by Dennis Dalman
For the second year in a row, Sartell resident Andrew Zabel was the overall top winner in the 41st annual Sartell Apple Duathlon’s long course race.
As if that weren’t remarkable enough, his 17-year-old son, Hudson, placed third in the duathlon’s short course, just as he did last year.
The race took place May 14. It started and finished on the grounds of Riverview Intermediate School.
Andrew crossed the finish line after running and biking for 1 hour, 25 minutes and 29 seconds, besting his last year’s time by 1 minute and 14 seconds. Hudson also beat his last year’s time by 1 minute and nine seconds, crossing the finish line at 57 minutes and 30 seconds.
The second-place overall long-course finisher was Micah Warning, 26, of Winona (time 1:28:21) and third was Brooks Grossinger, 46, of Mayer (time 1:29:09).
The Apple’s long course consists of a 5k run, then a 33k biking route and a final 5k run. The short course is a 5k run, a 15.5-mile biking route and a 1k run.
A total of 67 duathletes competed in the individual long course – 50 men and 17 women, and all 67 finished the race. The top three women to cross the finish line were Whitney Moore, 36, of Chanhassen (time 1:44:19); Alyssa Knese, 36, of Sartell (time 1:48:05); and Amy Woolsey, 57, of Foley (time 1:55:15).
There were 21 duathletes in the short-course competition. The winner was Adam Marthaler, 42, of Albany (53:04), Scott Eide, 26, of Avon (time 54:05) and Hudson Zabel, 17, of Sartell (time 56.21).
Sartell was well represented in the race, with 10 residents of the city. Besides Andrew and Hudson Zabel, they were Chad Bosl, David Buhl, Ryan Claeys, Kayla Fruth (St. Stephen), Brice Kadlec, Alyssa Knese, Jenny Lanin-Dale, Alison Manderscheid, Tommy Runkle, Timm Vedder and Rob Voshell (who happens to be the financial director for the City of Sartell) and Josh Wenzel.
Race participants came from cities throughout Minnesota, and there were also some from North Dakota and Wisconsin.
Background
The Sartell Apple Duathlon started 41 years ago and is now the oldest-standing duathlon in the United States. It started in 1983 as a run-only event, part of a program started by the St. Cloud Hospital to encourage heart health. Two years later, biking was added, and the event became known as a biathlon. Some time later, a final run was added, making it a duathlon.
For more than 25 years, the race was directed by Darryl and Pam Stevens of Sartell, a married couple who turned the Apple Duathlon into one of the best and most competitive races in the nation.
In 2009 and 2013, the Apple was designated as a World Triathlon Duathlon Qualifying Event, attracting runners-bikers from many other countries to compete in Sartell.
The Sartell Apple Duathlon is now owned and managed by a non-profit organization called Central Events MN. That organization’s mission is “to support and sustain local events that benefit the health, fitness and overall wellness of our community.”
Andrew Zabel and son Hudson did it again this year. For the second year in a row, Andrew was the overall winner of the long-course race at the annual Sartell Apple Duathlon, and Hudson placed third, as he did last year in the short-course race.
