The first ever Shiawassee Triathlon took place in Owosso and Corunna last weekend, May 23rd, through the combined efforts of the Fitness Coliseum and Friends of the Shiawassee River. Thanks to the generous event sponsors, 136 race participants, almost 100 volunteers, and all those who came down to cheer everyone on, the event was a joyous occasion and a great success! Participants ran from the new location of the Fitness Coliseum (210 S. Water Street) in downtown Owosso to McCurdy Park in Corunna, where they used the new kayak launch to enter the water and paddle back toward Owosso. In the last leg of the event, triathletes exited the river on Jerome Avenue, near the NCG movie theater (with the help of many enthusiastic volunteers) and continued to the biking portion in the streets south of Owosso - finishing the race where they started, at the Fitness Coliseum.
A total of 136 people participated in the race, ranging in age from 11 to 75. Racers traveled from cities all over Michigan, including Oxford, Brighton, Saugatuck and Grand Rapids (to name a few) and from as far away as Chattanooga, Tennessee. The finishing times for the race ranged from 1:35:00 to 3:40:00, so various levels of experience and competitiveness were welcomed and appreciated.
The winners of the event were as follows (for a full list of participant times, visit https://www.athlinks.com/event/330784/results/Event/905689/Results):
Overall Winners
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First Place - Derrick Fries, of Clarkston, MI, with a time of 1:35:00 (see photo)
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Second Place - Correy Ewald of Owosso, MI - 1:43:36
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Third Place - Gregory Osmer of Owosso, MI - 1:43:49
Female Overall Winner
Youth M/F Age Group (ages 17 and younger)
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First Place - Jameson Baker of Dimondale, MI - 2:38:31
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Second Place - Madeline Baker of Dimondale, MI - 2:52:27
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Third Place - David Peterson of Owosso, MI - 2:56:47
Male Age Group (ages 18-54)
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First Place - Correy Ewald
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Second Place - Gregory Osmer
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Third Place - Cory Brant of Brighton, MI - 1:44:03
Female Age Group (ages 18-54)
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First Place - Lisa Janego of Corunna, MI - 1:54:06
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Second Place - Brandess Wallace of Williamston, MI - 1:56:16
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Third Place - Tanya Miller of Owosso, MI - 2:01:41
Masters M/F Age Group (ages 55 and older)
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First Place - Daniel Durany of Owosso, MI - 1:54:06
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Second Place - Lance Omer of Owosso, MI - 1:54:53
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Third Place - Laura Meyer of Owosso, MI - 2:00:18
Relay
67 year old Derrick Fries, the first place winner, has participated in hundreds of triathlons and is a retired USA Cycle Race Director. “The first annual Shi-Tri was a huge success, extremely well organized, and had tons of wonderful volunteers,” said Fries. “As a competitor, the run course was smooth and beautiful. The kayak leg required lots of strategy with the low water level, but was surrounded with much wildlife and scenery. I greatly enjoyed the bike course, with its rolling hills and the mostly rural roads. Due to the design of the course and the unique order of events, this race is one of my most favorite events ever!” Fries added he most certainly will participate in the Shi-Tri event next year, and is “already looking forward to it”.
The proposed date for the Shi-Tri 2022 is Sunday, May 22nd.
“We look forward to bringing the event back bigger and better next year!” said Brianna Carroll, owner/operator of the Fitness Coliseum. “Triathletes and volunteers alike experienced a unique event in a vibrant community this past Sunday. I could not be happier about how everything turned out. There was a major sense of community and fun in the air all day. It was truly amazing to hear people say they were already looking forward to next year!”
Those sentiments were echoed by the co-host of the event, the Friends of the Shiawassee River."The Friends are truly proud to help put on this first-time event," said Lorraine Austin, Friends of the Shiawassee River's Executive Director. "The proceeds from the endeavor will be split between the Friends and the Fitness Coliseum. The dollars headed our way will go toward improvements to help everyone enjoy our treasured Shiawassee. Our gratitude to all who worked so hard to make this dream a reality."
The race organizers would also like everyone to join in to thank this year’s sponsors – without whom this event would not be possible: Presenting Sponsor: Memorial Hospital; Run Sponsor: Norm Henry Shoes; Paddle Sponsor: Great Lakes Fusion; Ride Sponsor: Byk-Rak; Underwriting Sponsor: Shiawassee County Convention & Visitors Bureau; Prize Design Sponsor: Darker Mfg. Co.; and the Shi~Tribe Sponsors: Advanced Eye Care, American Recycling Center, Inc., American Speedy Print, DayStarr Communications, Feighner Docks, Hankerd Sportswear, Merit Laboratories, Inc., Qdoba, RE/MAX of Owosso, RWI Mfg., and Weather Vane Roofing.
