Sammamish man triumphs at Issaquah triathlon
June 4, 2008
By J.B. Wogan
Jacquelyn Foley, 26, emerged from the 60-degree water, peeling off her wetsuit, swim cap and goggles in mid-jog.
As the fastest person out of the Lake Sammamish waters, Foley had to capitalize on her early advantage.
She rushed to the bike racks and slipped on her bike shoes. Like all the top swimmers, Foley’s goal for the last two legs of the Issaquah Sprint Triathlon May 31 was to protect her lead.
“This was my first time doing this event,” said Foley, a Sammamish resident, after the race. “I think I did pretty well. I’m excited about it. It’s the first race of the season and a jumping off point.”
Foley finished 67th overall, ninth among women, boosted by her 5 minute 33.9 second swim on the .25-mile course.
The overall winner was another Sammamish resident, Drew Magill.
“This was the first triathlon I did in my life, and I think it was the first year they did it. And I’ve done about 50 since then,” said Magill, who ran the race in 1:02:51.2. Magill positioned himself to compete for a top time when he completed the swim with a time of 5:35.7, the third fastest overall.
Later, he took a commanding lead with his 18:01.8 run – the 12th fastest time – in the final leg of the race.
While sprint triathlons vary in distance from course to course, the Issaquah race had a .25-mile swim, 15-mile bike and a three-mile run.
Swimmers poured out of Sunset Beach onto the open road course, which began on Northwest Sammamish Road and ended back at the park via a U-turn at Northeast Inglewood Hill Road. From there, runners navigated the Lake Sammamish State Park before heading back to the beach for the finish line.
Before becoming a triathlete, Magill, now 42, had experience running marathons and participating on his high school track team.
“I saw a triathlon once and I thought, ‘This is really cool. It’s like an adventure race,’” recalled Magill.
Since his first Issaquah Triathlon, Magill has finished all varieties of triathlons, from an Olympic to a half Ironman to a full Ironman – with the Olympic serving as the shortest race at about 32 miles and the full Ironman serving as the longest at about 140 miles.
Magill said he sneaks in his training before, during and after work. He bikes to his office in Renton, and takes runs during his lunch break.
He estimates that it takes about three swims, three runs and three bike rides each week to prepare for a major triathlon.
“Because, you know, how else do you get all this stuff in?” He asked.
The first woman to finish was Tracy Orcutt of Seattle, who ran a 1:07:53.6. Orcutt was also the first woman to finish last year.
She was 29th overall. Orcutt and Magill both said the most unusual moment of the race came during the run, when a sprinkler blasted them in the head.
“It’s all part of it, right? It’s fun to have little surprises,” said Orcutt, 41.
At the finish line, Orcutt celebrated her victory by trading hugs with her son Ben, 6, and daughter Lucy, 2.
“They’re my little fan club,” she said.
Like Magill, Orcutt said the Issaquah Triathlon would serve as a tune-up for her attempt at the World Championships in Vancouver, Canada June 5-8.
Seven of the top 50 finishers hailed from Sammamish, and another 12 were Kirkland or Bellevue residents.
Eric O’Daffer, 41, said he enjoys the Issaquah Triathlon because of its proximity to his home in Sammamish.
“I’m a green racer. I like them to be close. And I’m lazy,” he said.
O’Daffer, who finished 22nd overall with a time of 1:06:53.8, has been running the local triathlons – Beaver Lake, Issaquah and Lake Sammamish – for seven years.
“I’m slow. I’m kind of a journeyman triathlete, but I have fun doing it,” he said.
O’Daffer and Magill agreed that the race had improved since its early years.
A more spacious starting and finishing area, combined with better markings on the course, have made for a pleasant experience, they said.
“This is a great event. It’s just a great way to see all of your friends who you train with,” said O’Daffer.
Reporter J.B. Wogan can be reached at 392-6434, ext. 247, or jbwogan@isspress.com.
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