Photo above by Bill Kuta: The All-American Bicycle Club group (l to r), top row - Steve Mann, Steve Smith, J P Bacie, Don Forgione, Adam Forgione,
bottom row - Tara Smith, Mary Kuta, Jan Tripp

Age Group Competition
The world came to Atlanta, Georgia, USA, October 17-20, to race in the ITU Duathlon World Championships. Pros and amateurs from 31 countries competed in the race, consisting of a 10K run followed by a 40K bike and a 5K run over hilly terrain.

The World Championships are the pinnacle of the sport for duathlon, as the event has not been adopted into the Olympics (yet). Each country participating is allowed to send up to six pro men and women, and up to 18 amateur men and women per each 5- year age group. The DC metro area sent more men and women than any other region in the US, with an astounding 22 area athletes having qualified at nationwide races to earn the chance to represent their country on Team USA.

Arriving at race headquarters one was immediately aware that this was an international race. The lobby was filled with racing bikes and athletes in their country's uniform speaking several different languages as they registered.

The official start of race weekend activities was the Parade of Nations on Thursday evening. Gathering with athletes all marching behind their country's flag was very exciting. It wasn't the Olympics, but it was the closest most of us will ever come to participating in one.

Friday was a day of final preparation for the age group athletes. Bikes needed to be checked into the transition area that afternoon, not to be removed from there until during the race. Last minute checks of equipment, rest, and hydration occupied the athletes. Most athletes ran the 5K race loop and then tried to conserve energy for the next day's big race.

The amateurs raced on Saturday under bright sunny skies, and the pros raced on Sunday under cloudy, and then downpour, conditions. Starting times were set by age group to allow for head-to-head competition--each age group separated by four minutes. The women were in one race with three age-group waves. The 375 men raced at two separate times, late morning and mid- afternoon, each with three waves based on age. Athletes were marked with their race number on their arms and their age on their calf, to enable everyone to determine whether an upcoming/passing athlete was in their age group or from another wave. All athletes wore their country's uniform, and US athletes were in the red, white, and blue with USA blazoned across the front.

One hundred seventy-five women raced in the early morning. It was unseasonably cool for Georgia with the temperature in the upper 40s at the race start. Because all the women, ages 20-74, started within ten minutes of each other, the field was more spread out than in the men's races. As the 50+ women were about to start, one race participant said, "Pizza and beer tonight, ladies." And then they were off on the first leg, the 10K run. Rockville resident Mary Kuta found herself running with a Canadian woman. They supported each other in sustaining a fast pace and encouraging each other up the hills. The two 5K run loops ended with competitors racing into transition to prepare for the second leg of the race--a 24.8 mile bike.

The bike course was three loops of steep and rolling hills, sharp corners, and hairpin turns, all of which made it difficult to settle into a rhythm. The temperature was still cool and the rising sun shone right into the eyes of the women competitors on several fast downhills. The US athletes rode to the cheers of "Go, USA" and pushed as hard as they could.

Desiree Ficker of Bethesda Places 14th in the Women's Pro Race
Coming into the second transition most athletes' legs were tight and tired from biking the hills, and most started the run with choppy strides. The second run, although only 5K, can make or break your entire race. Athletes whose legs didn't quickly loosen up had to shuffle up the hills and were passed by scores of others.

Post-race, Mary Kuta (seen during bicycle leg in above photo) expressed the feelings of many of the competitors, "Crossing the chip mat at the finish I was elated with my performance and the whole race experience representing my country. I hope to have another chance to do it again!"

The men started their waves in the afternoon with the hot Georgia sun. The men appeared to be far more serious (or nervous) than the women at the start, as there was absolute silence for the final 60 seconds before the gun. At the start, all the athletes took off in one fast pack. Since each participant in the wave is the same age and the top in their country, they all tend to be at about the same pace. As the pack broke up on the hills, athletes from the same country tended to team-up to encourage each other and to try to ditch hangers-on from other teams (countries); something not usually seen except in college cross-country races.

Most of the men crossed the 10K line in 32 to 36 minutes and then headed into the transition area. Running to their designated bike rack, they changed into cycling shoes, grabbed a drink, ate an energy gel, put on cycling helmets and sunglasses, unracked the bikes, and ran 50 meters with the bike to the exit of the transition area. A typical time for all of this is 45-55 seconds and is an amazing flurry of activity.

The twists and turns of the bike course kept high speeds in check for the men. The bike course was more crowded for the men, and many places were traded back and forth as the riders went up the steep hills or had to get into single file for the sharp turns--it made for a very exciting race.

In the final 5K, the intensity of the race really picked up for the crowded men's field. Runners tried to chase down athletes from other countries--runners ahead wearing black and white were from South Africa, those in red and blue were from Britain, light blue was Australia, and so forth. Some runners went out too fast and completely bonked (remember, these are world class athletes!) and were reduced to walking or shuffling to the finish.

The final 100 meters into the finish line were a sight to remember. The crowds were dressed in their countries' colors, and many were ringing cowbells and waving flags. "Go USA!" could be heard in British and Australian accents, as well as from the Americans. As is customary with world championship competitions, many athletes were handed a small flag to carry the last 100 meters to the finish--nothing will give you more adrenaline than carrying your country's flag high in the air as you sprint shoulder-to-shoulder against someone else doing the same.

After the race there was a post-race party where the awards were presented, food and drink were consumed, and all athletes became friends instead of competitors. Nobody talked about times or places, but rather, "Will I see you next year at the championships in Switzerland?" Team jackets and uniforms were exchanged for some incredible and priceless souvenirs.

Desiree Ficker of Bethesda represented the USA and made us all proud.

Local Results

Name      		Time	Hometown
Jim Holt         	2:02:08	Arlington, VA
Steve Smith       	2:02:49	Darnestown, MD
Martin Stiegmann	2:03:09	Glen Allen, VA
Trey Cassidy      	2:04:59	Ellicott City, MD 
Tom Smith         	2:07:41	Annapolis, MD 
Donald Forgione 	2:15:36	Ellicott City, MD
Linda Boring      	2:19:33	Frederick, MD
Jean-Pierre Bacle	2:20:07	Alexandria, VA
Tara Smith        	2:20:46	Olney, MD
Jordan McAmmond 	2:23:56	Greenbelt, MD
Stacey Karwacki 	2:24:04	Baltimore, MD
John Elliott      	2:25:16	Columbia, MD
Jan Tripp         	2:28:04	Laytonsville, MD
Kevin Quinn       	2:30:30	Baltimore, MD
Anne Viviani      	2:32:59	Arlington, VA
Steve Mann        	2:46:19	Rockville, MD
Shepard Farrar    	2:49:52	Arlington, VA
Mary Kuta         	2:53:27	Rockville, MD 
Russell Preble    	3:47:59	Oxon Hill, MD
Marge Stahl       	4:20:54	Annandale, VA 
Desiree Ficker    	2:06:52* Potomac, MD 
Adam Forgione     	1:05:53** Ellicott City, MD 
 
* Desiree Ficker competed on a different course
 of the same distance, and drafting was allowed
 on the cycling segment.
**Adam Forgione competed in the Junior Elite division
 with a shorter course.

Photo by Bill Kuta: Steve Smith rounding the last turn and getting a flag from wife Deena.