2017 Grand Rapids Triathlon Recap

June 18th, 2017 by Kaitlyn Patterson

The Grand Rapids Triathlon was this past Sunday (June 11th) in Ada, Michigan. For those who raced it, they would probably agree with me and say it was quite a challenging race day. The temperatures were in the 90’s , the wind was brutal, and the sun was beaming down. Even with these conditions, many of our teammates had a successful race.

Even with a tough race day, I have to say that I have always had a positive experience racing at Grand Rapids Triathlon; I am sure others can agree with that statement. This year was my second year racing the half iron distance and I can’t wait to go again next year. This race was very well directed and there were numerous volunteers and supporters. There is no way I could have made it through the half without all the volunteers at the aide stations, the generous families with hoses for us to run through, or the on course cheering of teammates and friends. I’d recommend this race to anyone who hasn’t raced in it next year.

As for me? I was able to PR by 30 minutes this year and place 2nd in my age group, even with these brutal conditions. I was really excited about this and I have to give a huge thanks to our coaches at Athletic Mentors for that one! They really inspired me to try my hardest and gave me the guidance to break the six hour mark.

We had quite a few other teammates place and race well on Sunday. Congratulations to everyone who raced and successfully made it through the heat! Below are some highlights on top finishers.

Sprint Highlights

Jeff Nordquist, 2nd male overall

Todd Anthes, 3rd masters male
Danielle Nye, 1st female and 2nd overall sprint aquabike