The Race to the Toyota Cup visited Lake Nokomis as part of its fourth event this past weekend, the Life Time Minneapolis Triathlon. Based on their respective finishes, professional triathletes Alicia Kaye (USA) and Andy Potts (USA) held the current points lead in the Race to the Toyota Cup, which concludes in Dallas on October 2.
Within the professional female division, Sarah Haskins (USA) outlasted Kaye and Rebeccah Wassner (USA) to win the fourth race of the seven-event Series. Haskins completed the course in 1:59:57, narrowly beating the top male, Matty Reed (USA), by 0:56 to secure Life Time's signature $5,000 "Equalizer", the innovative competition format that allowed the professional females to start ahead of professional males by a predetermined amount of time.
Reed captured the win in the professional male division with a time of 1:50:09, holding off Potts and Greg Bennett (USA), who placed second and third respectfully. Both Haskins and Reed became the event's first "three-peat" champions with their third consecutive wins.
2011 Life Time Fitness Triathlon Series Race to the Toyota Cup Standings:
| Female Professional Division | Points | Place |
Male Professional Division | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alicia Kaye (USA) | 34.5 | 1 |
Andy Potts (USA) | 40.0 |
| Sarah Haskins (USA) | 31.5 | 2 |
Cameron Dye (USA) | 32.5 |
| Nicole Kelleher (USA) | 28.0 | 3 |
Matty Reed (USA) | 24.5 |
| Rebeccah Wassner (USA) | 26.0 | 4 |
Filip Osplay (CZE) | 22.0 |
| Becky Lavelle (USA) | 19.0 | 5 |
Greg Bennett (USA) | 16.0 |
Standings as of July 9, 2011
The Series now moves on to the Life Time Chicago Triathlon, which is set for Sunday, August 28.
The total 2011 Race to the Toyota Cup professional division cash purse includes $584,000 in individual race awards. In addition, a 2011 Toyota vehicle and coveted Toyota Cup will be awarded to both the top female and male champions at the Toyota U.S. Open Triathlon in Dallas, which serves as the Series championship.
New for 2011, the professional division also awards 0.5 points to the fastest swim, cycle and run legs at each event. In the female professional division of the Minneapolis Triathlon, American Sara McLarty boasted the fastest swim with a time of 19:07, while Haskins turned in the fastest bike with a time of 1:02:09. American Nicole Kelleher had the fastest run with a time of 36:24.
In the professional male division, Potts secured the fastest swim with a time of 17:47, while David Thompson (USA) turned in the fastest bike with a time of 56:29. American Kaleb VanOrt had the fastest run with a time of 24:07.
As the 2011 Race to the Toyota Cup progresses, participant results and current point standings will be made available at racetothetoyotacup.com, the official website of the Race to the Toyota Cup.
About the Life Time Triathlon Series
Since 2006, the Life Time Triathlon Series has connected some of the most prominent international-distance triathlon events in the United States. Throughout the Series, the world's top professional triathletes battle for points and a chance to win the coveted Toyota Cup. In 2011, the Series consists of seven events, including: the April 10 Nautica South Beach Triathlon (Miami); the May 30 Capital of Texas Triathlon (Austin); the Philadelphia Insurance Triathlon June 26; the July 9 Life Time Minneapolis Triathlon; the Life Time Chicago Triathlon August 28; the Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Triathlon September 25; and the October 2 Toyota U.S. Open Championship (Dallas). For more information on the Life Time Triathlon Series and the Race to the Toyota Cup visit www.racetothetoyotacup.com.
