Race Coverage

Durango’s Marisa Asplund Claims Elite Duathlon Crown

March 27, 2010

• Pro Athletes

USA Triathlon

The run-bike-run race, which was a part of the Powerman Alabama Multisport Weekend, featured a 10-kilometer, 60k, 10k course and a $5,000 prize purse for the elites.

Asplund, 33, was the overall women's winner in 3:06:05. She was fourth following the first run but produced the fastest bike split of the day en route to the victory. Asplund finished nearly a minute ahead of 2009 champion Jessica Jacobs, a Maylene, Ala., native, who finished in 3:06:57. Birmingham's Deanna Newman was third in 3:13:23.

Sheeks, 27, clocked a time of 2:45:28 to finish as the top American and second overall behind the world's No. 1-ranked duathlete, Belgium's Joerie Vansteelant, who pulled away on the bike and finished in 2:42:51. David Thompson of St. Paul, Minn., rounded out the podium with a time of 2:47:27.

The top four American finishers on each side qualified for the USAT Elite Duathlon World Championship Team for the 2010 ITU Elite Duathlon World Championships Sept. 3-5 in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Boulder’s Uli Bromme finished fourth on the women's side to join the medalists as a Team USA qualifier, while Matthew Russell (Ogdensburg, N.Y.) and Dereck Treadwell (Laurens, N.Y.) were the No. 3 and No. 4 Americans on the men's side, respectively.

Brad Seng of Boulder finished 7th.

Men

1. Joerie Vansteelant (Torhout, Belgium), 2:42:51
2. Matthew Sheeks (Woodinville, Wash.), 2:45:28
3. David Thompson (St. Paul, Minn.), 2:46:27
4. Matthew Russell (Ogdensburg, N.Y.), 2:46:49
5. Dereck Treadwell (Laurens, N.Y.), 2:49:03

Women

1. Marisa Asplund (Durango, Colo.), 3:06:05
2. Jessica Jacobs (Maylene, Ala.), 3:06:57
3. Deanna Newman (Birmingham, Ala.), 3:13:23
4. Uli Bromme (Boulder, Colo.), 3:13:50
5. Melissa Miller (San Antonio, Fla.), 3:17:38

full results