Despite a last-minute course change and tough spring-like conditions, Eric Flanders was not to be denied.
His reward on Saturday was a first victory at the Tri-Flake Winter Triathlon — along with a national championship.
On a 40-plus degree day at Kincaid Park that featured soft snow, rain and wind, Flanders chased down early leader Galen Johnston and biked away from two-time champion Jason Lamoreaux to prevail in the 15-mile run, bike and ski event in 1 hour, 17 minutes and 51 seconds.
Lamoreaux, also the race director, placed runner-up in 1:19:20 while Johnston — who posted the fastest individual run and ski times — took bronze in 1:21:02. The top three are all from Anchorage.
Tri-Flake Winter Triathlon men’s podium (from left) Eric Flanders, Jason Lamoreaux and Galen Johnston. Photo by Jennifer Lamoreaux
The bike course initially was scheduled on Kincaid’s hilly singletrack trails. However, a Friday night storm brought warm winds and 50-degree temperatures to Anchorage. While the ski trails held up reasonably well, the bike trails had punchy snow, pooling water in low spots and a downed tree when Lamoreaux inspected them Saturday morning.
“It was pretty obvious that the singletrack wasn’t rideable,” said Lamoreaux, who moved the bike route to the firmer Raspberry Multi-Use Trail and made some last-minute course marking adjustments that delayed the start 15 minutes.
Flanders, 38, agreed with the change.
“I was worried about the chaos that was going to be out there (on the singletrack),” he said by phone on Sunday.
The revised course, which featured less technical riding, also benefitted Flanders.
“I knew it was going to suit me even more,” he said. “(It required) consistent power and you could pass the whole time.”
Sixty-two racers began by running 3.7 miles on churned-up snow from Kincaid Stadium to a turnaround spot on the Coastal Trail and back. Then they fat biked a double out-and-back on the multi-use trail of about 7.5 miles. The race concluded with a two-lap ski route of 4.1 miles. Each leg provided unique challenges due to course conditions and racers’ growing fatigue.
Johnston, a ski coach for the Alaska Pacific University Nordic Ski Center, finished the run with a 63-second lead on Todd Jackson, with Flanders and Lamoreaux trailing him by about 90 seconds. However, Flanders and Lamoreaux passed Johnston — an inexperienced winter biker — after about 2 ½ miles of riding.
Flanders, who took third at Tri-Flake in 2021 and fourth in 2019, got away from Lamoreaux halfway through the bike leg.
“My legs were pretty tired at that point. (Flanders) managed to put in a surge that opened a gap,” Lamoreaux said.
Eric Flanders starting bike leg. Photo by Jennifer Lamoreaux
Flanders, who has won the Tour of Anchorage Double as the fastest combined biker and skier, increased his lead to 53 seconds after the bike leg and put another 38 seconds on Lamoreaux during the ski.
Colleen McGovern of Anchorage dominated the women’s race with the fastest splits for each discipline to win in 1:38:25 with Heather Helzer about 3 ½ minutes back.
“The warm temperatures and rain made the run and bike especially tricky,” McGovern said in a USA Triathlon press release. “It was the kind of day that you just have to embrace the rain and find the joy in being out there grinding.”
For the second straight year, the race doubled as the Winter Triathlon National Championship for USA Triathlon. The vast majority of racers hailed from Alaska, although Washington, Colorado, Connecticut, Minnesota, New York and even Georgia were represented. None of the out-of-staters contended for the overall victory, but two of them claimed age-group wins.
Lars Arneson and Heather Edic did not defend their individual titles from 2021, although Arneson ran the fastest running leg for the winning relay team that included Will Ross (bike) and Kenny Brewer (ski). Their team sped to a 1:12:19 finish.
Lamoreaux, who founded Tri-Flake in 2017, was relieved the race was possible on a day where inclement weather and poor snow conditions forced the cancellations of a high school ski race in Chugiak and a mushing race in Anchorage.
“I’m super excited we were able to hold the full event,” he said.
Start at Kincaid Stadium. Photo by Jennifer Lamoreaux