By Jay Prasuhn
June 10, 2007 -- Eagleman Ironman 70.3 was ripe for PRs, course records and otherwise fast splits on one of the fastest courses in racing, and the pros and age grouper’s didn’t disappoint.
Natascha Badmann, claimed a women’s world record for half-Ironman distance as she took her fifth Eagleman title in 4:08:18. Among the men, T.J. Tollakson had a career breakthrough, besting a solid field by using a smashing 2:02:45 bike to carry him to the win in 3:46:28.
“I never got it when I wanted it,” six-time Hawaii Ironman World Champ Badmann said. “This year I didn’t think about it—and I got it.”
For 2,180 athletes, the overcast conditions made for cool morning that offset the warm waters of the Choptank River. Aside from some warm temperatures during the run, the day was otherwise perfect for racing.
For Badmann, she admitted that she wasn’t completely primed to defend her multiple titles, but as the race unfolded, she found an external motivation.
I was heading out saying “I’ll give the best I have,’ and I probably wasn’t in shape to win, Badmann said. “But it made me so mad when I saw that they didn’t race fair that I had to race for justice. I don’t say names but those who were cheating knew who they were exactly. They should go race on the ITU.”
The two names that came up among several athletes were that of early race leaders Pip Taylor and Desiree Ficker. Neither was given an infraction by any of the race officials on course.
Right or wrong, it had the six-time Hawaii Ironman World Champion angry, and she again brought up the admonition publicly during the awards presentation. “We have a saying; you can’t put a fist in your pocket, so I have to talk about this; I got angry today,” Badmann told the crowd. “When I saw people cheating, I got angry. I mean, why can’t we all race honestly? If they cheat, they just make themselves less confident in their own abilities.”
Before the drama, accusations and denials, the race began fairly and in earnest in Choptank River. Out of the water first among men and women was Linda Gallo, followed by short course convert Pip Taylor. Taylor soon dispatched with Gallo in the opening miles of the bike to take the early race lead which she defended vehemently. While American Ficker moved through the field, very slowly closing on Taylor, some athletes took exception to the race tactics of the Aussie and Austinite.
“I was surprised at how far ahead some of those girls were,” former ITU pro Mirinda Carfrae said. “Natascha Badmann’s such a fantastic rider and she passed me, and I always expected she’d be away—she’s Natascha. But there was some stuff going on up there with some other girls.”
Both Badmann and recent Ironman Australia winner Rebekah Keat also inferred the draft rules were being fractured if not broken by the two early leaders. “When Natasha came past me, I said go get ‘em,’” Keat said, “and (Badmann) told me ‘I’ll try for you because I see you’re playing fairly.’”
The news admittedly infuriated Badmann. “I’m not naming names, but if these people want to draft, they should go to the ITU,” Badmann said. “It’s a shame. We’re all adults; just because an official’s not around doesn’t mean it’s okay to draft.”
At the 49-mile mark of the bike, Badmann captured Ficker, and a mile later Taylor, passing both resolutely. She rolled into T2 with an astounding 2:15 bike split.
Badmann started the half-marathon with over a minute lead, with Taylor one minute back of the Swiss-superstar in the early miles of the run. Meanwhile, Ficker’s enthusiasm on the bike caused her to miss her fluids, and her stomach started going south as she held third, two minutes back. “I think I was so excited about having such a great bike that I forgot to drink.”
Up front, Badmann was in a familiar tempo, ticking off a 6:21 mile pace with ease—and a smile. “It wasn’t much a run… it was more of a ‘fly,’” Badmann said, flashing that ever-present grin. “Coming close to the finish (people) said “you’re going good, that’s gonna get the record.’ And I said ‘no way, they’ve been telling me that for the last five years.”
But as she started doing the math, it started sinking in: she could well have the fastest half Ironman time in history. Which presented a conundrum: race for the record or return the favors of hundreds of well-wishing age-groupers cheering her on. “I wanted to focus,” she said, “then someone says ‘go Natascha’ and I get out of it and wave and smile. I can’t help myself! So I had to balance both.”
As Taylor and Ficker began to lose ground to Badmann, one athlete forgotten at nine minutes adrift off the bike was assembling the fastest run of the day: Carfrae. Ripping off 6:03 minute miles, Carfrae tore through the half marathon, prancing past a flagging Ficker and closed on Taylor, passing her for second in the last two miles.
Across the line in first, a jubilant Badmann’s 4:08:18 time beat the 4:12 time held by Karen Smyers and recorded at the 1996 ITU Long Course World Championships in Muncie, Indiana.
“This was the perfect course for this—fast and beautiful,” Badmann said. “It was wonderful to win this record.”
“Race officials pre-emptively defended the record. “Before anyone comes in saying the course was soft, I use land surveyors and lunar navigators,” said Eagleman race director Robert Vigorito. “The swim was GPS’d. Bike and run are GPS’d. They are all on the money.”
