Race Coverage

Colorado Athletes Dominate at 2024 Winter Triathlon & Duathlon Championships

February 26, 2024 · USA Triathlon Winter National Championships 2024

• Winter

BRECKENRIDGE, Colo. — Winter multisport athletes raced in Breckenridge on Feb. 23-25 to kick off the 2024 USA Triathlon National Championship season at the 2024 USA Triathlon Winter Triathlon and Duathlon National Championships. The Breckebeiner, hosted by the organizers of the Breck Epic at the Gold Run Nordic Center, featured the run-ski Winter Duathlon National Championships and the run-bike-ski Winter Triathlon National Championships.

The Gold Run Nordic Center course features 30 kilometers of world-class groomed cross-country ski trails. The run course took place on the Silver Star trail route, while the bike was a loop on the Straights, Dyer and Gold Run trails. The ski course took place north of the finish line on the Buffalo Flats and Bronco Dave trail routes.

The three-day event featured six races:

• Winter Duathlon National Championships Sprint (3k run, 6k ski) and Intermediate (6k run, 12k ski)
• Winter Triathlon National Championships Sprint (3k run, 5k bike, 5k ski) and Intermediate (6k run, 10k bike, 10k ski)
• Breckebeiner Nordic Marathon and Half Marathon (31k ski and 15.5k ski)

Colorado local and XTERRA triathlon world champion Josiah Middaugh (Vail, CO) won the men’s Elite Winter Triathlon Intermediate-Distance national title. A longtime triathlete who specialized in off-road triathlon for much of his career, Middaugh encouraged multisport athletes to give winter triathlon a try.

“I think come out and give it a shot. Don’t worry if you’re not strong in one area, nobody is and that’s the beauty of it,” said Middaugh, who has two sons (Sullivan and Porter) who are members of USA Triathlon’s elite development training squad, Project Podium.

Molly Hummel (Santa Fe, NM) and Taylor Shelden (Breckenridge, CO) won the women’s and men’s Winter Triathlon Intermediate-Distance national titles, both winning their races in dominant fashion by over five minutes.

Peter Valentyik (Boulder, CO) skied his way to first place for the men’s Winter Triathlon Sprint-Distance national title, while Annika Peacock took home the women’s title in her first winter triathlon race.

“It’s a little bit different and there aren’t many people, but the people that are [winter triathlon] athletes are just really good people,” Peacock said. “You get to have fun in the snow, so what more could you ask for really?”

Omar Bermejo (Evansville, WY) won the men’s Para national title in the Winter Triathlon Sprint-Distance race.

Kicking off Winter Nationals on Friday was the Winter Duathlon National Championships, with Austria’s Katja Krenn winning the Elite Sprint title.

Colorado residents dominated the Age Group Sprint and Intermediate Duathlon categories, with Deanna McCurdy (Littleton, CO) and Stephen Eles (Boulder, CO) leading the field in the Age Group Duathlon Sprint division, and Dominique Stasulli (Boulder, CO) and Morgan Elliott (Breckenridge, CO) winning the Age Group Intermediate Duathlon event.

“This was my first winter triathlon and I love it. It’s such a great mix from the standard training that you do year-round — and it’s out here in Colorado. I said let’s just try it!” McCurdy said of her first winter multisport event.

Christine Wodke (Milwaukee, Wis.) won the women's Para national title in the Winter Duathlon Sprint-Distance race.

Top finishers in each age group earned the opportunity to represent Team USA at the World Triathlon Winter Championships.

Winter Duathlon Sprint-Distance National Championships

3k run, 6k cross-country ski

Winter Duathlon Intermediate-Distance National Championships

6k run, 12k cross-country ski

Winter Triathlon Sprint-Distance National Championships

3k run, 5k bike, 5k cross-country ski

Winter Triathlon Intermediate-Distance National Championships

6k run, 10k bike, 10k cross-country ski