Popularity: 44% [?]

Click thumbnail to see expanded view.

Popularity: 44% [?]

Marcel Vifian and Jolene WIlkinson won Scofield Triathlon’s inagural “Ultimate” distance event (1.75 mile swim, 39 mile bike, 10 mile run) at Scofield Reservoir, on July 19, 2008. Over 300 atheltes participated in the three events.

Heath Thurston and Rachel Cieslewicz won the Olympic distance event. In the Sprint event, Caprice Schwardzwalder won the overall title by beating all atheltes. Barry Gates won the men’s Sprint event, and was the closet finisher to Schwardzwalder. See below for top finishers.

Click HERE for event video
Click HERE for athlete audio interviews
Click HERE for event pictures
Click HERE for complete results

Top Male Finishers - Ultimate

1- Marcel Vifian, 3:24:32
2- Greg Deyle, 3:45:00
3- Jason Crompton, 3:46:39

Top Female Finshers - Ultimate

1- Jolene Wilkinson, 4:19:27
2- Aimee Larkin, 4:36:19
3- Beth McMaster, 4:39:49

Top Male Finishers - Olympic

1- Heath Thurston, 2:03:19
2- Dave Ference, 2:07:08
3- Matthew Briggs, 2:09:58

Top Female Finishers - Olympic

1- Rachel Cieslewicz, 2:25:19
2- Jana White, 2:32:35
3- Jenny Cole, 2:35:54

Top Male Finishers - Sprint

1- Barry Gates, 1:09:26
2- Bryson Garbett, 1:10:19
3- Brad Crompton, 1:11:45

Top Female Finishers, Sprint

1- Caprice Schwardzwalder, 1:09:09
2- Keena Schaerrer, 1:12:25
3- Natalie Rassmussen, 1:14:51

Popularity: 49% [?]

Below former US Professional National Champion (and Park City resident) Marcel Vifian gives his insight into the new Scofield Triathlon ULTIMATE course. A course Marcel designed. READ ON!

Hi fellow triathletes!

Marcel Vifian here. I’m working with my friend, local race director, Burke Priest, to create the most exciting triathlon in the state of Utah - if not the entire US! Burke and I have been working on this, in one form or another, for years and have finally come up with a truly amazing race held in a fantastic mountain venue. We would like to take this moment to formally invite any triathlete who feels inspired by a challenge to take part in this awesome event!

On July 19 at 7.30am, less than three weeks from now, just 50 triathletes will be transported to the island in Scofield Reservoir, where they will begin their triathlon adventure. First, they will swim 1.75 miles from the island’s edge, across the reservoir, into the channel and back to the boat ramp at Scofield State Park. Then, the athletes will mount their bikes and ride over to the town of Scofield and proceed up to the base of a 4.5 mile 1600 ft. climb which will take them past the coal mine and up to the 9,330 ft. summit while riding along the roaring creek from the spring runoff. They will then descend for 2 miles and 600 feet down the back side of the pass and continue on for a few more miles to Electric Lake. Once at the lake, they will turn around at the only aid station on the bike course (located at the half-way point of the bike – 18.5 miles) and return back up and over the mountain pass. Speeding down past the coal mine at 45-55 mph, the racers will return through the town of Scofield back to the transition area for a grand total of 39 miles of biking. Once back in T2, the athletes, hopefully re-energized from the gravity-assisted return, will don their running shoes and head back out on to the course one last time for a mildly undulating 10 mile run.

On the outward-bound leg of their journey, they will have a commanding view of the island where they began their adventure earlier in the morning and catch a glimpse of the town of Scofield before they turn around and cover the final 5 miles back to the transition area and the feast awaiting them! (I think I’ll be most interested in jumping back into the lake to cool down after such an intense effort!).
This is the very first time a triathlon like this has been offered in the state of Utah. We decided to move away from the commercial Ironman derivative distances and, using the venue to the best of our ability, tried to balance each leg of the triathlon so all three skills are given their due. I really hope this year’s participants will enjoy the adventure and embrace the more balanced nature of this triathlon. Burke and I also hope the race will be a truly fulfilling challenge for the athletes competing and hope many more people will take on the long course challenge next year after they hear how amazing it was this year! Thanks!

Sincerely,

Marcel

Popularity: 51% [?]

Click on the pics above to get a larger version. One is Burke, Scofields RD and I. The other is the sign announcing the Scofield Tri to everyone entering the reservoir area. The last pic is of the long course swim for 2008. They plan on ferrying athletes to the island. The swim will be a straight shot back to the boat harbor.

Kennedy and I went up to Scofield Reservoir on Saturday for their annual Pre Course Preview day. It was nice to see the turnout for the pre-race event. Kennedy and I arrived as the swimmers headed to the first bouyee (sp?). Burke picked us up from the dock and we followed the swimmers around. Pro triathlete, Marcel Vifian was swimming with the group, offering open water swim advice.

