Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Annual Silverman Triathlon, inclement weather, test the mettle of competitors

Silverman 2

Stephen R. Sylvanie / Special to the Home News

Triathlete Whitney Thatcher looks toward a cheering crowd as he approaches a transfer area where he will change clothing from biking gear to running wear in preparation for tackling the third stage of the 2008 Silverman Triathlon at the Henderson Multi-Gen Center on Sunday.

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Silverman triathlete Glyn Learmonth is all smiles as he is handed a bag containing his running gear from a volunteer at the Henderson Multi-Gen Center after completing the swimming and biking stages of the race on Sunday.

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Relay triathlete Rob Baird hands his bike to a volunteer as he enters the transition area at the Henderson Multi-Gen Center where he will swap his anklet to a teammate during the 2008 Silverman Race on Sunday.

Nevada Silverman Triathlon by the numbers

  • 4,500 water bottles on the bike course
  • 3,300 Gatorade bottles on the bike
  • 85 cases of bananas, 30 cases of oranges, and 30 cases of strawberries
  • 560 gallons of water on the run course
  • 400 gallons of Gatorade on the course
  • 6 cases of cookies
  • 150 gallons of chicken bouillon
  • 10 cases of potato chips
  • 40 cases of soda (run course)
  • 1,500 volunteers

Participants in the Fourth Annual Nevada Silverman Triathlon on Sunday each celebrated differently when they crossed the finish line at the Henderson Multigenerational Center.

Some calmly ran through while others dropped to their knees in exhaustion.

Henderson resident Greg Herlean shared the feat of completing his first triathlon with his 4-year-old daughter Maile. The two ran hand-in-hand together the final 25 yards.

He competed in the half-tri, a 1.2-mile swim, followed by a 56-mile bike ride and 13.1-mile run, in 8 hours, 3 minutes and 9 seconds for a 231st place finish out of 283 racers.

He wasn't happy with his time, nearly four hours behind the winner, but finishing with his daughter helped make the day memorable.

"That was great. I loved it," said Herlean, 30, who had only trained for four months. "The bike was really tough. It took a lot out of me."

Herlean wasn't the only participant who struggled on the bike as high winds and rain hindered participants most of the day.

Dantley Young, a part-time Summerlin resident, won the full triathlon in 10:01.26 but fell twice after his bike was blown into the curb. The full race was a 1.2-mile swim, followed by a 112-mile bike ride and a 26.2-mile run.

Considered one of the nation's most challenging triathlons, the course took more than 800 athletes in four classifications from Hemenway Harbor at Lake Mead to the Multigenerational Center. The bike and run portions of the hilly course challenged racers with steep elevation climbs.

"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."

Most of the bike ride and run took part in Henderson streets and shut down part of Horizon Ridge Parkway, Carnegie Street and Paseo Verde Parkway. A handful of residents lined the streets to cheer for the athletes, and most seemed happy to have the event in their backyard.

"This is good for the community and something we enjoy supporting," said Patricia Flanagan, who watched the race on Horizon Ridge. "These athletes are amazing. They are such an inspiration."

The event was created by Race Director Frank Lowery four years ago and grows with participants and popularity each year. Some 1,500 volunteers, ranging from medical personal to traffic directors, donate time to make the race a success.

It's become one of the most popular triathlons of the year amongst competitors. Some travel to the event because it's a reason to come to the Las Vegas area, while others are intrigued by the challenging course.

Dave Scott, who has won six prestigious Ironman Hawaii titles and is recognized as the sport's top athlete and coach, works as Lowery's advisor and helps endorse the race. He has been competing in tri-sport events since the mid-1970s, and calls the Silverman one of top races he's been around.

From the challenging course, to the first-rate service by Lowery and his staff, the Silverman is the total package, Scott said.

"A lot of people who do (triathlons) like this race because it forces you to step out of your comfort level," Scott said. "It adds a mental risk, and it's that mental risk that keeps you alive."

Henderson doesn't charge the Silverman to use the Multigenerational Center or to occupy its streets, said Sally Ihmels, a recreation superintendent for the city.

The events draws people to the River Mountains Loop Trail, the trail racers take when entering town from Boulder City, and that kind of free promotion for the city's recreation is priceless.

"It brings people to our trails, which is a good thing because that is what we are trying to promote," Ihmels said. "Our sponsorship to the race is the facility, and they put our name on all the advertising material. It does a lot for the city."

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

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