Mighty Squirrel Returns As Official Beer Partner
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August 8, 2015 – Rhode Island – Yesterday, 75 competitors competed in the second edition of Race The State sponsored by BankNewport and Ocean Point Insurance. The multi-sport event created and run by Manuka Sports Event Management, a Newport, Rhode Island based business, had individuals and teams run 3.8 miles through Tiverton, paddle 1 mile across the Sakonnet River, run 12.3 miles from Portsmouth to Newport, kayak 5.6 miles to Narragansett via a portage in Jamestown and cycle 28.5 miles from Narragansett through South Kingstown, Richmond, Hopkinton, Charlestown and finishing in Westerly.
The 5-person, all-male team, Island Idiots, finished the 53-mile course in 4 hours 37 minutes and 26 seconds an overall average pace of 5:25/mile. Team members included: Shawn Westoven (Portsmouth, RI), Dan Dytch (Newport, RI), Dirk Johnson (Middletown, RI), Mike Giles (Cape Town, South Africa) and Terry Halpin (Middletown, RI). The second team across the line was the 4-person team, Hot Club Harbor Seals out of Providence, RI with a total elapsed time of 5 hours 20 minutes and 47 seconds. The winners in the 3-person team were the Three Dirty Rats out of Reading, PA and in the 2-person division, the husband-wife duo, No Excuses, from Dedham, MA took top honors.
On the individual side, brothers Tyler and Josh Mason took first and second respectively in the men’s division with Bethesda, MD native Scott Madden taking third overall. Tyler of Charlestown, RI finished with an elapsed time of 5 hours 44 minutes and 20 seconds. In the women’s division, Mill Valley, California resident Shawn Connell-Clark had the top overall time at 5:56:45, with Ashaway, RI’s Caroline Duksta a mere 47 seconds behind. In third place was Portsmouth, RI native Sarah Ethier.
Complete results with splits can be viewed HERE.
Race the State was designed to take advantage of the unique geography of the state of Rhode Island was made possible through the support of BankNewport and Ocean Point Insurance. The logistically challenging race spanned 10 communities and two bodies of water. All competitors were required to have a support team assisting with logistics throughout the race and race organizers had over 65 volunteers both on water and off stationed throughout the course. A portion of all entries benefitted Special Olympics Rhode Island.
The Race the State Kayak Leg traverses Narragansett Bay and while at 5.6 miles it’s length is not exorbitant, it does require you to be adept at understanding tides and ocean kayaking.
Tim Dwyer, the kayaker with the overall fastest time in the 2015 Race the State Kayak leg (with a time of 1:01:25.4) has teamed up with us to give our racers tips to prepare them for the 2016 5.6 mile kayak leg!
Training:
To be fully prepared to Race the State, training both off and on the water is imperative, below Tim lists some suggestions for building your overall fitness and specific paddle strength.
Stay tuned for more tips on:
As an outdoor guide and instructor, Tim sailed with Outward Bound and led kayak trips in New England and the Pacific Northwest, Florida and Alaska. For a fundraising effort Tim paddled 300 miles around Long Island for the Memory Paddle Challenge in a record setting passage. He has earned a number of national and regional Championships including the 2002 USCA National Kayaking Championship, the New England 2010 Surfski (kayak) Championship and the Paddle the Bay Kayak Racing series from 2002-2006. Tim completed the Kayak leg of 2015 Race the State finishing first overall in the kayak along with first place on Team Kettlebottom in the 4 person relay. Tim is a child psychologist and lives with his family in Jamestown, RI and consults for Epic Kayaks.
The gun went off shortly after 6am and field of 40 were on their first 5-mile leg en route to Little Compton harbor. The first to arrive at the harbor was Adrian Masse of Newport, Rhode Island who ran the 5 miles in 33 minutes and 48 seconds. Just one minute and 23 seconds behind him was Dave FitzGerald of Middletown and 15 seconds behind him was Antoine Lavigueur of Newport.
