Powerman Alabama
Irondale, Alabama
Sunday, March 28, 2004
8k run, 55k bike, 8k run
Complete Results

For Desiree Ficker it was her third straight victory, and for Greg Watson it was his second in a row and third total. Unlike last year, the weather was warm. The pro race was a qualifier for the long course Duathlon World Championships, and the age group race was a qualifier for both the long and short World Championships.

In the women's race, 2003 Powerman Series Champion Tina Walter led the women's race through the first run. Ficker closed the gap near the end of the run, coming in just five seconds behind Walter. Deanna Frank and Marjan Huizing, returning to duathlons after a year+ layoff, were almost a minute back. Ficker took off on the bike and never looked back. She went into T2 with a 1:34 lead over Walter. She ran the final 8k thinking that Walter was gaining on her, but Ficker was actually extending her lead, winning by over two minutes. Walter held on for second. Heather Haviland, winner of Powerman Tennessee, entered T2 in third, but New Zealand's Bianca Simpson overtook her to finish third. Haviland was fourth, followed by Frank, Huizing, and Cecily Tynan.

Watson came into the race with a lingering hip flexor injury that was bothering him last year, and before the race he insisted he wasn't a favorite to win. Vincent Aldebert, a French duathlete that has excelled at both long and short course duathlons, was considered a favorite, along with Cam Widoff and Tim Luchinske. The first run was led by Watson, Tom Jefferey, and Aldebert in 25:20. Luchinske, Widoff, and Richard Graemiger made up the next group just 25 seconds later.

Soon after T1 Watson took the lead and he led all the way to the finish line. Several athletes battled for second place. John Phillips was making up the most time. He was down two minutes after the run, but he powered through the field with the fastest bike split. Widoff was in fourth place when, for the second year in a row, he got a penalty. It came in the first half of the second loop, and it was reportedly for a stagger violation. Widoff wasn't the only one with a penalty -Aldebert received a penalty for littering.

Phillips passed Widoff during his penalty, and caught third place Luchinske, and then moved into second when he passed Graemiger. On the last run Luchinske moved into second, Graemiger held on to third, and Aldebert moved into fourth. Jefferey temporarily passed Phillips to move into fifth, but he faded as Phillips took fifth, Widoff sixth, and Jefferey finished seventh.

The men's age group race went to Josh Beck. Beck won the Duathlon National Championships in 2002, then focused on cycling. In 2004 he returned to duathlons in full force and fully enthused, winning the long March Mauler duathlon two weeks ago. Beck had a strong first run, and then blasted the bike for a 1:25 split that gave him a 3:30 lead going into T2. An equally strong final run gave him four minute victory. Jeffrey Boyd finished second, and Sean “Sparky” Ion was third.

John McGovern, last year's overall winner, finished fourth, and won the Masters division. His closest Masters competition, Patrick High, finished fifth overall and just two minutes later.

Kiera Keras won the women's title by two minutes over Carrie Brady, with Leslie Curley taking third. Cheryl McGinnis, at age 50, won the women's masters division. Kristin Miller was second.