had
separated him from Lewis who had continued to slowly fall further back.
With the exception of having to deal with a steep and rocky trail on tired
legs, the conditions were perfect for the hike up Mount Washington. This also
meant that one of the most popular trails in New England was crowded with day
hikers. The S2S participants received a lot of bewildered looks from these
hikers as they hurried their way up the mountain dressed in running and
cycling apparel.
First to reach the summit was Tom Cross in a time of 8:22:28, which was the
second fastest time recorded behind the course record of 8:13:49 held by Erik
Grimm set last year. Passler reached the summit marker in 8:36:10, a personal
record and 5th fastest course time ever. Tom Lewis, of Keene, NH finished in
third position with a time of 8:49:30. The top three finishers were all in
the 40-49-age division.
Rounding out the top five was Jim Keane of Portsmouth, NH in 9:30:31 and Sven
Buchheister of Rochester, NY in 9:42:20. Jenny Johnson concluded a strong
day with a finishing time of 10:33:06 with placed her 15th overall. Johnson,
a first time participant, is a registered Maine Guide and is also a teacher at
the adventure education program at the University of Maine.
Other notable performances in the 50+ division include 57 year Ivan Lennon of
Rochester, NY in 10:23:15 and local Bob Dunfey of York, ME in 10:44:49. Top
splits of the day go to Stuart Olsen for the kayak (1:45:20); Tom Cross for
the bike (4:19:53) and run (2:14:53). Of the 26 that begun the journey from
sea to summit, 23 were able to reach the summit marker within the 12 hour cut
off.
Name Age Hometown OVERALL
1. Tom Cross 43 Dover, NH 08:22:28
2. Gary Passler 46 Amesbury, MA 08:36:10
3. Tom Lewis 43 Keene, NH 08:49:30
4. Jim Keane 32 Portsmouth, NH 09:30:31
5. Sven Buchheister 35 Rochester, NY 09:42:20
6. Jeff Hunt 43 Bangor, ME 09:45:23
7. Dave Mikolaities 36 Portsmouth, NH 09:47:41
8. Byron Lane 33 Stony Brook, NY 09:55:45
9. Jim Pammer 36 Walpole, NH 09:56:18
10. Andrew Hill 34 Cambridge, MA 10:09:55
11. Justin Ellenton 27 Danvers, MA 10:13:28
12. Ivan Lennon 57 Rochester, NY 10:23:15
13. David Rosania 47 Rye Beach, NH 10:26:50
14. Steve Ruane 30 Centerville, MA 10:32:02
15. Jennifer Johnson - F 22 Orono, ME 10:33:06
16. Dan Ruane 33 Winchester, MA 10:35:03
17. Bob Dunfey 50 York, ME 10:44:49
18. Brad Beveridge 27 Danvers, MA 10:58:37
19. Mike McDonough 40 Swampscott, MA 11:01:58
20. Jeff Kent 31 Saugus, MA 11:01:59
21. Nick Pauquette 31 Portsmouth, NH 11:07:34
22. Joe Klejna 39 W. Springfield, MA 11:20:16
23. Chris Ballou 30 Staten Island, NY 11:36:51
24. Dennis Charney 50 Potomac, MD DNF
25. Stuart Olsen 34 Newburyport, MA DNF
26. Rick Rapone 47 Hamden, CT DNF