Carfrae claimed second, as Taylor took the final podium placing. A decimated Ficker held off Keat for fourth.
Both Taylor and Ficker defended their races against the rash of accusations from their fellow pro competitors.
“I cannot believe the accusations,” Taylor said. “I think maybe I shocked some people because I was out there riding well. I’m upset that rumor is going around. I went out there and rode honestly and solidly. If people can’t believe that I can ride that strong, then come and watch me train. This is what I am capable of.”
Ficker’s response was similar: the powerful bike was the result of correspondent training, not drafting. “I think Natasha was a little surprised we were ahead of her that long,” Ficker said. “After Hawaii I went to Boulder and said ‘I’ve gotta work on my bike’ and have been biking more than ever. I know I was being fair in keeping with the 10-meter rule,” Ficker said. “There were guys that were flying by me. It’s always tempting, but I know that’s not fair. That’s why I’m not in ITU, that’s why I got out of ITU – so I can use my bike as a strength.”
The men’s race was a literal runaway for Tollakson. Among a swim pack exiting Choptank River in around 22 minutes that included the Australian triumverate of Luke Bell, Richie Cunningham and Chris McDonald, Tollakson immediately made his intentions known by stomping away to an immediate lead that no athletes responded to.
As Tollakson ripped through the Blackwater Refuge, the pursuit behind was in total disarray. Defending race champ Chris Legh pulled the pin just seven miles into the bike after vomiting several times due to overheating from the warm swim. But after just three miles of noodling back to the park, his stomach came around and he turned around to re-enter the race, out of contention but out to admirably finish the day.
The new chase leader was now Bell, with Cunningham, Ukranian Viktor Zyemtsev and McDonald all spread within three minutes back. By T2, Tollakson’s lead swelled to nearly 10 minutes, and the chasers had their work cut out for them.
After a ridiculous 2:02:45 bike, averaging 27.5 miles per hour, Tollakson started in on the run, hopeful that over 10 minutes would be good enough to hold off a hungry collection of chasers, who themselves were hopeful Tollakson would pay back his astounding bike with a flat run.
A fatigued Bell ran five miles before pulling the race flats off and walking back to the racks. And while Cunningham, Zyemtsev and Mike Caiazzo would assemble the second-, third- and fourth-fastest runs, respectively on the day, Tollakson didn’t look any worse for wear. With metronomic form, Tollakson ticked through the run in 1:18 to take his first big career victory. With a personal-best 1:14 run, Cunningham took second, while Zyemtsev held off Caiazzo for third.
“I like athletes who are willing to take a chance, to risk blowing up going for the win,” Cunningham said. “That’s better than sitting in and sneaking away with a win. It was a good win for him.”
RACE NOTE
The post-race awards featured the awarding of the inaugural Blazeman Spirit Award to Andrew Urion, who returned to competition after two strokes as a young 34-year-old. In his first career 70.3 race, Urion logged a 4:40 time today.
The award, created by Eagleman race director Robert Vigorito, is close to his heart. Vigorito met Jon Blais before he died May 27 of ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s Disease. The race endeavored to raise $10,000 for the Blazeman Foundation, and succeeded in raising $11,000. He also retired the number from all Tri Columbia events, and is in talks with the Blais family about retiring it to an honored athlete for use at Eagleman each year. With several members of Blais’ family in attendance, Vigorito presented the foundation the $11,000 check at the awards.
“I saw a few people rolling across the finish line,” Vigorito said. “I met Jon and wanted to create this award, to help raise ALS awareness, to honor him at this race today,” Vigorito said. “It was an amazing day in every regard.”
2007 Eagleman Ironman 70.3
June 10, 2007, Cambridge, Maryland
1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike, 13.1-mile run
Men
1. T.J. Tollakson (USA) 3:46:28
2. Richie Cunningham (AUS) 3:52:48
3. Viktor Zyemtsev (UKR) 3:54:06
4. Mike Caiazzo (USA) 3:55:21
5. Chris McDonald (AUS) 3:56:09
6. Patrick Evoe (USA) 3:56:40
7. Will Ronco (USA) 3:56:58
8. Andrew Hodges (USA) 3:58:54
9. Paul Fritzche (USA) 4:00:00
10. Jason McMillian (USA) 4:01:34
Women
1. Natasha Badmann (SWI) 4:08:17
2. Mirinda Carfrae (AUS) 4:13:18
3. Pip Taylor (AUS) 4:14:43
4. Desiree Ficker (USA) 4:17:47
5. Rebekah Keat (AUS) 4:18:27
6. Linda Gallo (USA) 4:27:56
7. Fiona Docherty (NZL) 4:29:31
8. Alisha Lion (USA) 4:31:25
9. Jacqui Gordon (USA) 4:33:45
10. Marilyn MacDonald (CAN)4:34:43