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Akerson, Omar Win XTERRA Brazil Championship

Costa Rican triathlon standout Rom Akerson (shown here slogging through the mud courtesy Ricardo Ramos / TRI SPORT) edged Canadian Mike Vine by 50-seconds to win the XTERRA Brazil Championship in Angra dos Reis on Saturday.

It's the first major professional XTERRA championship victory for Akerson,  who won the XTERRA amateur world title in 2006 before he turned pro.  Brazilian triathlon great and last year's champ Alexandre Manzan finished third, followed by South African Champ Lieuwe Boonstra and Felipe Moletta.  American Brian Smith placed 6th overall, about 11 minutes behind Akerson.

In the women's race Maria Soledad Omar from Argentina defeated last year's champion Carla Prada by nearly two minutes.  Some of the biggest victories of the day were had by local amateurs who earned one of the 34 qualifying spots into the XTERRA World Championship in Maui on Oct. 25.  The Brazilians are often the largest and loudest (and most fun) contingent of international athletes to travel to Maui each year.

PRO MEN  
 
Pl  Name  Nation  Time
1  Rom Akerson  CRC  2:21:26
2  Mike Vine  CAN  2:22:16
3  Alexandre Manzan  BRA  2:22:58
4  Lieuwe Boonstra  RSA  2:27:44
5  Felipe Jose Moletta  BRA  2:29:20
6  Brian Smith  USA  2:32:43
7  Rodrigo Altafini  BRA  2:36:19
8  Kenny de Souza Alves  BRA  2:36:20
9  Joao Carlos Almeida  BRA  2:41:25
10  Alexandre Ribeiro  BRA  2:43:25

PRO WOMEN  
 
Pl  Name  Nation  Time
1  Maria Soledad Omar  ARG  3:04:59
2  Carla Prada  BRA  3:06:41
3  Barbara Bonfim  BRA  3:06:45
4  Ann Yew  CAN  3:06:47
5  Karen Oliveira  BRA  3:23:58