Clean sweep for USA as Hering and Lagerstrom are first to Escape from Alcatraz
It was a clean sweep for USA as Jackie Hering and Eric Lagerstrom were first to cross the winning line in the 2022 Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon.
Featuring a 1.5-mile swim from Alcatraz Island to the shore, an 18-mile bike ride and an eight-mile run through San Francisco, this race is considered one of the most challenging triathlons in the world.
This event is a bucket list race in which World Champions, Olympic Medalists and the best age-group triathletes from over 40 countries have ‘made the escape’ over the years against the backdrop of the old notorious maximum-security prison that is Alcatraz.
The waters around the former jail in San Francisco Bay are notoriously dangerous, and only one escapee ever got out of the prison alive. Perfect, then, for triathletes in search of escapism. Even the sharks in the Bay one’s told are harmless bottom-feeding leopard sharks. That’s reassuring!
Women Race
Jackie Hering (USA) returning for her third Escape, succeeded in her attempt to move up the podium by taking victory and gold in the Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon after placing third in last year’s race.
A five-time 70.3 Champion Hering can add this prestigious title to her latest collection of results having recently took first place in the IRONMAN 70.3 Chattanooga, first place in 2022 Clash Daytona and second place in the 2021 IRONMAN 70.3 Memphis.
Jodie Stimpson (GB) exited the water first ahead of Megan Foley from Salt Lake City and little over a minute ahead of Hering and her fellow compatriot Danielle Lewis.
Hering used a race-best bike split to bridge the gap to race leader Stimpson in the early stages with Lewis hot on her wheels as Stimpson and Foley struggled to keep up with the ferocious pace the two Americans were laying down on the bike section.
Out onto the run and it was clear it was a race to the line between these front four. Hering set out in the lead and maintained a consistent pace throughout run but Lewis had not given up and had increased the tempo and was gradually eating away at Herring’s lead with the best split run of the day of 00:49:24.
But this was not enough to haul in Hering as she crossed the line to take the victory in a time of 2:15:22 with Lewis a further 3 minutes behind to take silver.
Jodie Stimpson raced through for third place with a smile on her face. And why not, since her tentative cross-over from short course to the longer distance her record now reads three races, three podiums. She is already making the longer distance look easy.
Top 5 Pro Women
1 Hering, Jackie USA 2:15:22
2 Lewis, Danielle USA 2:18:28
3 Stimpson, Jodie GB 2:18:45
4 Foley, Megan USA 2:24:09
5 Howell, Ginger USA 2:35:53
Men’s Race
Eric Lagerstrom (USA) winner of this event in 2015 showed if the desire to win is there years don’t matter.
The men’s race was a tight-knit affair between the American contestants. Gregory Harper of Walnut Creek laid down the fastest swim on the day managing to hold off a hard charge from Lagerstrom and last year’s winner and Olympian Ben Kanute looking for his 5th consecutive win at this event.
Out onto the bike section and It was Lagerstrom and Kanute who set the pace leading from the chasing Jason West and Harper. With the best bike split it was Lagerstrom who exited T2 first onto the eight-mile run closely followed by Kanute,
Lagerstrom was setting a blistering pace which Kanute had no answer too as both West and Harper started to close Kanute down. Again, Lagerstrom set a best split this time on the run as he ran through the victory tape to take the win in a time of 2:01:36.
It was Jason West who had the legs to run through into second spot quickly followed by Harper who was only some 30 seconds behind taking home the bronze with Kanute who has trailed off the leaders in the final miles taking fourth spot.
Top 5 Pro Men
1 Lagerstrom, Eric USA 2:01:36
2 West, Jason USA 2:04:40
3 Harper, Gregory USA 2:05:14
4 Kanute, Ben USA 2:07:25
5 McMahon Brent USA 2:09:09
Full PRO and Age-Group results here:
