Age Group Excellence
Whenit comes to racing over 60, Canada is quickly becoming the world’s Ironman superpower. Things got rolling for Canada at the Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Henderson, Nev. ( just outside of Las Vegas) in September, where Delta, B.C.’s Carol Peters took the women’s 60– 64 crown. North Vancouver’s Cullen Goodyear took the 65– 69 title, beating American legend Cherie Gruenfeld, an 11-time world champion, in the process. Not to be outdone by the ladies, Penticton, B.C.’s Murray MacPherson and Alton, Ont.’s Bob Knuckey took the men’s titles in the two 60– 69 categories. Last year’s TMC Triathlete of the Year, Milos Kostic (the pride of Regina), wasn’t able to defend his 70–74 world title in Nevada, but still managed an impressive third place finish.
A month later the Canadian senior domination continued as Beverly Watson of Priddis, Alta., Goodyear and Kostic all captured age group wins at the Ironman World Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii.
Watson came from behind during the marathon and, by the 11 km mark, assumed the lead where she kept it right to the finish line to claim the women’s 60– 64 age group. She swam 1:13:07, biked 5:57:50 and ran 4: 26:39 for a total time of 11:50: 41. Goodyear clinched the age group win by taking the early lead during the bike ride and she stayed strong the rest of the way to win the women’s 65– 59 age group by close to seven minutes. She swam 1:15: 44, biked 6: 23:35 and ran 5:05: 49 for a winning time of 12:57:17. Kostic won his seventh Ironman age group title with a come-frombehind performance on the marathon. He took the lead at the 8 km mark and ran 4:08:03 to win the age category by a whopping 67 minutes. He swam 1:39:17 and biked 6:01: 48 for a 12:03:38 finish.
The Canadian presence on the podium in Kona was huge. London, Ont.’s Rosemary Wedlake took second in the women’s 60– 64 category (12:08: 46) and Chicoutimi, Que.’s Pierre Lavoie did the same in the men’s 50– 54 division ( 9: 23:30). Kenora, Ont.’s Edie
Fisher posted a 10:59: 41 finish to clinch third in the women’s 55– 59 category, while Ottawa’s Len Ireland took fourth among men 60– 64 (10: 42:35) and Sydney, N. S.’s Julie Curwin placed fifth among women 45– 49 (10: 24:52).
Two weeks later, in Maui, Hawaii, for the Xterra World Champs, Watson added another amazing performance to a year that included an age-group win at Ironman Texas when she took the 60– 64 category in 4:15:06 to take her sixth world title.
Just as our toy panel was getting comfortable with picking all our award winners this year, Bob Knuckey crossed the line in an other-worldly 10: 44:09 to take the men’s 65– 69 category by a whopping 68 minutes.– KM