Haleys Comets post another out-of-world triathlon time

Haleys Comets is starting to develop a reputation as one of the territory's most formidable triathlon teams.

Haleys Comets is starting to develop a reputation as one of the territory’s most formidable triathlon teams.

The trio, led by 12-year-old Whitehorse Glacier Bear Haley Braga, swam, biked and ran its way to a third straight impressive showing Sunday at the Long Lake Triathlon.

Newcomer Jerome McIntyre was a welcomed addition to the team, which besides Braga includes local running star Sue Bogle. Thanks to a strong showing in each discipline, Haleys Comets finished with the top overall time, coming in at 1:34:27.

The group’s time was nearly 10 minutes faster than the second best competition time.

Other impressive past results from Haleys Comets came at the Whitehorse Triathlon in 2008 when they finished with the top time in their category, while in 2009 the group placed second.

The three were all newcomers to the Long Lake Triathlon, but a strong start from Braga put the team in a enviable position to do well. Braga finished with the second fastest swimming time, completing her distance with a time of 14:46.

“I tried to start off a little bit easier at the beginning and then pick it up throughout the race,” she said about the swim. “It was fun in the lake. Normally I am used to swimming in the pool and then you see the same thing over and over again, but in the lake it’s a different view everything time you look up.”

Braga came prepared for the outdoor challenge, wearing both a fastskin and a wet suit. She also doned a bright pink swim cap, donated to her by the Polar Swim Shop for good luck.

She said she enjoyed her first time participating at the Long Lake Triathlon.

“It was lots of fun and we had a good team,” Braga said.

Bogle said Braga did awesome.

“A couple of years and Haley’s going to dump us oldies because she is just going to get better and better and we are going to slow down,” she joked. “I’m sure she’s the youngest by far here and second out of the water with all these strong men and women swimming is just amazing.”

Bogle was the first runner to begin and said that was the most challenging part for her to deal with.

“I have never been out front in a race before,” she said. “There is always men ahead of me, so I was just worried I was going to get lost because I had no one to follow and I have never done this route before. I really had to pay attention, but it was well-marked.”

McIntyre said on a team is the only way he would enter a triathlon.

“I don’t swim, I can only do the dog paddle, so I can’t do triathlons on my own,” he said. “I have done a few as just the biker. It’s kind of a nice way to participate and it’s fun to win as a team too.”

Bogle’s headstart came thanks some first-rate cycling from McIntyre, who passed his closest competitor on the first climb.

McIntyre described himself more as a road cyclist, but said the Long Lake course wasn’t too technical, with the one exception of a steep decent at the end and some single track sections.

He said most of it offered some good climbs, which played to his strengths.

Bill Parry, competing as an individual, finished with the next best time, crossing the finish line at 1:41:20. Parry rewarded himself with a second dip in the lake, which he said made him feel a lot better.

“Jumping in the lake is the perfect thing to do after something like that,” he said.

The last triathlon Parry took part in was a half-iron man, held back in July in B.C. He said he plans on doing more in the future and hopes that maybe someday the Yukon will have it’s own half iron-man triathlon distance.

“It is very challenging and I think people like that,” he said.

Sunday was also special for Long Lake Triathlon organizer Rick Janowicz, who after five years raced in it. Janowicz tackled the challenge in the individual category and was happy about taking part.

“I felt great,” he said.

Janowicz’s time on Sunday was 3:11:27.

In addition to trophies being given out to the top person in each category, there were draw prizes, including a triathlon suit from the Polar Swim Shop. There were about a dozen draw prizes in total.

This year also marked a new record of participants, which Janowicz said included about 60 people.