Race Report: Richard B. Russell Intermediate Triathlon

What a great day at the Richard B. Russell Intermediate Triathlon! This was my second time doing this race. Great atmosphere. Great course. Great people. Here's the overview:

Date - Saturday, July 13, 2024
Location - Richard B. Russell State Park, Georgia
Distance - 1500 meter swim, 22 mile bike, 10 kilometer run

l departed Greenville at 4AM to arrive at the race site at 5:30AM to register and get set-up. I like to get to races early to get a feel for the location and have plenty of time to warm-up. We gathered at the lake at 7AM for the national anthem and last-minute directions and had a staggered start for the 1500 meter lake swim.

The swim was a two-loop course of 750 meters for each loop. I managed to finish the swim in 32:31 and get into the transition area. Transition 1 was 1:50 and then off on the 22 mile bike. It was an out-and-back course that including mostly rolling hills and just or two significant climbs. I stayed with a couple guys which was very helpful for pacing and managed to finish in 1:01:28. I was in and out of transition 2 in 0:45 which I was very happy with to begin the 10K run. The run was a two-loop course that started on a trail and transitioned to paved roads. Thankfully there was enough gas in the tank to keep the pace moving, so I finished the run in 43:27.

My finishing time was 2:20:04 which placed me at 14th overall out of 93 and 2nd in my age group of of 9. I missed first in my age group by less than a minute but managed to be three minutes faster than my time last year, so overall I am thankful with the results. It was a fantastic (and hot) day on a beautiful course; and I look forward to being back next year Lord willing!

Picture credit: ​nicole-eliason