Dodet, Anderson Win XTERRA Makena Beach Trail Run

Photos

(Makena, Maui) – Beneath the lush green palm trees outside the Maui Prince Hotel, 424 runners took their place at the start line for the XTERRA Makena Beach Trail Runs that took place this morning. Athletes crowded beneath the infamous red XTERRA arch and took off after the loud cannon sounded first for the 10km event and shortly after for the 5km runners.

Sylvain Dodet, 2004 XTERRA U.S. Pro Series Champ, came to Maui from Antibes, France with the intention of racing in tomorrow’s XTERRA World Championship off-road triathlon, but a crash in training last week left him with a hand injury and unable to complete the bike portion of the event. Instead he came out this morning and took home the men’s 10km title with his time of 42:42, almost 2 minutes ahead of local Sam Wilbur of Kihei.

Since Dodet placed 7th at XTERRA Worlds back in 2004 he said, “I have been here before, so I knew the course. It was a good run, but I would of course prefer to be racing tomorrow.”

Cynthia Anderson, 25 from Kailua, Hawaii, ran away with the women’s 10km competition in a time of 48:22, more than 5 minutes ahead of runner-up Alison Atkinson of Manhattan Beach, CA. Anderson and her husband Nick are here in Maui to volunteer at tomorrow’s event. “We were here, so we figured we might as well run” she said. Usually a road runner and triathlete, this event was quite different for this medical researcher from the University of Hawaii. “The last part of the course was very tough. I didn’t mind the beginning hills, but the loose sand and volcanic rocks at the end made the end of the race really challenging.” Her efforts earned her a free flight to the mainland courtesy of Hawaiian Airlines, which will be great to visit family on the East Coast after recently moving to Hawaii.

Atkinson was in Maui for a work conference when she saw an ad in the paper for the trail run and decided to try her luck over the variety of terrains along the way. “I do a lot of running and used to do triathlons, but I have never done a course like this. This was a hard race, but I liked trekking through the sand and forest.”

In the 5km event, Stefphane Ricard from Gap, France took first place. He is competing in the XTERRA World Championship and was only running to prepare for tomorrow’s race but ended up winning with his time of 21:53. Second place for the men went to 15-year old Zack Bursell of Juneau, Alaska. Here in Maui for the first time with his mom Jamie who is racing tomorrow, Zack is on his high school’s cross country and track teams. “The course was really fun, but coming from Alaska, it was very hot.”

Beating her last year’s time by a minute, 12-year old Dakota Grossman won the women’s 5km race for the second time in a row crossing the finish line in 26:14. This 7th grader is on her middle school’s track and cross country teams and is from Maui’s own town of Pukalani. “Even though I raced this course last year, it was still really hard” she said. Nancy Robberson of Kula, HI took second place for the women’s 5km trail run with her time of 27:54.

This year’s XTERRA European Champion from Vallauris, France, Olivier Marceau, raced in the 5km trail run finishing second place in the men’s 35-39 division in 26:17. He is one of the favorites in the XTERRA World Championship and according to Olivier, “I have done this course several times before, and I am ready for the race tomorrow.”

Trying to get rid of some excited energy before her 5pm wedding today, longtime trail runner Kimberly Yang from Los Angeles felt it was a sign that XTERRA would hold a race on her big day and decided she had to run. Almost as soon as she crossed the finish line at 36:12, she was off to get her make-up done.

Part of the XTERRA World Championship weekend, the XTERRA Makena Beach Trail Runs attracted runners from almost 20 countries and over 32 states to make this a truly international event. Runners ranged from younger than 9 years old to the most senior racer Nathan Grew, 71 from Costa Rica, who is also competing in the full triathlon event tomorrow. As a benefit for the Big Brothers Big Sisters of Maui County, local director Melissa Ross was on hand to distribute the awards to all the XTERRA winners.

