XTERRA Buffalo Creek Race Report

By Circ Toepel, XTERRA Representative

Close to 500 competitors descended on Wellington Lake, 60 miles outside of Denver for the largest XTERRA point series race to date.   With an expanded parking area and a much larger transition, Buffalo Creek was again filled to the brim.  Nature was kind to us this year and we escaped the afternoon thunder bummers with their accompanying high winds that so often happen above 8,000 feet.  A light rain during the night buffed the sandy sections and paved the way for a beautiful day in the 70's with lots of sunshine.

Many athletes were a bit shocked by the 65 degree water but they got over it and the 1 mile, 2 lap swim was history before you knew it.  For some, it was over even faster than that.  Eric Snowberg from Golden whipped it off in 21:05 and the winner of the Bronze medal at the 2004 Olympics for road triathlon, Susan Williams, popped out of the chilly water 17 seconds later.  The mortals followed; Ted Romero, Caleb Johnson, Paul Turtle, Kevin Sheldon and 290 other swimmers eager to get out onto some mind bending  Colorado single track.

Before the riders could get to the good stuff, they had to negotiate the treacherous 1 mile descent down the Buffalo Plunge.  With turns such as "dead man's curve", 2 foot potholes and water channels over a foot deep in places, it was hair-raising.  Sort of like dropping down an elevator shaft 1,000 feet.  Perfect start for an XTERRA bike leg!   A short climb up another dirt road brought riders to the Gashouse single track.  This middle ring climb through the pine trees brought the athletes back up to the 8,000 foot level amongst the colorful wildflowers that always are in bloom this time of year.  More 2-track took riders up a bit higher before another steep descent to Skippers trail.  If the fast, sweeping turns of Skippers' doesn't get your blood racing there is more just beyond the next 2-track climb.  As riders crest out the top, they are greeted with Baldy, one of the fastest and longest descents around.  It keeps you on your toes by tossing in a sandy corner here and there that forces riders to be patient and wait for their tires to hook up or pick the sand out of your teeth.  Down in the valley the trail merges with the short course and meanders back up to Gashouse through a burned gulch that was just beginning to show some color.   A short retracing descent and riders could attack the plunge again.  This time from the bottom up!!!

Greg Krause must have been on fire as he smoked the 20.8 mile bike course in 1:23:25 to blaze into T2 well ahead of 2nd place Ryan Ignatz from Boulder.  Dave Messenheimer was right behind and ready to run the fastest split of the day in 26:27 to steal 2nd place.  Greg's 26:42 on the 5 mile run put him solidly in first with a 2:15:43 finish.  Dave finished in 2:19:48 and Ryan came in at 2:21:17.  The first amateur was Ed Oliver from Broomfield.  Fresh off his win in Farmington, Ed powered through the course in 2:28:13.  Stephen White from Vail finished 2nd two and a half minutes later at 2:30:43 and Kevin Sheldon crossed the line another minute back at 2:31:45.  I didn't see anyone leave T2 for the run with bike shoes and a helmet on but Thomas Layton blitzed through transition in 31 seconds!

Susan Williams who just recently learned to ride a mountain bike and is still perfecting her skills showed the women's field how it is done-including the seasoned pros.  Her time of 2:40:34 crushed all females by over 6 minutes!  Apparently Susan has not forgotten how to run, swim or blow through transitions like a hurricane.   Not bad for her very first XTERRA ever.  Are you hooked yet Susan?  Jill Sorenson came to the finish line in 2nd at 2:52:49 followed by Erin Kummer in 2:55:26.  The pros were led by Sara Tarkington from Boulder who finished in 2:46:52, Lisa Isom from Vail in 2:49:16 and Karen Melliar-Smith out of Denver whose 3:03:36 finish put her solidly in 3rd. 

The post race was highlighted by good food, good prizes and Susan Williams doing the awards with the pro men's winner Greg Krause.  Susan was kind enough to bring her Olympic medal for us to see.  It sent chills through me to touch such a powerful piece of history.  Speaking of chills, the 2 hardy souls who braved Wellington Lake sans wetsuit now have brand new ones thanks to XTERRA.  Many thanks to the race director Robert Martinich and to all the volunteers who made this huge event successful. 

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