(Racine, WI - July 17) Rod Raymond and Julie Hull will not be available to defend their titles at the Chisago Half next weekend. Instead, they will be racing this Sunday at the Spirit of Racine Half.Raymond, 44, of Duluth will be one of the favorites to win the Elite Masters category. Hull, 36, of Farmington, will be one of the favorites to win the women's overall title. If she manages to do so, it will be her 3rd half win in as many seasons.
Other Minnesotans who can be expected to race at, or near, the front, include Minnetonka's Brett Lovaas, who will be making his 70.3 debut, Minneapolis' Catherine Lee, and Elite Masters Julie McMonagle of Eagan and Merilee Sander of Northfield. For Lovaas, who has set two course records thus far in 2009, SOR will be his 200th career multi. Lee has already excelled at this distance this season, finishing 4th at New Orleans 70.3 last spring. Sander, 48, popped a 4:57 at Racine in 2008. McMonagle, 42, finished 6th here in 2006, in a time of 4:54:39. He fastest half was a 4:49:41 at Square Lake in 2004.
