Congratulations to all of our local triathletes on their recent race finishes! Congrats to World Championship Kona Ironmen Beni Gras Thompson and Chad Albright! Also congrats to Ironman Whitney Davis for her IM Louisville finish! Matthew Togo, Donna Pennington Williams, and Lori Callahan took podium at Pleasant Landing this weekend along with Vince Slusser at White Lake with Yvonne Kennedy! Lastly, congrats to Sue Braun Perry on another awesome 70.3 at well at White Lake!
Special thank you to Chris Myers, Ph.D. for coming out to speak to our triathlon community on the amazing roof top of Downshift Bikes! Chris spoke about building a good base for people new to the sport and maintaining a solid base during the off season for the more seasoned athletes. We hope to work with Chris again very soon!
Come out and enjoy your fellow athletes on the amazing roof top of Downshift!
Also, please come and meet one of the newest athletes to the Roanoke Valley area and member of the RTC, Chris Myers, Ph.D. Many of you may have met Chris at Claytor Lake!
Chris is a military veteran who recently moved from Panama City, Florida to teach at Radford University. Chris is a seasoned and accomplished Master Coach at Peaks Coaching Group with certifications in: USAC, USAT, USA swimming, Ironman University Coaching, and sports nutrition.
Chris is very interested in becoming a part of athletes of the surrounding Blue Ridge, and specifically with the Roanoke Triathlon Club.
Please join us as Chris speaks to “building a good base” for the newer athletes, along with maintaining a solid base during the off season for the more seasoned athletes! We hope that after this event, you will feel more prepared and comfortable in what you should be doing for the next several months before you start training specifically for VBR 70.3.🏊♀️🚴🏻♂️🏃🏿♂️!
Let’s get together to share stories of our training, races, and other activities of the season thus far. Also, we will be discussing some fun things planned to support the Luray athletes! And lastly, to discuss BR70.3 🤩!
Registration opens this same day, so lots to look forward to in the next few weeks!
Photo credit: E. Arnold
Next year about 2,500 athletes will swim in Carvins Cove, bike the hills of Botetourt County and run along the Roanoke River Greenway — all in the course of a day.
The Ironman 70.3 triathlon is coming to Roanoke. The city was selected as a three-year host, with the first race scheduled for June 7, 2020. Carilion Clinic will serve as the title sponsor for the triathlon, which includes a 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike ride and 13.1-mile run.
Continue reading: https://www.roanoke.com/news/local/ironman-bringing-event-to-roanoke-valley-starting-in/article_33d05446-3c93-5f38-a8e0-5697f53ddab1.html
July 28, 2019 (Lake Placid, NY) – Local triathlete Timothy Fortuna completed Ironman Lake Placid in 13:22:02! Congratulations on a strong race and finish, Tim!
July 27, 2019 (Burlington, NC) – Local triathlete Tracy Young recently completed the Buckner Mission Man Sprint Triathlon in Burlington, NC! Young, who has battled injuries commented, “…first triathlon since Bath County last year—not counting the relays! I might end up walking a good portion of the 5k but I will give it all I got regardless!” We know how hard it is to deal with injuries when we want to race. Congratulations on your finish, Tracy!
Photo credit: K. Thompson
May 4, 2019 (Pontevedra, Spain) – Local area triathlete Beni Gras-Thompson placed first overall amongst the age group women (not just in her age group) in the 2019 Pontevedra ITU Long Distance Triathlon World Championships (Pontevedra, Spain) with a total time of 6:47:16. Congratulations on an incredible performance, Beni!
Listen to an exclusive interview with local triathlete phenom Beni Gras-Thompson. Gras-Thompson, a mother of five, was the top female age-grouper at IM New Zealand 2019, but when she went to claim her spot to Kona, big disappointment lay ahead. And a chance to persevere and learn. We’ve never had an episode like this!
Source: KonaKamps.com
Listen here: https://soundcloud.com/konakamps/beni-gras-thompson-ironman-new-zealand-2019
Photo credit: Finisher Pix
March 7, 2019 (Taupo, New Zealand) – Congratulations to local area triathlete Beni Gras-Thompson, who won 1st in her age group at Ironman New Zealand with a total time of 9:56:05! Gras-Thompson not only placed first in her 45-49 age group, but she placed 1st overall in the age group woman categories. Local triathlete Tim Fortuna commented, “If she was racing with the younger pro women, she would’ve been 8th! Absolutely incredible! Tremendous dedication and hard work. It’s so awesome to have her here in Roanoke.” Thanks to Tim Fortuna and Randy Clements for keeping track of Gras Thompson and letting our tri club members know about her incredible performance.