Thomas Jeffrey (25-29; Charlottesville, Va.), competing in his second duathlon ever, won the overall men’s age group title at the 2002 International Triathlon Union (ITU) Dannon Duathlon World Championship held on October 19th in Alpharetta, Ga..  Jeffrey completed the 10k run/40k bike/5k run course in a time of 1 hour, 54 minutes and 37 seconds.  Former Baltimore, Md. resident Amanda Gillam won the overall women’s age group title.  Seven other athletes from the region also won medals at the race.
 
The United States, which brought the largest team by far to the championship, took 13 individual age group gold medals, two gold medals in the demonstration Clydesdale categories and one in the demonstration Athena category.
 
Jeffrey did his first duathlon in July when he finished second in the 25-29 age group at the Dannon U.S. National Duathlon Championship in July in Carlsbad, Calif. Jeffrey is a former marathon runner who placed 19th at the 2000 Olympic marathon trials. Injuries led him to back off distance running and add cycling to his training.
 
Jeffrey said the race was fun but admitted, “The last mile I thought, ‘This is way too painful.’ I’m hoping in a few hours I’ll recover and forget that part.”
 
Gillam (30-34; Boulder, Colo.), a 1999 world duathlon gold medalist in the 25-29 age group, completed the 10k run, 40k bike and 5k run in 2 hours, 9 minutes, 56 seconds.
Gillam is also a triathlete who won the overall title at the USA Triathlon Mrs. T’s Age Group World Triathlon Qualifier in Lake Placid, N.Y. this year. However, Gillam wasn’t feeling confident heading into Saturday’s race.
 
“I went into this race not feeling that fit,” said Gillam, who had been working 40 hours a week at her job at a women’s fitness clothing store. “I never felt confident that I was going to win until the finish line.”
 
Gillam trailed Annie Oliver of New Zealand in the first 10k run, but passed Oliver on the first lap of the bike. Oliver went on to place second overall, and first in the 25-29 age group.
 
Jeffrey was not the only age grouper from the region to come away with gold.  Joshua Beck (Newville, Pa.) won the men’s 20-24 age group and Tony Mauro (Monroeville, Pa.) was the top finisher in men’s 60-64.  Other medalists from the region include Brennan Liming (W25-29, Apex, N.C.), Anne Viviani (W50-54, Arlington, Va.), Marge Stahl (W70-74, Annandale, Va.), Sean Ion (M20-24, Shippenville, Pa.) and Mac Martin (M45-49, State College, Pa.).
 
Complete results are posted on the race web site at www.worlddu2002.com.
 
ITU Dannon Duathlon World Championship
Oct. 19, 2002; Alpharetta, Ga.
10k run; 40k bike; 5k run
Age Group
Top 10 Overall
Women
1. Amanda Gillam (30-34; Boulder, Colo.) 2:09:56 ; 2. Annie Oliver (25-29 ; New Zealand) 2:10:52; 3. Sue Davis (40-44; Costa Mesa, Calif.) 2:11:46; 4. Beverly Thomas (30-34; Great Britain) 2:12:05; 5. Imogen Thornburgh (25-29; Great Britain) 2:12:35; 6. Kimberly Fordham-Lien (35-39; Aberdeen, S.D.) 2:14:09; 7. Jennifer Lee (30-34; Fort Collins, Colo.) 2:14:28; 8. Anne Jensen (35-39; Kirkland, Wash.) 2:15:45; 9. Gabriele Hauck (30-34; Savannah, Ga.) 2:15:54; 10. Sandy Meister-Meredith (40-44; Ramona, Calif.) 2:15:56
Men
1. Thomas Jeffrey (25-29; Charlottesville, Va.) 1:54:37; 2. Alan Rowe (35-39; Great Britain) 1:54:59; 3. Gary Gerrard (35-39; Great Britain) 1:55:14; 4. Allistair McCaw (25-29; Russia) 1:56:08; 5. Joshua Beck (20-24; Newville, Pa.) 1:57:35; 6. David Walters (45-49; Lisle, Ill.); 7. Joshua Ritchie (25-29; Tallmadge, Ohio) 1:58:27; 8. Ugo Moroni (40-44, Italy) 1:58:37; 9. Brad Anderson (35-39; Salt Lake City, Utah) 1:58:40; 10. Brian Cullum (25-29; Campbell, Calif.) 1:58:47
Gold Medalists and U.S. Medalists
Women
20-24 1. Nicole Vogler (Canada)
3. Erin Duncan (Kenosha, Wis.)
25-29
1. Annie Oliver (New Zealand)
3. Brennan Liming (Apex, N.C.)
30-34
1. Amanda Gillam (Boulder, Colo.)
3. Jennifer Lee (Fort Collins, Colo.)
35-39
1. Kimberly Fordham-Lien (Aberdeen, S.D.)
2. Anne Jensen (Kirkland, Wash.)
3. Melissa Ruthven (Austin, Texas)
40-44
1. Sue Davis (Costa Mesa, Calif.)
2. Sandy Meister-Meredith (Ramona, Calif.)
3. Kristin Miller (West Lakeland, Minn.)
45-49
1. Anne Ellacott (Marietta, Ga.)
2. Debbie Connolly (Parma, Mich.)
3. Heidi Schmidt (Elgin, Ill.)
50-54
1. Sandi Wiebe (Vancouver, Wash.)
2. Diane Proud (Irving, Texas)
3. Anne Viviani (Arlington, Va.)
55-59
1. Sharryn Oleskiw (Canada)
3. Paula Larsen (Middleton, Wis.)
60-64
1. Judy Caroll (Kent, Ohio)
3. Celeste Callahan (Denver, Colo.)
65-69
1. Pat Fossum (Montgomery, Ala.)
3. Johanna Moore (Sandusky, Ohio)
70-74
1. Betty Skipp (Boulder, Colo.)
2. Marge Stahl (Annandale, Va.)
Athena 39 and under
1. Beth Burchill (USA)
Men
20-24
1. Joshua Beck (Newville, Pa.)
2. Wes Wright (Jonesboro, Ga.)
3. Sean Ion (Shippenville, Pa.)
25-29
1. Thomas Jeffrey (Charlottesville, Va.)
3. Joshua Ritchie (Tallmadge, Ohio)
30-34
1. Piergiorgio Conti (Italy)
2. Edmond Hickey (Madison, Wis.)
35-39
1. Alan Rowe (Great Britain)
3. Brad Anderson (Salt Lake City, Utah)
40-44
1. Ugo Moroni (Italy)
3. Michael Homan (Haslett, Mich.)
45-49
1. David Walters (Lisle, Ill.)
2. Mac Martin (State College, Pa)
50-54
1. Morgens Busk Sorensen (Denmark)
2. Jim Bruskewitz (Madison, Wis.)
55-59
1. Bob Harlow (Australia)
2. Kerry Mayer (Milwaukee, Wis)
3. Tom Dutton (Livonia, Mich.)
60-64
1. Tony Mauro (Monroeville, Pa.)
2. Don Ardell (Tampa, Fla.)
65-69
1. Cyril Leigh (Great Britain)
2. William Riley (Marstons Mills, Mass.)
70-74
1. Jean Zabek (France)
2. Bill Olsen (Warren, Mich.)
75-79
1. Jimmie Georgas (Canada)
2. Walter Palmer (Indianapolis, Ind.)
80-84
1. Bill Schweizer (Oswego, N.Y.)
Clydesdale 39 and under
1. David Longyear (USA)
2. Bryant Howard (USA)
3. David Shuberg (USA)