As competitors entered into the harbor the wind unfortunately started to pick up which would make the paddle extremely challenging. In a weird twist, the few who had selected to use a prone paddle board were in a much more advantageous position than the majority who had the more traditional stand up boards. As the wind conditions deteriorated far more rapidly than forecast, the safety boats on the water had their work cut out for them. Of the field of 40, only 17 made it the full 3 mile course across the Sakonnet River. The first paddler to finish the course was Dave FitzGerald who raced the 3 miles on his prone board in 49 minutes and 46 seconds. This put him in first place. However, the first stand up paddler to finish Connor Wallace of the 4-person team Kettlebottom. He paddled in 1 hour 4 minutes and 55 seconds.
Third Beach in Middletown was the first hand-off for relay teams and for the individuals they kept on moving through for the 3rd 7.5 mile leg taking them along the beaches to Fort Adams in Newport. The 4-person team of Rhode Racers owned leg 3, completing the 7.5 mile course in 52 minutes and 26 seconds. In the Mens division it was a battle for first between Dave FitzGerald and Adrian Masse who were separated by a mere 2 minutes and 11 seconds, with Masse holding the slight edge heading into the kayak leg. In the women’s division, it was only the run legs determining the leader as none of the women completed the second leg. Kelly Murphy of Douglas, MA was holding a 2 minute 21 second lead over Dawnie Amado-Desmarais of Litchfield, NH. In the team divisions, 1 if by land, 2 if by see held a slight edge in the 2-person division, 33 Donahue had a sizable lead in the 3-person division and it was anyone’s game in the 4-person division between Kettlebottom, MidTown Oyster Bar and Portsmouth Dads.
The 4th leg of Race the State was a 5.6 mile kayak across Narragansett Bay with a portage in Jamestown through Mackerel Cove. The wind conditions were in the teens from the north which would make the kayak also extremely challenging for the competitors. However, Timothy Dwyer of Team Kettlebottom would make extremely quick work of the kayak course completing it in 1 hour 1 minute and 25 seconds! The next closest competitor was 19 minutes and 32 seconds behind and that was Adam Donahue of the 3-person Team, 33 Donahue. In the men’s division Dave FitzGerald had the fastest kayak time clocking in at 1:23:38, but Antoine Lavigueur was a close second with a time of 1:29:57.
As competitors approached the kayak finish, they had to run uphill to the transition zone to hop on their bike to head out on the 28.5 mile course of which 27.3 miles were timed (two untimed areas existed to safely get competitors across Rt 1A and Rt 1). One of the first challenges on the bike course was a sneaky and sizable hill heading up Torrey Road. That hill would lead to a number of competitors pulling the plug on their race. For those who conquered the hill, the race was on to the finish and the stand out in the mens division on the bike course was, Antoine Lavigueur, who after running, paddling, running and kayaking he managed to cover the 27.3 mile bike in 1:15:20 which is an average speed of 21.7mph! Unfortunately it wouldn’t be enough for him to take first as Dave FitzGerald had earned enough extra time in the prior legs to secure first place.
In the women’s division, Kristen Ralphs secured first on the bike with the fastest time for the women coming in at 1:37:03 at an average speed of 16.9mph. With that speed she secured first place overall!
In the 4-person team division, it was Terry Halpin of Team Kettlebottom though who owned the bike course, he completed the course in 1:10:33, at an average speed of 23.2mph! NWC Warriors would go on to win first in the 2-person team as would 33 Donahue in the 3-person team division.
The inaugural Race the State was one to remember and the course challenged the teams and competitors straight through the entire day. Congratulations again to everyone who came out and we look forward to seeing you next year!
Race the State has a Facebook group! Anyone interested in finding teammates, car pooling, sharing info on equipment and other race related queries, join the group to communicate with fellow competitors and get ready to Race the State! To join click here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/807869565962879/
Race the State will return in 2019