After the swim, the athletes rode the Olympic bike course. Kennedy and I choose to run the run course. The temps were mild in the mid afternoon, making for a nice run. The run course is pretty flat. There is some very mild ascending/descending. Not a false flat but not a grueling climb either.

Burke then had athletes head back to his cabin for some post training food. It made for a good day.

Thanks to Burke and his crew for the invite. I look forward to his long course event in 2008. The 2007 Scofield Tri is filling up. It’s nice to see him have success!

Popularity: 18% [?]

The 2006 Scofield Triathlon, under new directorship, was a huge success and an exciting event, complete with a roasted pig at the end of the race! Some of Utah’s fastest athletes showed up to claim the prize purse.

The Olympic race was exciting with Brad Gale first out of the water and an outstanding transition and bike. Heath Thurston was hot on his trail, but Gale kept his lead during the bike. Thurston claimed his victory during the run, beating Gale by a over four minutes.

The women’s Olympic race was won by Rachel Cieslewicz of Salt Lake City, but she didn’t have quite the lead that Thurston did over his competitors. Christy Turnbull was only two minutes and 10 seconds behind.

The men’s Sprint race came down to the last minute. Jared Allen of Kaysville, Utah took the purse with a total time of one hour, 13 minutes and 36 seconds.

Malaika Homo Demolished the women’s Sprint race with a total time of one hour, eight minutes and 39 seconds. Her closet competitor was over nine minutes behind her.

Popularity: 12% [?]

Click HERE for photographs of the 2006 Scofield Triathlon.

Popularity: 11% [?]

Tri Hive (TH): Please tell us about your event for 2006.

Burke Priest (BP): The “new and improved” Scofield Triathlon is under new management with a unique plan to create one of Utah’s best events. We have the most beautiful setting for a Triathlon and we are the nations highest elevation event (7,800 ft). We will have a live band, a vendor alley filled with all of the coolest items, a huge pasta party the night before and many more neat things. We are doing a Kids / short course, a Sprint and an Olympic distance. We are also doing a Duathlon.

TH: What motivated you to produce the Scofield Tri?

BP: I am a part time resident of Scofield and so I got to know the previous event coordinator and I simply asked if I could help. She liked my marketing background and the ideas that I had for the event so she asked me if I would take over the event for Carbon County.

TH: How will you address safety in 2006?

BP: Carbon County (the original promoter of the event) has agreed to provide their resources and have medical staff on site. I am in the process of getting a hospital signed on as sponsor. If that happens we will have top notch medical assistance. I very much intend on our medical staffing being the best of any event in Utah.

TH: What experience do you have in event promotion?

I am the marketing director for my company and so I have organized trade shows, I hosted a Zions Bank company party one year, I have put on several Christmas toy fund raisers and many more. I feel that I am experienced in promotion and I am attending several Triathlons this year to see what everyone else is doing and then I will make mine better!

TH: What can participants do to make your job easier?

BP: Pre-register and tell me if you want a camp site or not.

TH: What are some things participants probably don’t know about being a race director?

BP: I doubt if they know that a permit is required from Utah Dept of Transportation to use the roads.

TH: What are the worst & best parts of the job?

BP: I have not experienced the worst yet, so I can’t say but the best part so far is talking to so many people that get so excited when I tell them about my event. We are going to be a one of a kind event and people get so pumped when they here about the things we are doing.

TH: How do you see the future of triathlon in Utah?

Personally I can’t believe the number of people I know that are getting into Triathlons. When people that I thought would never do something like this tell me that they are “in for sure” I know the future of the sport is great!

TH: How did you first get involved in triathlons?

BP: I am a part time resident of Scofield and when I heard that there was this type of event taking place in my own back yard, I said to myself “not without me”! Plus, I am a thrill seeker and love to try everything once and the things I enjoy, I continue to do.

TH: Is it challenging finding volunteers?

BP: So far it has been very easy. I have selected The Childrens Justice Center as a place that I will be donating a portion of my proceeds to and as a result they have volunteered to help. The Boy Scouts of America have also said they would help and nearly every family member I have (that is not participating) has said they will help.

TH: How can someone volunteer at your event?

BP: I would love additional volunteers and they can contact me at info@scofieldtriathlon.com or they can check my website www.scofieldtriathlon.com often as I am in the process of building a volunteer page.

TH: How did you first get involved in triathlons?

BP: I am a part time resident of Scofield and when I heard that there was this type of event taking place in my own back yard, I said to myself “not without me”! Plus, I am a thrill seeker and love to try everything once and the things I enjoy, I continue to do.

TH: Is it challenging finding volunteers?

BP: So far it has been very easy. I have selected The Childrens Justice Center as a place that I will be donating a portion of my proceeds to and as a result they have volunteered to help. The Boy Scouts of America have also said they would help and nearly every family member I have (that is not participating) has said they will help.

TH: How can someone volunteer at your event?

BP: I would love additional volunteers and they can contact me at info@scofieldtriathlon.com or they can check my website www.scofieldtriathlon.com often as I am in the process of building a volunteer page.

Popularity: 11% [?]