Coloradans kick butt in Xterra Mountain Championship triathlon

Photo courtesy Xterra Mountain Championship

Josiah Middaugh, from Vail, won the Xterra Mountain Championships triathlon at Beaver Creek on Saturday

​You don't want to go up against a local in a race like the Xterra Mountain Championship at Beaver Creek: On Saturday Vail's Josiah Middaugh set a new course record on his way to winning the triathlon with a 19-second lead over Scott Wealing (Boulder) and Brian Smith (Gunnison), making for a locals-only podium; Shonny Vanlandingham, from Durango, dominated the women's race for the third year in a row, torn ligament in her thumb be damned, beating out Melanie McQuaid (Victoria, B.C., Canada) and Kelley Cullen (New Castle, Colorado).

Photo courtesy Xterra Mountain Championship

Shonny Vanlandingham, from Durango, won the Xterra Mountain Championship at Beaver Creek on Saturday for the third consecutive year

​The race began with a 1,500 meter open water swim in Avon's icy cold Nottingham Lake, followed by a 15.5-mile mountain bike course with a 3,600' elevation gain on the trails at Beaver Creek and a 5.75-mile trail run with a 1,300' elevation gain.

Via XterraPlanet.com:

"I'm certainly thankful that I was finally able to take this race," said Middaugh to the appreciative crowd gathered for the awards ceremony. "I've had a little bit of a monkey on my back these last couple years not being able to pull this one off on my home course."

1 Josiah Middaugh 32 Vail, Colorado 2:12:05
2 Seth Wealing 32 Boulder, Colorado 2:12:24
3 Brian Smith 35 Gunnison, Colorado 2:12:46
4 Nicolas Lebrun 38 Digne, France 2:13:42
5 Branden Rakita 30 Manitou Springs, Colorado 2:17:19
6 Brad Zoller 33 Avon, Colorado 2:17:36
7 Jason Michalak 33 Lakewood, Colorado 2:20:18
8 Tim Reed 26 Lord Howe Island, Australia 2:20:24
9 Cody Waite 32 Lakewood, Colorado 2:21:53
10 Patrick Valentine 25 Colorado Springs, CO 2:23:36

And here's Shonny Vanlandingham:

"It's a lot of fun here because I'm racing with my strengths and laughing with the guys when we're going down the switchbacks, it's just a blast," said the reigning XTERRA World Champion, who will embark on a four-week, four-country XTERRA championship swing from Mexico to Czech to Germany to Japan in August.

1 Shonny Vanlandingham 42 Durango, Colorado 2:30:16
2 Melanie McQuaid 37 Victoria, B.C., Canada 2:33:16
3 Kelley Cullen 30 New Castle, Colorado 2:35:00
4 Sara Tarkington 30 Boulder, Colorado 2:35:25
5 Emma Garrard 30 Park City, Utah 2:39:59
6 Luisa Bryce 29 Denver, Colorado 2:46:42
7 Christine Jeffrey 38 Guelph, Ontario, Canada 2:48:14
8 Suzie Snyder 29 Fredericksburg, Virginia 2:48:32
9 Kim Baugh 32 Colorado Springs, Colorado 2:51:07
10 Tracy Thelen 32 Colorado Springs, Colorado 2:54:19

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