Las Vegas triathlete wins Silverman in 10 hours, 1 minute

By Ray Brewer (contact)

Sunday, Nov. 9, 2008 | 10:31 p.m.

Dantley Young competed in his first triathlon last year, and in the past 12 months, has transformed into one of the sport's rising stars.

Young, a part-time Summerlin resident, battled winds and hail Sunday to capture the grueling 4th Annual Nevada Silverman Triathlon in 10 hours, 1 minute and 26 seconds.

It was Young's second victory in three weeks. The win proved he has the potential to be one of the world's top competitors. The next closest finisher, Chris Williams of Bend, Ore., finished 38 minutes back.

"The course was ridiculously tough," Young, 24, said. "This is the world's toughest course -- hands down. The first 12 miles on the bike were straight into the wind."

All triathlons -- a 1.2 mile swim, followed by a 112-mile bike ride and a 26.2-mile run -- are challenging. But the Silverman, which took more than 800 racers from Hemenway Harbor at Lake Mead to the finish line at Henderson's Multigenerational Center, provided a different experience because of the 12,000-foot elevation climb during the bike ride.

Most, including Young, struggled with the wind and rain as times became inflated -- his goal was to finish in 9 hours, 15 minutes. Young was blown into the curb twice during the bike portion but still completed the ride in 5:26:10 for the best time in the event's four-year history.

"I don't know how many times it rains and hails (in Southern Nevada)," Young jokingly said.

Young, who played college tennis for Utah State, had biked since 2004 when he says he became interested in the sport from watching Lance Armstrong win the Tour de France. But when he started training for triathlons last year, he had no experience running or swimming.

He proved to be a natural, however, and took third at last year's Silverman in his first race at 10:56.32

"I had never swam a lap in my life," he said.

Young is an elite status competitor, the top classification given by USA Triathlon, the sport's governing body. To earn elite status, a racer must finish in the top eight at least twice, or within 8-percent of the overall winner's time in a 12-month span.

Strong finishes have become commonplace for Young. He also won the U.S. Halfmax National Championships three weeks ago in Boulder City and took 24th at Ironman Canada in August in a respectable 9:19.31.

"That was against the big boys," Young said of the Canada race. "It gave me confidence in what I can do. I wake up every day with a passion to push myself to get better."

Young's parents live in South Summerlin and he's been training in the area the past two months. He previously worked part-time as a tennis instructor, but now focuses all his time on racing.

Most triathlons offer a small purse for top finishers and sponsorships money for the sport's marquee figures can easily reach six figures, he said.

Ray Brewer can be reached at 990-2662 or [email protected].