- ARCHIVED NEWS 2004-2005
- 5430 Long Course Tri draws 500+ to Boulder Reservoir
- On the first Sunday in August, the 5430 Long Course Triathlon was held for the 5th year in a row. The 2005 version saw over 550 competitors brave the climbing temperatures and blazing sun and 534 completed the half iron-distance course in beautiful Boulder, Colorado.
- In 2001 the 5430 was held as a full iron-distance race (as well as in 2002 and 2003), but was shortened to the half-iron distance in order to accommodate the wishes of many of the Boulder residents who needed a well-run half iron-distance race in anticipation of Ironman sanctioned events occurring later in the season.
- The morning began promptly at 6:30 with a wave start. The competitors then swam a 1.2 mile one-loop course in the Boulder Reservoir followed by a two-loop bike course that comprised the 56 mile bike requirement. Although Boulder is known for its steep hills, the bike course offered with this half distance race was very well received due to its predominately flat feel (well, at least flat by Colorado standards). The athletes left transition and immediately found themselves cycling a very slight incline that lasted about 12 to 15 miles (you know the feeling... gee... will it ever be flat???). Thereafter, a nice smooth section of roadway let the cyclists enjoy a brief reprieve from the constant need to push uphill and the recovery was well deserved for the last section of the bike (before a repeat of the same loop) brought on a 7 mile section of rolling hills just big enough to get you out of the saddle a time or two.
- Finally, the 13.1 mile run designed to bring the spectators into the mix saw the competitors leave transition and circle the entire reservoir, pass by the finish line and circle the res one more time.
- Again, 5430 Sports put on a heck of an event and few, if any, left feeling that the day could have offered more. There were numerous vendors and sponsors on hand to hand out samples of just about everything you could think of (gel shots, energy drinks, replacement fluids, water bottles, you name it). And, of course, the best thing about all the 5430 Sports events is the after party. This year it featured Pizza, Wahoo's Fish Tacos and a fantastic beer garden.
- The pro purse brought out quite a few elite athletes and the Men's and Women's winners (splitting winnings of $) included the following:
- Men's Elite Racers:
- 1) Craig Alexander - 3:57:02... 2) Andriv Yastrebov - 4:05:26... 3) Chris McDonald - 4:05:53.
- Female Elite Racers:
- 1) Amanda Lovato - 4:31:26... 2) Claire Murray - 4:39:25... 3) Karen Melliar-Smith - 4:43:32.
- Full race results can be found at www.timberlinetiming.com
- This article was originally published on the Transition Times.com website Monday, August 8, 2005 by Brian Daniel (Parker, Colorado). Reprinted with permission. www.transitiontimes.com
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- Simon Lessing Leads World-Class Professional Showing At 2005 Boulder Peak Olympic Distance Triathlon
- July 24, 2005 saw a brief break in the over-100 degree temperatures Colorado had been experiencing for the past few weeks. Lucky news for the 1600 plus competitors at the 2005 BOULDER PEAK Triathlon held at the Boulder Reservoir in Boulder, Colorado. The Olympic Distance race, with entrants from abroad and from 38 states within this country, featured a 1500 meter swim in the Reservoir, followed by a 42k bike including a trek up and over the infamous "Old Stage Road" (a 600 foot elevation gain in just under 2/3 of a mile with a 15% gradient) and an out and back 10k run over packed trails surrounding the Reservoir.
- Since the temperature would only reach the high 80s to low 90s by late mid-morning, the field was set to clock some fast times and with 12 waves of age-group competitors followed by the Female and Male Elite racers, the race got underway at 6:30 a.m. on Sunday morning and continued with finishers crossing the line until just past 11:30 a.m.
- In the Men's professional division, Five-Times World Champion Triathlete Simon Lessing (a part-time Boulder resident via Britain) held off Two-Times Ironman World Champion Tim DeBoom to dominate the field with an impressive 1:55:01 finish and captured a $4,000 paycheck for the overall win and the division win. In the Women's professional division, Boulder's own Amanda Lovata finished in an impressive 2:17:00 to take home the $3,000 divisional prize. Amanda's stats from 2004 included placing 5th at Ironman Coeur d'Alene, 3rd at the Boulder Peak Triathlon, 4th at Timberman Triathlon and 6th and 9th at Half Ironman California and Florida Half Ironman respectively.
