Two runs, bike race provide action at triathlon despite water woes

The International Triathlon Union World Cup came to the United States for the first time since 2009, as well as the first-ever appearance in Sarasota. And though Saturday’s women’s elite championship at Nathan Benderson Park had a few glitches, that race proved to be a memorable occasion for the winner as well as the favorite who bowed out early.

Katie Zaferes, the world’s third-ranked female triathlete who pulled out in the first lap, congratulated winner Juri Ide of Japan after a race that was altered due to water at Nathan Benderson Park being not quite up to ITU and USA Triathlon standards. So instead of the traditional swimming, biking and running format, two runs were sandwiched around a bicycle race in a duathlon.

Barry Siff, president of USA Triathlon, said the swimming portion of the event was changed to a 5K (3.1 miles) run due to high levels of algae in the lake. Officials had been testing the water for weeks, he noted.

“It just didn’t go down to an acceptable level, and safety is our No. 1 concern,” Siff said.

A 36.6K bike and 10K run followed the 5K first leg. That played right into the hands of Ide, a former national swimmer and runner who nonetheless preferred the two runs. Not to mention favoring the heat and humidity that contributed to Zaferes’ decision to pull out of the race.

“No problem,” said Ide, who won in two hours and 4.21 minutes. “It was a very hot, tough race. I like to swim, but I like running, so it’s OK.”

Ide, a 34-year-old who has competed on the international stage for 11 years and is a two-time Japan national champion, also was thankful to get through a race without being injured.

“I have been hurt many times,” she said. “This year, I broke my finger at the Gold Coast (in Australia). Even in Hamburg (Gemany), I got hurt in a bicycle accident. Still, I love triathlons.”

As for Zaferes, Siff said she “overheated. She has race a lot in the past few months.”

Zaferes, a 28-year-old from California in her fourth season on the circuit, listed the Sarasota event as her 10th race of the season. Her final race will be in the Bahamas in November.

“I’ll have to figure out the humidity,” she said.

The heat and humidity, in part, led to Zaferes pulling out early on Saturday.

“I just had nothing to give,” she said of her effort on the first lap of the 5K. “It’s very disappointing. It’s been a long season, and I think I was a little ambitious.”

Zaferes commended the competitors who finished Saturday’s race, saying, “The heat, the humidity, the wind; that combination was brutal. (The course) may seem flat and easy, but it’s not protected in any way. There’s no shade.”

American Chelsea Sodaro finished second in the women’s elite race with a time of 2:05.18 and Australia’s Julia Hauser came in third at 2:05.31.

“My coach told me to make a difference in the first run, so I wanted to pick it up a bit,” said Sodaro, who is in her first season on the international circuit. “I tried to hang on, but (Ide) was running a very fast pace.”

This story was originally published October 7, 2017 at 7:45 PM with the headline "Two runs, bike race provide action at triathlon despite water woes."