Local Triathlon Icon Dr. Mike Halstead Wins Big at Alpha Win’s First Annual Saugerties Triathlon

The first annual Saugerties Triathlon in Alpha Win’s hometown of Saugerties, NY took place this holiday weekend on Monday October 11th. The event kicked off with a swim at Saugerties Village Beach and participants then biked through the beautiful autumnal foliage of Ulster and Greene Counties, finishing with a run through the streets of Saugerties.

It was an action packed day here in the Village of Saugerties, featuring both Olympic distance and Sprint distance races. Kids even joined in on the fun with our first annual Splash and Dash benefiting the Boys and Girls Club of Ulster County. 

The Olympic Distance Male race was won by 19-year-old Justin Layer in a blazing time of 02:13:39. The Overall Female Olympic winner was Erika Martin with a rapid time of 02:29:58. 

The Sprint Male race featured legendary triathletes battling it out for top honors. Mike Halstead secured the win in the inaugural Saugerties 

Sprint Triathlon, after a friendly rivalry with fellow competitor Arthur Boyko. Halstead is revered in the triathlon community as an inspirational competitor, who is a brain cancer survivor and USAT All-American. He shared his post-race thoughts with us: 

“The Saugerties Triathlon was a great event with three great courses. The volunteers were excellent! It was a perfect way for me to finish up this year’s triathlon season. I will be back at the Saugerties Triathlon in 2022!”

Halstead is also an Alpha Win coach, and led the Alpha Win Lake George Tri Camp earlier this year. Stephanie Hanrahan highlighted the group of athletes who trained with Halstead at the tri camp with a 3rd place Overall Female finish in the Alpha Olympic distance in her first ever Olympic race. 

After the success of this year’s Saugerties Triathlon, Alpha Win is excited to announce the addition of a 70.3 race to next year’s event. Vice President of Operations and 2-time US Olympian Dan Browne will be instrumental in the planning for next year, and shared some of his thoughts on race day:

“I am very pleased with the organization and outcome of this triathlon here in Alpha Win’s hometown. With this being our inaugural event, I could not be more pleased with how our team came together to put on a great event for the people of this Village. As we continue to grow this race, we are committed as a team to continue to bring a great experience for competitors and the community alike. Events like this provide great value to the community, and we strive to build on what we accomplished at our inaugural triathlon” 

Browne is a former member of the 2004 US Olympic Track & Field team in the marathon and 10,000m, and now serves as a member of the US National Guard.

The first annual Saugerties Triathlon could not have taken place without the help of the volunteers, Saugerties Police, Saugerties Village, and more. The Saugerties Village Beach provided a perfect location for a triathlon and due to the continual effort from Saugerties Mayor Bill Murphy, the beach is a clean and safe place for both kids and athletes to splash or train.

Saugerties Olympic Triathlon Male Overall Female Overall
First Place Justin Layer – 2:13:39 Erika Martin – 2:29:58
Second Place Scott Green – 2:19:05 Amy Sherman – 2:43:22
Third Place Connor Hankin – 2:19:41 Stephanie Hanrahan – 2:59:34

 

Saugerties Sprint Triathlon Male Overall Female Overall
First Place Michael Halstead – 1:10:44 Caroline Kavanaugh – 1:17:56
Second Place Arthur Boyko – 1:13:49 Maria Seiler – 1:23:20
Third Place Andrew Binnie – 1:16:07 Michelle Krawiecki – 1:27:07

See full results here