- Probably even more importantly than the athletic camaraderie and the festive atmosphere that surround and permeate the Boulder Peak was the fact that 5430 Sports, the sponsoring body for the Boulder Peak and two other triathlons held over the summer months in Boulder (the 5430 Sprint in June and the 5430 Long Course Half-Ironman in August comprising the other two events), raised several thousand dollars for the MS Society. In addition to the money raised by 5430 Sports, many of the professional athletes involved in the race also donated a portion of their winnings to the MS Society.
- Age-grouper Paul Krueger of Denver found the course to be challenging, yet fair, and enjoyed the competition throughout the morning. "As usual Bolder Peak lived up to its reputation as the best large Olympic Distance triathlon in the country. The event was incredibly well organized, with a fun expo the Saturday before the race and great food (and beer) after the race. The bike course is very quick and the run is well supported with aid stations at every mile. A terrific race for "amateurs" who want to mix comfortably with the pros."
- Race Volunteer (and spectator) Katheryn Daniel was also very complimentary in her assessment of the event. "Being involved in the race from a volunteer standpoint really gets you up close with the athletes and the pros really amazed us with their speed throughout the race and in the transition area. But the most fun for those of us watching the race had to be seeing the everyday athletes come in from each leg of the race with looks of great intensity, determination and focus but also wearing smiles and yelling words of encouragement to each other."
- Having been at other smaller triathlons, Mrs. Daniel was impressed with the sheer size of the event and the number of personnel it took to make it seem to run so smoothly. "The volunteers were all amazing and I think the athletes appreciated us being here to help out where needed and to cheer them on. Also, seeing all the racers having a great time just being outside and competing with each other was marvelous. Of course, triathetes, by nature, are a bit of a strange breed. Most of us non-triathletes seem to think these people have to be missing some brain cells in order to put themselves through this and then call it "fun", but when you actually come to a triathlon and watch the participant's anticipation turn into pain and then turn to elation, you can begin to understand that these are people who a truly remarkable in their achievements - from first place all the way down to last place."
- Be watching for the Boulder Peak to continue to grow as the word gets out to more and more competitors worldwide. As of last year, USA Triathlon, the governing body of the sport, officially named the Boulder Peak Triathlon as the 2004 Large Triathlon of the Year (more than 250 entrants). This race has also been listed as "One of North America's Best Triathlons" by Triathlete Magazine and was deemed one of America's Top 15 classic races in the United States by Inside Triathlon’s TriGuide 2005.
- For the 2005 Boulder Peak Olympic Distance Triathlon, the top three racers in the Professional Division were as follows:
- Female Professional Division: 1 - Amanda Lovato (2:17:05); 2 - Malaika Homo (2:21:17); 3 - Sandra Soldan (2:21:25).
- Male Professional Division: 1 - Simon Lessing (1:55:01); 2 -Tim DeBoom (1:58:03) ; 3 - Branden Rakita (2:01:06).
- This article was originally published on the Transition Times.com website Monday, July 25, 2005, by Brian Daniel (Parker, Colorado). Reprinted with permission. www.transitiontimes.com
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- Boulder Peak Triathlon Receives Ranking of #4 Triathlon in United States
- Boulder, CO (January 2006) - 5430 Sports, leading developer and organizer of sports based events, announced today that the ‘Boulder Peak Triathlon,’ one event in the organizations signature series, the ‘Boulder Tri-Series,’ has received Inside Triathlon magazine's distinguished ranking of fourth best triathlon in the United States. This news comes just one year after USA Triathlon, the governing body of the sport, named the ‘Boulder Peak’ the “Best Large Triathlon” of 2004.
- The announcement comes as the organization is preparing to open registration for the 2006 ‘Boulder Tri-Series’ on January 1. The ‘Boulder Tri-Series’ events include the ‘5430 Sprint Triathlon,’ ‘Boulder Peak Triathlon’ and the ‘5430 Long Course Triathlon.’ The organization also produces the ‘Steamboat Springs Triathlon’ which successfully debuted in 2005. Three of the four triathlons sold out in 2005. As the Series receives increased attention due to rankings and additional press coverage, 5430 Sports anticipates that every race will fill to capacity in 2006.
- With over $50,000 in cash prizes, award winning race courses, an enormous expo and numerous reputable sponsors, the Series continues to attract many of the top professionals in the world, as well as some of the best age group athletes in the U.S. 5430 Sports donates a portion of the profits from each of their Series races to charitable organizations which appeal to athletes who compete in the Series events.
