The 5th annual running of the Upper West Branch Triathlon held by the Clearfield County Conservation District occurred May 15, 2010 in the vicinity of Curwensville Lake in Curwensville, PA. Sunny but windy conditions greeted the 103 participants. The course consists of a 4.4 mile run, a 5.0 mile paddle down the West Branch of the Susquehanna and a 15.0 mile hilly but beautiful bike course that wound its way back to Curwensville Lake. There were 24 relay teams and 36 individuals which competed as ironmen and completed all 3 disciplines.
The overall ironman was Chaz Ross from Clifford, PA in a time of 1:49:35 and the overall ironwoman was Cindy Schuster from Brockway, PA in a time of 2:34:38. The first team to cross the line was the Run, Canoe and Bike Club from Ridgway, PA. The team consisted of Scott Jacobs, Steve Martin and Wee J. Fernan and they completed the course in 1:45:05. The youngest competitor was Tori Desimone, 12, from Collegeville, PA and the oldest was Carl Undercofler, 72, from Woodland, PA.
There were many local participants who earned first place in their respective categories. Brandy Lykens-Smith was the first ironwoman in the 30-39 age class. The winner of the co-ed relay team division was Trifecta which consisted of Rebecca Shiner, Andrew Kirsch and Mike Butler. The winner of the Whippersnappers relay team division (average age 18 or less) were Hunter McCracken, Kody McCracken and Johnny Sutika. A full list of results can be found at www.clfdccd.com, the Clearfield County Conservation District’s website.
Proceedings from the race help to sponsor the Conservation Celebration that will be held September 11, 2010 at Curwensville Lake. The Dam Scramble, a trail run/hike challenge will also be held the same day. More information can be found at the Clearfield County Conservation District’s website that is listed above.