Beaver Lake Triathlon tests top athletes
August 21, 2012
Megan Worzella, 27, of Bellevue, leaves the transition area to begin the running leg of her winning the female 25-29 years of age category with an overall time of 1:3å3:33 in the Beaver Lake Triathlon. By Lillian O’Rorke
The buzz of hundreds of people chattering rose up from the shore of Beaver Lake Aug. 18 as athletes clad in Speedos and wetsuits waited for their turn to make a splash.
The Beaver Lake Triathlon kicked off at about 8 a.m. with the first group of elite challengers disturbing the silky lake surface like a school of salmon. What followed was wave after wave of 50 swimmers each, making their way around the quarter-mile course before sprinting to the bike transition area.
“It was very warm — we had that heat wave,” said Jason Renfroe, of Sammamish. “It’s a real short course. All you do is sprint as fast as you can, gulp a lot of water and tag your partner.”
His teammate Steve Holton took over for the second cycling leg of the race. After finishing the 13.8-mile bike ride down and back up Redmond-Fall City Road, Holton was stripped of any grand illusions but still smiling.
“It was hard,” he said. “I don’t think we are in as good a shape as last year. But it’s always a good event.”
Beaver Lake Triathlon / Aug. 18, 2012
August 21, 2012
Beaver Lake Triathlon takes off Aug. 18
August 14, 2012
The Beaver Lake Triathlon is set to kick off Saturday Aug. 18 bright and early at 7:45 a.m.
The triathlon will consist of a one-fourth mile swim in 68 to 77 degree water, a 13.8-mile bike route with 510-foot elevation gain and a 4.3-mile run through the hills that surround Beaver Lake.
Registration by Aug. 16 is $82 and bumps up to $87 on Aug. 17. Register at blt.beaverlake.org/registration.html. Registration is limited to 600 participants.
Winter weather does not keep seasoned triathletes from year-round training
February 21, 2012
A racer speeds around a corner on West Beaver Lake Drive Southeast, at the beginning of the 13.8-mile leg of the 2010 Beaver Lake Triathlon. By Christopher Huber
The triathlon has become one of the most popular spring and summer sports. It attracts people of all ages, athleticism and professional backgrounds.
Essentially, the race consists of swimming, bicycling and running. However, triathlons range in difficulty from the Olympic and sprint races to the rigorous Ironman events. The three popular local races — Issaquah Triathlon, Beaver Lake Triathlon and Lake Sammamish Triathlon — are classified as sprints.
Because the actual season does not start until late May, many people put off training for triathlons until the weather warms up.
But veteran triathletes like Mark Stendal, of Sammamish, begin preparing for triathlons in January.
Stendal has been involved in triathlons for 20 years. He has competed in at least 60 triathlons.
“I did five triathlons last year, two sprints and three Olympics,” Stendal said.
He is the founder of the Beaver Lake Triathlon, an event held in late August that has grown in popularity every year.
Sammamish man overcomes aquaphobia to log fastest local time in triathlon
August 23, 2011
A triathlete removes his cap while sprinting out of the water to start the cycling leg of the 18th annual Beaver Lake Triathlon on Aug. 20. By Christopher Huber
A year ago, Ryan Mongan, 45, of Sammamish, would not have considered competing in the Beaver Lake Triathlon.
He was nowhere close to ready for the quarter-mile swim, he said. Swimming in open water freaked him out. He would panic and start swallowing water.
“Swimming’s my weak spot,” he said. “A year ago, I couldn’t swim.”
Athletes gear up for Beaver Lake Triathlon
August 16, 2011
An athlete speeds around a corner on West Beaver Lake Drive Southeast, at the beginning of the 13.8-mile cycling leg of the 2010 Beaver Lake Triathlon. By Christopher Huber
Local triathletes and others from around the Puget Sound will soon be at it again. The 18th annual Beaver Lake Triathlon will return Saturday, Aug. 20.
The race, which will begin, transition and end at Beaver Lake Park, will include a quarter-mile swim, a 13.8-mile bike and a 4.3-mile run.
The swim portion of the race will be in Beaver Lake. The bike route will take competitors northeast over Duthie Hill Road, which offers views of the Cascade Mountain Range, Mount Si and the Snoqualmie Valley. Bikers will then head east on Redmond-Fall City Road and back up the plateau along a 2-mile hill. The run will take participants through hills that circle Beaver Lake and finally to the finish line.
Read more
Issaquah officer collars Beaver Lake Triathlon
August 24, 2010
Jason Houck wins men’s division; Seattle’s Kara Nielsen takes womens group
Jason Houck, of Issaquah, crosses the finish line first during the 17th Beaver Lake Triathlon on Aug. 21 in Sammamish. By Christopher Huber
Jason Houck took his night shift with the King County Sheriff’s Office off Aug. 20 to rest up for the early-morning start of the Beaver Lake Triathlon the next day. He needed to save his energy to perform at his peak. Plus, he had to work the night after the race, too. Read more
More than 500 expected to enter Beaver Lake Triathlon
August 17, 2010
Athletes prepare to enter the water to swim the first leg of the 2009 Beaver Lake Triathlon. By Greg Farrar
Beaver Lake Triathlon / Aug. 19, 2009
August 19, 2009
Spokane’s Greg Gallagher wins 16th annual Beaver Lake Triathlon
August 18, 2009
Johnna Koenig, of Sammamish, muscles her way toward the transition from the cycling leg to the running portion of the triathlon, on the way to her victory in the women’s division. By Greg Farrar
Sammamish resident Johnna Koenig finishes first in women’s race
As he prepared for a dip in Beaver Lake Aug. 15, incoming Skyline High School senior Jamie Eide chuckled as he thought about taking a nice long nap once he got home from participating in his first triathlon.
Eide is an avid cyclist — he’s pedaled the Seattle-to-Portland three times — but he had stayed up until 6 a.m. the morning of the Beaver Lake Triathlon. He was also a bit nervous about the swimming portion. Read more