- Inside Triathlon’s rankings put the ‘Boulder Peak’ Triathlon just behind ‘Escape from Alcatraz’, ‘Wildflower’, and the ‘Hawaii Ironman World Championships.’ Barry Siff, Race Director and owner of 5430 Sports said, “5430 Sports is thrilled to learn of Inside Triathlon magazine’s ranking of the ‘Boulder Peak.’ This not only puts us in the company of some of the nation’s best races, it also demonstrates that 5430 Sports is succeeding at our goal of putting on high quality, safe races that create athletic opportunities for thousands of people from all corners of the globe.”
- 5430 Sports recently announced that the Denver Newspaper Agency, publishers of the Denver Post and Rocky Mountain News, will be among the platinum sponsors of the 5430 Sports Boulder Tri-Series.
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- Boulder Peak Triathlon – 2004 Triathlon of the Year
- Boulder, CO (May 19, 2005) – USA Triathlon (USAT), the official governing body of the sport of triathlon in the United States, has announced the Boulder Peak Triathlon as the “2004 Large Triathlon of the Year.” The award was for races with more than 250 entrants, and was selected by a sub-committee of the USAT Age Group Commission. According to the committee, the process involved reviewing the results of athlete surveys collected throughout the year, and basing their decision on the race with the highest quality of athlete responses. Comments received regarding the Boulder Peak included “exceptionally well organized, very challenging, and beautiful venue.” USA Triathlon made the announcement through its May/June issue of “USA Triathlon Times,” the organization’s official newsletter.
- The Boulder Peak, now in its 14th year, is an Olympic distance triathlon, scheduled this year on July 24 at the Boulder Reservoir. The race has filled to its capacity of 1,650 competitors in each of the last 5 years, and is known for its very challenging “Old Stage Hill” on the 42 kilometer bike ride, as well as its beautiful setting, tremendous volunteer support and spirit, and an extremely strong pro field competing for $20,000 in prize money. Past competitors have included the likes of Lori Bowden, Tim DeBoom, Susan Williams, Simon Lessing, and 4-time Champion Nicole DeBoom.
- This year, the Boulder Peak is one of 3 races comprising the “Boulder Triathlon Series.” The first race of the Series will be the 5430 Sprint Triathlon on June 19, and the final race is the 5430 Long Course Triathlon on August 7. Total prize money for the Series is over $45,000, and all races take place at the Boulder Reservoir. 5430 Sports, the organization behind the Series, is also producing the inaugural Steamboat Springs Triathlon on August 28. Sponsors of the Boulder Triathlon Series include Boulder Running Company, Gatorade, BikeSource, Clif Bar, Fleet Feet Sports, Inside Triathlon, Zoot Sports, Brooks, and Flatiron Athletic Club.
- For more information on the Boulder Peak or any of the other 5430 Sports events, please explore the website www.5430sports.com, email barry@5430sports.com, or call the 5430 Sports office at 303.442.0041.
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- 5430 Sports Acquires Boulder Peak Triathlon
- - Boulder Triathlon Series Established -
- Boulder, CO (October 29, 2004) - Boulder's 5430 Sports is proud to announce its purchase of the Boulder Peak Triathlon from its owner and founder, Paul Karlsson. In its first 13 years, the Boulder Peak has been cited as "one of North America's best triathlons" by Triathlete Magazine, and regularly attracts competitors from all over the United States. The event has sold out its 1,600 places each of the last 5 years.
- In commenting about the ownership change, Karlsson explains: "I am extremely proud of what we have accomplished with the Boulder Peak; particularly, our commitment and contributions over the years to the Multiple Sclerosis Society. I feel confident that Barry can now take the Peak to the next level."
- Siff, President of 5430 Sports, is anxious to combine the Boulder Peak with his already successful 5430 Long Distance Triathlon, and the new 5430 Sprint Triathlon, scheduled for June 19, 2005. "The new Boulder Triathlon Series - with its sprint, international, and long distance races in consecutive months (June, July, and August) - will offer athletes from first-timers to professionals a choice of premiere events all summer in on the Front Range of Colorado. It will certainly serve to showcase Boulder as the true "Mecca of Triathlon" in the U.S.," says Siff.
- Between the Boulder Peak and 5430 Long Distance Triathlon in 2004, the pro fields competed for nearly $30,000 in prize money. It is expected that this will continue, or even grow, in 2005. A special set of age group prizes for the entire series, and further details on all 3 races, will be announced by December 10.
- For further information, explore the website www.5430sports.com, email barry@5430sports.com, or call the 5430 office at 303.442.0041.
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