IMTX: TW's Harrington Part of 53-Competitor Tall Texan Field

            With just under eight weeks away from the inaugural Memorial Hermann Ironman Texas, many of the approximate 2,800 registrants are racing in mid-to-late March and early April to test drive their training as race day approaches.

            Fifty-three of the 97 competitors at this weekend’s Tall Texan Triathlon in Boerne are slated to start in The Woodlands on Saturday, May 21.

            Two – Richardson’s Steven Mudgett and Houston’s Mandy Jellerichs – scored podium finishes in the half iron distance event.

            A three-time Kona competitor (1987, 1988 and 1990), Mudgett, now 54, was second – more than 11 minutes out of first – with a solid 1:32:10 half marathon off the bike.

            Jellerichs, 37, a four-time Ironman, was third overall in 5:45:09.

            Outside of Mudgett, the top three master’s finishers are also slated to appear in the greater Houston area come May.

            San Antonio’s Mitch Finnie, who qualified for last year’s Ford Ironman World Championship at Ironman Lake Placid, was first in 4:58:48.  The 45-year-old was trailed by Sugar Land’s Dave Depinet, 48, and San Antonio’s Bob Ramirez, 45, with respective times of 5:11:33 and 5:11:52.

            Sugar Land’s Maggie Kattan, 40, who is prepping for her debut Ironman, won the women’s masters event in 6:07:35.

            Ironman Texas competitors winning their age groups included:  Addison’s Kimberly Fischer (age 28, 6:49;52), San Antonio’s Cristine Criscuolo (36, 5:54:43), Humble’s Jama Henderson (51, 6:21:27), Austin’s Keith Kennedy (33, 4:58:48, 4^th overall), San Antonio’s Thomas Pauly (40, 5:17:25, 10^th overall), The Woodlands’ Jim Harrington (47, 5:19:22, 11^th overall), Cypress’ John Cody (51, 5:27:30) and Corpus Christi’s Frank Flores (56, 5:41:06).

            The one person that drew a lot of attention in Boerne was Harrington.

            “I told Dana (Lyons) the FSR racing outfit and that I was from The Woodlands (was why),” he said.  “I think being third out of the water helped and the 11^th finisher also gave them time to talk about Ironman Texas.”

            Harrington makes the trip for a number of reasons.

            “I like the race because it’s small and early in the year and a lot more relaxed,” he commented.

            And while the Ironman Texas bike course is neither flat nor hilly, the Tall Texan was much tougher than anything any of the competitors would face in May.

            “The most obvious is that it is very hilly,” he said.  “Most are not real steep but half mile and mile climbs on three and four percent (grade) add up.”

            And the road chewed everyone up.

            “Everyone I talked to after the race lost something on the bike,” Harrington said.  “It’s like the section of road where you leave Montgomery County and go into Grimes County just before Richards – except 56 miles of it.

            “Very hard on the bike and the body.”

            He added that most of the 53 finishers that he talked to said they would also be in Galveston for the Ironman 70.3 in less than two weeks.