The Nevada Silverman and Ironman Florida are 140.6-mile events that are staged on the same day. That may be where their similarities end.How are they different?
Well, at Florida, some folks finish when the sun is still shining. At Silverman, the sun had been on the other side of the Spring Mountains for 44 minutes and 37 seconds when the men's winner, Chris Williams of Bend, OR, arrived at the Henderson Multigenerational Center, the site of the ST finish line.
And the respective race courses couldn't be more different. In Nevada, cyclists negotiate 12,000 feet of climbing. No one averages 20 mph. In Florida, bridges and overpasses account for almost 50 feet of elevation gain and the fastest female cyclist out-splits ST's fastest male cyclist by over an hour.
In Florida, entrants dream of racing fast and setting PRs. In Nevada, participants entertain no such fantasies.
Why?
'Cuz Ironman Florida is probably the fastest 140.6 in North America, while Silverman is the continent's slowest ultra, and may actually be the World's slowest.
MTN congratulates all who took the Florida or Silverman challenge this past weekend.
Silverman '09:
* Brian Moynihan, Eagan - 11:58:06 (2nd 45-49M)
* Adam Krueger, Moorhead - 12:13:00 (5th 25-29M)
* Brian Magnuson, Minneapolis - 13:30:06 (14th 30-34M)
* Joseph Butterfield, Minneapolis - 15:56:03 (14th 25-29M)
* David Becker, Bemidji - 15:40:24 (13th 50-54M)
Ironman Florida '09:
* Jonathan Balabuck, Thunder Bay, ONT - 10:23:21
* Margaret MacMillan, Minneapolis - 11:01:01 (3rd 45-49W)
* Julia Lyng, Bursville - 11:09:24 (11th 40-44W) - 1st IM!
* Michael Murray, - 11:33:28 (38th 50-54)
* Igor Epshteyn - 11:52:19 (161st 40-44M)
* Nicholas Oswald - 11:55:48 (50th 11:55:48M)
* Margarita Sevilla - 12:00:23 (27th 35-39W)
* Ryan Naatjes - 12:01:40 (191st 35-39M)
* Igor Kotlovsky - 12:04:49 (175th 40-44M)
* David Voss - 12:09:12 (137th 45-49M)
* Shawn Husband - 12:11:21 (202nd 35-39M)
* Cindy Cook - 12:50:20 (32nd 35-39W)
* Kirk Hanson - 12:25:50 (209th 40-44M)
* Jeff Groffsky - 12:44:26 (101st 50-54M)
* Michael Koetting - 12:49:29 (248th 40-44M)
* Scott Beesley - 12:50:44 (146th 30-34M)
* Gregory Hayes - 12:56:57 (262nd 35-39M)
* Sharon Hobbs - 13:19:10 (9th 50-54W)
* Christopher Hoff - 13:34:35 (310th 35-39M)
* Lisa Sturk - 14:06:23 (69th 30-34W)
* Michael Bryant - 14:16:34 (321st 35-39)
* Hans-Jurgen Van Heteren-Freeze - 15:24:37 (378th 40-44M)
(Photo: Eagan's Brian Moynihan, the fastest Minnesotan at Silverman V.)
