Jablonski, Grosse win XTERRA Vashon Island

By Kristin Francis

XTERRA Vashon is not just a race, it's an experience for the entire family. After a short ferry ride from Seattle, you find yourself on the quaint laid-back Vashon Island where the XTERRA Vashon is held. Everything starts down at Dockton Park, which looks out over Quartermaster Harbor and the Puget Sound. Race day is on Sunday, which gives plenty of time to get to Vashon, pick-up your packet, checkout the course, and set-up camp at the very unique AYH Ranch Hostel on Saturday.

The XTERRA Vashon 500m swim takes place right off the dock of Quartermaster Harbor in the Puget Sound. The water is a surprisingly warm 70 degrees, but most athletes still opt for a wetsuit. Out of the water, athletes run past a playground and up to transition where they grab their bikes to hit the first lap of the three lap bike course. The bike course begins with a steep single-track climb and eases into a fun, fast single track ride through a heavy canopy of trees and greenery. The trail then opens up and dumps out onto the pavement and open roads heading back to race venue and back to the start of the single track to complete two more laps of the three lap 14-mile course.

After completing the third lap of the bike course, runners head up the road for a technical, rooty, rocky, single track run back in the woods. The 3.1 mile trail run heads up a long, ascent into the trails for single track running, making two loops on the top of the course and back down to the finish line. At the finish line, runners receive a bottle of Gatorade and a finisher's glass medal. Age group medals are awarded to 1st, 2nd, and 3rd in each 5-year age group and to the overall male and female finishers.

This year's male winner, Jason Jablonski (35-39) of Wenatchee, WA, was no stranger to the XTERRA Vashon course. For the third year in a row, Jason bested his previous year's time and took home the win in 1:41:39. Jason also won the XTERRA Solstice race in La Grande several weeks earlier, so he's off to another strong season of XTERRA racing.

In the women's race Keri Grosse (40-44) of Leavenworth, WA, took home the title with a 2:02:18 finish. This is Keri's second XTERRA win of the 2010 season with another solid performance at XTERRA Farragut in Idaho. Keri is well on her way to defending her 2009 XTERRA USA Championship title.

The ferry ride, XTERRA venue, excellent race management and support, multiple laps of the course, fun family atmosphere at AYH Ranch Hostel, and the unique island experience all the make this a fun event for the entire family. The challenging yet super fun single track also makes this a "can't miss" for the avid XTERRA athlete. If you are looking for a fun and exciting XTERRA-style weekend getaway for the family, XTERRA Vashon is for you.

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