XTERRA Makena Beach Trail Run Race Report

(Makena, Maui) At the blast of a cannon, 355 trail runners from 14 different countries and 30 US states took off for the XTERRA Makena Beach Trail Run. With a backdrop of bright blue skies and palm trees swaying in the balmy breeze, this trail run is the kickoff event for a weekend of XTERRA adventures.

Competitors chose from two off-road courses, a 5k or a 10k – each serving up a plateful of Mother Nature's finest ingredients including loose gravel and lava rocks, soft sand and humid temperatures.

XTERRA 10K

It was Mexico's Octavio Vincente who stole first place in the XTERRA Makena Beach 10k in a time of 46 minutes and 34 seconds.  His first time in Maui, Vincente came to support his three friends competing in tomorrows XTERRA off-road triathlon.  On a whim, he decided yesterday at registration to compete.  With victory sweet he said with a smile "Maui is beautiful and I like XTERRA, I want to come back next year."

Right on his heels was local star Paul Hopwood of Paia, Maui in a time of 46:48.  Hopwood was followed by Paul Welch of Stowe Vermont who took the bronze in a time in 48:47.

The winner of the XTERRA Makena Beach 10K in the women's division and the Hawaiian Airlines prize of roundtrip airfare from the West Coast to Hawaii was Hungarian triathlete Erika Csomor , who broke the finish tape in a speedy time of 49 minutes and 43 seconds.  A few weeks back she raced in the Ironman World Championship in Kona, finishing 10th place and plans to compete in tomorrows XTERRA off-road triathlon.  "This was a warm up of sorts… the course was quite nice, the sand hard… I think XTERRA is cool."

Rachel Cieslewicz of Salt Lake City, Utah was an inch behind finishing in 50:19.  Lindsay Krause of Littleton, Colorado had a time of 52:52 to take home third.

XTERRA 5K

The first to cross the finish tape in the short course was Lahainaluna cross-country coach, Dagen Bendixen of Lahaina, Maui in a time of 22 minutes and 37 seconds.  The first time running in an XTERRA event, this first place will make his kids proud.  He called the course "brutal -- the hills and sand were never ending.  I though the hill would be done at any time, but we kept going up and up and up."  He was followed by Yasuhiro Jojima of Tokyo, Japan who crossed at 23:06.  Mike Irwin of Haiku finished less than a minute later in 23:48.

For the women, it was 11 year old phenom Dakota Grossman of Pukalani, Maui who smoked the rest of the pack, crossing the tape in 27 minutes and 10 seconds, 12th place overall.  The next generation of XTERRA she said "XTERRA is fun!  The course was good… the hardest part were the hills and the rocks."  Kula resident Nancy Robberson finished second in 28:29 and she was followed by Heather Biglow of Boulder, Colorado in a time of 28:54.

Proceeds from this event benefit the Big Brothers, Big Sisters of Maui County.

XTERRA WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP WEEKEND 

The XTERRA Makena Beach Trail Run is under the umbrella of the XTERRA World Championship Weekend, with the main event – the XTERRA World Championship off-road triathlon race - on Sunday, October 28th.  The XTERRA World Championship is the culmination of a national and international series of more than 100 events.  In the United States, more than 50 races pave the way to the World Championship. 

The World Championship Race Course, considered one of XTERRA's toughest and most grueling, has been the ultimate test of endurance and skill for 12 years.  It will consist of a 1.5-kilometer rough-water swim at Makena Beach, a grueling 30-kilometer mountain bike on the slopes of Haleakala, and an 11-kilometer trail run.  Conditions change radically from year to year, diminishing advantage to repeat competitors, and perpetuating the course's stature as one of the most intimidating in the series.  Pro athletes compete for a $125,000 pro purse.  In addition, the 'Hawaiian Airlines Double' awards $5,000 to the male and female pro athlete with the fastest combined Ironman World Championship and XTERRA World Championship times.  Hawaiian will also award the top male and female a pair of round-trip tickets from the West Coast to Maui. 

The battle of human potential -vs- Mother Nature draws thousands to this spectacular venue every October. 

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