Final Triathlon Results Are In With East Bay Woman as Fastest Female

Germany’s Matthias Dunse was the top finisher at the 2011 Amica 19.7 Newport Sprint Triathlon on Saturday. The 29-year-old, who was the 2010 runner-up, dominated this year’s field and covered the 19.7 sprint distance in a winning time of 1:09:28.

“I am happy to win it this year,” said Dunse. “I like the sprint distance a lot. I came to the U.S. in August, competed in three sprints and have won them all.”

Last year, Dunse was the first person to cross the finish line, but later discovered he finished the event as the runner up. Luc Morin, who competed in the second wave, crossed the finish line after Dunse, but finished with a faster overall time to earn the victory.

This year, the victory belonged solely to Dunse.

“I really enjoyed competing in this race last year,” said Dunse. “I wasn’t disappointed (not to have won), but I definitely wanted to come back and win it this year. That was my goal. It’s a very pretty course and a very well-run race.”

Lisbeth Kenyon of Barrington, RI, was the top female in the sprint triathlon. Kenyon, the nation’s top female in her age group (40-44), earned the victory with a time of 1:16:08.

Kenyon, an accomplished triathlon who began competing in the sport in 1992, won the Rev3 Connecticut and the Patriot Triathlon in Massachusetts this summer. In two weeks, she will head to Kona, Hawaii, to compete in the 2011 Ford Ironman World Championships.

She has traveled all over the world to compete in triathlons. But she said she was pleased to be able to compete in her home state.

“There is nothing like competing at home,” said Kenyon. “I got to sleep in my own bed (and) drive only a half hour to the race. Of course, it’s great to win. This was a great race and a beautiful course.”

 “Biggest Loser” contestant Jay Kruger, who lost more than 100 pounds when he participated in the NBC show in 2008, was be among the many endurance athletes who competed on Saturday. The Amica 19.7 Newport was Kruger’s seventh and final triathlon of the 2011 season.

 “It wasn’t my best race, but it wasn’t my worse. I have some things to work on going into next season,” said Kruger, who competed in the inaugural Amica 19.7 Newport in 2010. “I did have a good time today. The race itself was great. Personally, I just need to work on my swim for next year.”

Triathletes who competed in the Amica 19.7 Newport participated in a half-mile swim, a 16.1-mile bike and a 3.1-mile run. The race kicked off with the swim at Third Beach, followed by the bike course that went through scenic Middletown and Portsmouth. The race finished with a 5k that ended at Sachuest (Second) Beach in Middletown.

The Amica 19.7 Newport is the eighth stop in the 2011 Amica 19.7 Triathlon Series, a sprint distance series of events held throughout the country. The 10-event series culminates in Phoenix, AZ, in November.

More information

• Athletes interested in competing in this race or any of the Amica 19.7 Tri Series events can register online at www.amicatriseries.com.
• Get complete race results.
• Read more coverage from the Amica 19.7 Newport Triathlon and see more photos from the weekend.