Despite 37 C heat, humidity, strong wind gusts, and a Las Vegas desert course that climbed 3,000 metres over a 250-kilometre distance, Angela Naeth found a way to conquer the elements and break the tape first.
The Prince George triathlete posted one of the most impressive triumphs of her professional triathlon career Saturday, winning the inaugural Leadman Lifetime Epic 250.
The ultra-distance triathlon includes a five-kilometre swim in Lake Mead, a 223-kilometre bike through Valley of Fire State Park, and a 22-kilometre run along a trail built for the construction of the Hoover Dam.
Naeth finished the course in 10 hours 29 minutes 43 seconds, second only to men's overall champion Jordan Rapp of Tarrytown, N.Y., who clocked 9:32:19.
"Words fall short in describing today's Leadman Epic 250 race," tweeted Naeth. "But I'll try: A hot, hurtful, hilly hurricane. The hardest..."
Naeth's coach, Chuckie Veylupek, blogged that the race was a challenge for the athletes and everybody who braved the elements to witness it.
"It is the toughest long-distance triathlon in North America," he said. "I was there spectating and even the small crowd of spectators all DNF'd."
Forty-four competitors started the race and nine of them did not finish.
Rapp, a two-time Ironman champion, called it the toughest race he's ever done. On the website www.leadmantri.com, he said what made the race so difficult were the distances, combined with punishing weather conditions.
"It's just really far," he said, "and the heat and wind were a big factor. The bike course is what makes it tough, no question. The run course is not easy -- and I'm certainly glad I didn't have to race the run, but it's very manageable. But the bike is just relentless. It's always up or down. And we got the worst luck -- a very light tailwind on the way out that built into a raging head/crosswind on the way back."
Tara Norton of Toronto placed second in the women's division, fourth overall in 10:56:06. Katya Meyers of Solana Beach, Calif. was third in 11:39:24.
"That course was sadistic!" Meyers tweeted after the race. "Happy to walk away with third... scratch that. Happy to walk away period! A finish was a 'W' today."
Two weeks ago in St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands, Naeth finished second in the Ironman 70.3 St. Croix Triathlon. In thnbayt race, she posted a record time in the bike event.
Earlier this season, she was second in the 70.3 Ironman Texas event, placed first in the Kehmah (Texas) Olympic distance race, and was fifth in the Abu Dhabi International.
Naeth will be the subject of a cover story in an upcoming issue of Triathlon magazine.
