Fast Action at SwimRun NC
Every year athletes from all over the country and sometimes even from abroad come to Hanging Rock State Park for a challenging and visually stimulating race and this year records were broken and tears of joys were shared.
Some races offer solo racing options but here only teams of two tackle 16+ miles of running and 2+ miles of swimming split up over 10 runs and 9 swims. For many athletes this is a fun way to close out the season, and some of them had just returned from Kona while others were racing 70.3 North Carolina or other events the day before.
Having to race as a team requires athletes to adapt and most will learn quite a bit about themselves. Often that means digging much deeper than they would otherwise. Although a majority of the athletes in SwimRun come from triathlon, this is not a triathlon without a bike. The sport of SwimRun is much closer to adventure racing. Other starters come from trail running, adventure racing and ski mountaineering.
Sometimes when you are very deep in your inner pain cave you may imagine seeing things that aren't real, and sometimes these hallucinations are outright scary. But in this case the water safety volunteer Rob Livengood always dresses up in a costume, and usually a scary one.
Many folks enter these SwimRun races simply to personally challenge themselves or to create unique memories, but there is surely a strong battle up front for the podium spots. And the battle was fierce right from the start with teams running well under 6 minute pace during the fast wider opening stretch. But after 0.4 miles it is straight into the single track and then it goes up and up.
Even up front teams are often considerate, something that is encouraged by the race organizers. Cameron Holman and Tom Clifford at that time in second place team delivered a dropped water flask to race leaders Jacob Dodge and Curtis Royek just as they were about to climb up through the Window Falls.
Jarrod Shoemaker and Lisa Roberts of team Highpoint Racing took the lead early on but these waterfall sections made everyone slow down and focus. Last year Shoemaker had partnered with Andrew Starykowicz, but Starky was out due to an injury.
Lindsay Dean and Cameron Simmons of team Dirty Banana ascending the upper section of the falls with other teams close behind. This section is very memorable and even if a team is briefly delayed that is usually no big deal.
Sara McLarty and Misty Becerra had a great day in the women's race and were pushing hard here to get to the first swim. That included getting the wetsuit top back up and the swim cap in place.
North Carolina based Marcus Barton likely knows this course like no other and partnered this year with Californian Kawika Tarayao and they have turned out to be a great match. In the end they finished 4th.
The water was brisk and here Chris Douglas and Chipper Nicodemus pushed towards a swim exit. These two passionate SwimRun athletes have a popular podcast called The Low Tide Boyz.
Higher up on the course Jacob Dodge and Curtis Royek still had a tight battle with Cameron Holman and Tom Clifford, and they went back and forth all day. And these 642 steps on Moore's Wall never seem to end no matter which part of the field you are.
Sara McLarty and Misty Becerra on top of Moore's Wall with a little cushion over the second and third placed teams. All teams are required to pose for a pic at the courses highest spot as proof that indeed they made it here.
Ben Paxton and Nargus Harounzadeh on the very technical Moore's Wall descent on the way to second place in the mixed division. This section requires full focus and agility – and great trail running skills are very helpful here.
By the time Jarrod Shoemaker and Lisa Roberts reached the last lake swim section they had a solid lead and cruised to the title a course record time of 3:40:07.
Teams going through the upper section of the Cascade Falls section of the course. David Stackhouse here with team mate Lauren Shoup about to pass Lindsay Dean and Cameron Simmons in the mixed division.
Stephanie Knapp and Scott Wells entering the lower section of the Cascade Falls and they ended up in 6th place.
This year female teams had the lowest bib numbers and Jennifer Devers and Bridget Phillips got to wear number 1. Here they are in The Dan River on the way to second place in the female division. The sort of own that runner-up spot.
The final swim in the Dan River is very scenic with a massive rock face just above you. But by this time athletes can already smell the beer at the finish line and hear race announcer David Daggett.
Earlier that day the leading two male teams reached the river together well under course record time and pushed hard to the finish. In the end Cameron Holman and Tom Clifford of team ILM Buoys were victorious in the amazing time of 3:05:47.
Curtis Royek and Jacob Dodge of Team Deathrace were second in 3:07:08 – also well under the previous 2018 record 3:12:59. And Royek had proof that he gave it all.
The Navy Tri Co-Ed team of Eli Waltz and Joseph Bell placed third in the mixed division and then had a long drive back to the Naval Academy. They were super thrilled to have done well here after having raced hard the day before too.
The final team crossed the finish in 6:47:59 and likely had the biggest and most passionate welcome of all. Phil Jones and Sarah Jones then had a long hug after an adventurous day that tested them in various ways.
Results 2022 SwimRun NC
Hanging Rock State Park NC – October 16, 2022
Top Female Teams
1. Misty Becerra and Sara McLarty (Good'Nuff) 3:56:04
2. Jennifer Devers and Bridget Phillips (Phyllis Hold My Shower Beer) 4:02:24
3. Wendy Mader and Jamie Turner (Fish and her Frog) 4:04:23
4. Vivian Mroz and Sarah Kieffer (Monkey See Monkey Run) 4:46:43
5. Trista Mennen and Amy Bush (Adorkables) 4:59:14
Top Mixed Teams
1. Jarrod Shoemaker and Lisa Roberts (Highpoint Racing) 3:40:07 *
2. Ben Paxton and Nargus Harounzadeh (Dr. Evil & Dr. Strange) 3:51:47
3. Eli Waltz and Joseph Bell (Navy Tri Co-Ed) 4:02:43
4. Juli Davenport and Matthew Davenport (RadKat) 4:11:13
5. Chris Bender and Mandy Yates (Brandy) 4:33:16
Top Male Teams
1. Cameron Holman and Tom Clifford (ILM Buoys) 3:05:47 *
2. Curtis Royek and Jacob Dodge (Team Deathrace) 3:07:08 **
3. Caleb Baity and Joe Day (Catawba River Runners) 3:12:52 **
4. Marcus Barton and Kawika Tarayao (Team Envol Spam Fika) 3:22:12
5. Andrew Pierre and Samuel Russell (Navy Tri) 3:29:57
* = New Course Record
** = sub previous course record
Images 1, 8, 12, 13, 14, 16 © Paul Phillips
Images 3, 4, 5, 7, 15, 17 © Brian Fancher
Images 2, 6, 9, 11, 18, 19, 20 © Herbert Krabel
Image 10 © Richard Hill
