Dannwolf 8th at Escape from Alcatraz
By: Riptide Multisports
Amy Dannwolf finishing at Escape from Alcatraz.
Riptide’s newly minted pro, Amy Dannwolf, finished 8th overall at the iconic Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon on Sunday May 2nd. Dannwolf positioned herself well on the 1.5 mile swim that starts with a leap off a ferry anchored next to Alcatraz. She lost a couple of places on the bike, but was able to use a strong run to finish in 8th in a star-studded field that included past World Champions and Olympic medalists.
Fellow Riptide athlete, Jordan Jones, finished in 11th place overall, using swift bike and run splits to move up after a lackluster swim. The men’s field featured many Olympians such as Bevan Docherty, Hunter Kemper, and Andy Potts, as well as former Ironman World Champion Chris “Macca” McCormick .
Jordan Jones finishing at Escape from Alcatraz.
The Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon is the Boston Marathon of triathlon, with 1800 athletes across the globe all facing the once thought impossible 1.5 mile swim across the San Francisco Bay from Alcatraz. The bike leg is 18 miles of steep, winding hills through some of San Francisco’s most scenic neighborhoods. The run is nearly as infamous as the swim, 8 miles across soft sand, steep stairs, through tunnels, and of course the 2 to 3 minute climb up the “sandladder” – like running up a sand dune with oddly placed wooden beams across it.
Dannwolf and Jones are both looking forward to returning to the race in 2011.
Next on tap for Jones is Riptide’s Littlefoot Triathlon on May 16th. The following weekend he’ll race in Ixtapa Mexico at the ITU Ixtapa Continental Cup. Dannwolf is aiming to race again at the New York City Triathlon July 18th, but first must recover from chondral softening in her knees that should sideline her for the next couple of months.
Also racing last weekend was Matt Balzer and Josh Merrick at the Avia Wildflower Triathlon held in Bradley, California. Merrick finished in 24th place and Balzer 29th. It was Balzer’s first time covering the half-Iron distance of 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike, and 13.1 mile run. Wildflower is a notoriously challenging course, with steep and long climbs on both the bike and run legs.
Full Escape from Alcatraz Results here.
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