RESULTS 10KM | RESULTS 5KM | ATHLETE PHOTOS

2008 XTERRA Makena Beach 10km Trail Run – Top Men
Division  Name  Hometown  Time
Top Overall  Sylvain Dodet   Antibes, France  42:42
10-14  Jakob Dewald   Mililani, HI  59:53
20-24   James Wright   Draper, UT  53:28
25-29   Carl Meyer  Cambridge, New Zealand  51:56
30-34  Octavio Vicente  Guadalajara, Mexico  46:05
35-39  Sam Wilbur  Kihei, HI  44:25
40-44  Michael Tobin  Boise, ID  46:36
45-49   Jeff Atkinson  Manhattan Beach, CA  46:59
50-54  Mike Gieber  Kihei, HI  53:05
55-59  Wild Bill Conner  Hana, HI  1:01:57
60-64  Larry Feigenbaum  Walnut Creek, CA  1:01:07
65-69  Woody Paylor   Red Deer, Canada  1:05:48
70-74  Patrick Higgins  Kihei, HI  1:19:25

2008 XTERRA Makena Beach 10km Trail Run – Top Women
Division  Name  Hometown  Time
Top Overall  Cynthia Anderson  Kailua, HI  48:22
20-24  Nicole Plourde  Kihei, HI  1:06:52
25-29  Lindsey Wilbur  Kihei, HI  54:09
30-34  Katja Schmidt  Saxon, Germany  59:24
35-39  Rhonda Placourakis  Wailea, HI  57:09
40-44  Alison Atkinson  Manhattan Beach, CA  53:40
45-49  Elise Fett  Incline Village, NV  1:03:46
50-54   Val Jensen  Red Deer, Canada  1:12:09
55-59  Joan Schwalbe  Orinda, CA  1:16:48
65-69  Eva Opel  Makawao, HI  1:31:12

2008 XTERRA Makena Beach 5km Trail Run – Top Men
Division  Name  Hometown  Time
1-9  Arrio Rusnak  Kihei, HI  30:10
10-14  Neilson Powless  Roseville, CA  25:51
15-19  Zack Bursell  Juneau, AK  22:17
20-24  Zach Robbins   Salt Lake City, UT  35:43
25-29  Stefphane Ricard  Gap, France  21:53
30-34  John Wright  Lehigh, UT  24:40
35-39  Yuasa Kazuhiro  Saitawa, Japan  25:48
40-44  Scott Fliegeman  Boulder, CO  23:40
45-49  Bernd Pannewitz  Mannheim, Germany  24:12
50-54  Mike Irwin  Haiku, HI  24:32
55-59  Randy Beckner  Helena, MT   33:01
60-64  John Ban Hove  Canada  33:57
65-69  Bill Sakovich  Hilo, HI  38:22
70-74  Nathan Grew  Heredia, Costa Rica  46:03

2008 XTERRA Makena Beach 5km Trail Run – Top Women
Division  Name  Hometown  Time
1-9  Maya Reynolds  Haiku, HI  38:01
10-14  Dakota Grossman  Pukalani, HI  26:14
20-24  Chloe Grosgeorge  Strasburg, France  35:41
25-29  Marie Charbonnier  Gerardner, France  32:34
30-34  Allison Griffiths  Honolulu, HI  30:11
35-39  Tammy Harvey  Auckland, New Zealand  29:48
40-44  Mariko Hirayama  Tokyo, Japan  34:15
45-49  Nancy Robberson  Kula, HI  27:54
50-54  Debbie Smith  Red Cliff, Australia  35:36
55-59  Jane Garrard  Anchorage, AK  44:32
60-64  Rosamond Grew  Heredia, Costa Rica  45:15
65-69  Mary Lynn Mezger  Parker, CO  58:12

UP NEXT:  The XTERRA Trail Run World Championship is December 7 at Kualoa Ranch on the Hawaiian Island of Oahu, and many of today’s runners have already signed-up to take on the world.  Read more at xterratrailrun.com.

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