At the recent Frost Yer Fanny Duathlon in Shreveport, Louisiana, American Andrea Ratkovic savored a unique experience for many women athletes—she was the first athlete across the finish line in a race that started men and women together. Ratkovic, a pro cyclist and former US Duathlon Pro Champion, had headed to the race almost on a whim in search of a hard day's training as she prepares for Ironman New Zealand next month.

"I think I was ninth off the [first] run and then within about five or six miles of the bike I was in the lead totally—and then I just never relinquished that, "she said.”I tried to put as much difference between myself and the other person on the bike." With Achilles tendon issues making her cautious on the run, Ratkovic said she was expecting to be overtaken but about halfway through she realized the overall was within her grasp.

She hammered home alone but later learned that, due to a `positioning' penalty called on the bike, she would be relegated simply to the overall female winner, with the fantastic Karen Smyers second. Along the way, though, she'd given spectators a bit of a thrill.

"At T2 the women were going crazy," she said. "I'm just totally hamming it up. I thought that I was going to get chased down so I was just living in the moment. That's why I compete. It's great to make people feel good, and that's why they come to watch the race. They want to feel good about whatever they're watching."

Andrea has been sidelined for the last couple years from multisport racing due to an Achilles injury she incurred at the Ralph's Ironman. Andrea is committed to race Ironman New Zealand next month.  

Frost Yer Fanny Duathlon
Sunday, January 30, 2005; Shreveport, LA
(3Mi/18.2Mi/3Mi)

MEN
1. John Pankey (USA)  1:21:47 (15:24/49:28/15:45)
2. Tim Terwey (USA)  1:23:54 (17:00/46:33/18:50)
3. David Jones (USA)  1:24:14 (17:08/47:15/18:07)
4. Dwain McDuffie (USA)  1:24:29 (15:32/50:32/16:39)
5. Joey McElhaney (USA)  1:24:48 (16:26/49:56/16:46)

WOMEN
1. Andrea Ratkovic (USA)  1:22:59 (16:37/45:31/16:45)
2. Karen Smyers (USA)  1:25:59 (17:01/49:18/17:58)
3. Amy Simonetta (USA)  1:31:40 (17:36/53:17/18:56)
4. Caroline Smith (USA)  1:32:27 (18:56/51:31/19:44)
5. Anna Means (USA)  1:36:41 (18:32/56:26/19:38)