by Dennis Dalman
Two best of buddies, both 15, crossed the finish line within seconds of each other, taking second and third place Aug. 13 at the Green Lake Triathlon in Spicer.
Tommy Runkle of Sartell and Corbin Deichman of Mankato are not only good friends but dedicated triathletes and members of a triathlete team dubbed “Z3,” based in Des Moines, Iowa.
There were about 300 participants in the 20th two-day annual Green Lake Triathlon – the first day races for children under 15, the second day for triathletes 15 and older.
At Spicer, they competed in a sprint triathlon that involved a fourth-mile swim in Green Lake, a 14-mile bicycle race and a final three-mile run.
A 53-year-old South Dakota man, Kevin Mitchell, coming up fast and sprinting past the three teenagers in the lead, won the race by a mere 10 seconds, followed closely by Runkle, Deichman and fourth-place finisher was Sean Pickle, 18, of St. Cloud.
Runkle, who will be a sophomore this coming school year at Sartell High School, is the son of Kayla and Steve Elwood (Tommy’s stepfather). His father is Tory Runkle.
Ever since he was 7 years old, Runkle loved participating in triathlons. He is on the high-performance satellite team of “Z3″ and competed for nine years in RipRoar triathlete events for children ages 6-15. Before participating in the Green Lake Triathlon Aug. 13, he had just returned from competing in that triathlete nationals, held this year in Milwaukee, Wis.
Three young men were among the top four finishers in the annual Green Lake Triathlon in Spicer. From left to right are Corbin Deickman of Mankato; his buddy and teammate Tommy Runkle of Sartell; and Sean Pickle of St. Cloud. Kevin Mitchell, a 53-year-old South Dakota man was top winner of the triathlon.
