CAMP HOVEY - Soldiers, Civilians and Family members gathered in front of the Hovey Physical Fitness Center April 4 to participate and witness the annual Warrior Country Duathlon Championship, which has been held in Warrior Country since 1990. The all-time record for the event, which included a 5 kilometer run, followed by a 30 kilometer bike race, and a final 5 kilometer run, was broken by 5 minutes for both the Men's senior and Men's open categories. It has been standing at 1:30 since the first championship in 1990.
The record could not be recorded; however because the event was not an invitational allowing for competitors from other areas on the peninsula. Others could participate but not be awarded prizes or have their times set in the record books for Warrior Country.
Eric Reid from Yongsan beat the record by a full 5 minutes, crossing the finish line 1:25:32. Another ineligible from Yongsan was Mandy Reid finishing in the Women's division with a time of 1:49:55.
Times were fast for those eligible; Women's open winner was Catherine Dickey with a time of 2:30:43. For the Men's senior division Brendon Ewers crossed the finish line 1 with a time of 1:46:09. Isidro Feliciano finished 2 with a time of 1:52:15, Gordon Richardson finished 3 with a time of 1:52:56, and Wendell Rhodes finished 4 with a time of 2:05:52.
For the Men's open division (32 years and under) Michael Toney finished 1 with a time of 1:38:07, Adam Shabbott finished 2 with a time of 1:38:31, Ilnur Sibagatullin finished 3 with a time of 1:41:20 and Cliffton Mangiola finished 4 with a time of 1:42:19.
Winners were within sight of each other for this championship and the finishing times were close. The top finishers were within 8 to 10 minutes of the all time record.
"If Reid was from Warrior Country his time would have been recorded as the new record," said Kim, Pok Man, USAG-RC sports specialist. "He was well ahead of any time we have seen in the past several years."
"I am faster on the bike than I am on the run," said Michael Toney, 1 in Men's open division. "I figured if I took off easy on the run, I could catch everybody on the bike."
Toney's gambit took him within 5 minutes of the all time record for the event.
"My strategy was to go out on a 20 minute 5 kilometer run," said Adam Shabbott, 2 in Men's open division. "I planned to do a 55 minute 30 kilometer on the bike, and then come back with a 20 minute 5 kilometer run. I was about 2 minutes slow on the last 5 kilometer run."
The two leaders were only 24 seconds apart for the finish. Although Reid could not be given the record or a trophy for breaking the all time record in Warrior Country, he could use his experience for an event in the near future.
"I just wanted to start out hard and go as hard as I could for the entire time," Reid said. "I knew there would be some fast runners for the first 5 kilometer run, so I just let them go and I tried to pace myself for the first half because the second half is a lot worse. I plan to enter the Tour de Korea this year, so this experience helps me to prepare."
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