Posted: September 6, 2004

Triathlon: Reed, Bennigson Win U.S. Elite Titles at Boston Monster

BOSTON, Mass. (Sept. 5, 2004) – For U.S. elite triathletes Courtney Bennigson and Matt Reed, the consolation prize for second place was the title of U.S. national champion on Sunday at the Monster Challenge Triathlon.

The fourth-year Boston race served as the USA Triathlon Elite National Championships and was also an International Triathlon Union (ITU) Continental Cup race, allowing athletes to gather points toward their world rankings.

Craig Alexander of Australia and Kathy Tremblay of Canada were the overall race winners. Both used the run to put a gap between themselves and their challengers on the flat course in Boston’s seaport district. Alexander won the men’s race in 1 hour, 43 minutes, 9 seconds. Tremblay won the women’s race in 1:56:44.

Each won $2,500 for their efforts.

The U.S. national championship title was especially sweet for Reed (Boulder, Colo.), a New Zealand expatriate who is in his first season racing for the United States.

“I’ve been sick all week and had to decide on Thursday whether I was coming or not,” said Reed, who finished in 1:43:18. “(U.S. Olympians) Hunter Kemper and Andy Potts aren’t here, so I figured I had a good shot.

“Victor Plata was strong. I was pretty surprised.”

Plata, who came to Boston straight from the Olympic Games in Athens, Greece where he finished 27th in the men’s triathlon, had the lead going into the second transition and ran the first several laps with Reed and Alexander. He fell behind on the last lap and finished third overall in 1:43:20.

In the women’s race, Tremblay felt the heat from Boston native Bennigson and a Massachusetts triathlon legend and eight-time national champion, Karen Smyers of Lincoln, who finished third overall.

“Karen’s so strong and Courtney too. That was a survival run,” Tremblay said.

Bennigson was proud to have done well in her hometown race.

“I’ve raced here twice before and I bombed both times,” she said. “That’s why I’m so proud of this.”

Complete results will be posted at www.monsterchallenge.org.

Monster Challenge Triathlon - Sept. 5, 2004; Boston, Mass.(1.5k swim; 40k bike; 10k run)

Men
1. Craig Alexander (Australia) 1:43:09; 2. Matthew Reed (Boulder, Colo.) 1:43:18; 3. Victor Plata (San Luis Obispo, Calif.) 1:43:20; 4. Derek Kite (Colorado Springs, Colo.) 1:43:20; 5. Joe Umphenour (Bellevue, Wash.) 1:43:59; 6. Mark Fretta (Portland, Ore.) 1:44:05; 7. Logan Wealing (Fowler, Ind.) 1:44:24; 8. Doug Friman (Tucson, Ariz.) 1:44:28; 9. Dan Alterman (Israel) 1:44:42; 10. Andrew Kelsey (Los Altos, Calif.) 1:45:03

Women
1. Kathy Tremblay (Canada) 1:56:44; 2. Courtney Bennigson (Boston, Mass.) 1:57:07; 3. Karen Smyers (Lincoln, Mass.) 1:57:18; 4. Sarah Haskins (Colorado Springs, Colo.) 1:57:25; 5. Patrice Wolfensberger (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1:57:40; 6. Melissa Begin (Birmingham, Ala.) 1:58:00; 7. Kelly Handel (Manitou Springs, Colo.) 1:58:12; 8. Malaika Homo (Clermont, Fla.) 1:58:42; 9. Caitlin Shea-Kenney (Brockton, Mass.) 1:58:44; 10. Candy Angle (Weymouth, Mass.) 1:59:10

From USATriathlon.org.