Xterra BOLT pictures, recap, results

Despite torrential pre-race rains that had many athletes wondering if ark-building would be a more suitable way to spend the day, last Saturday's inaugural Xterra Branched Oak Lake Triathlon (BOLT) kicked off with nary a hitch, save a half-hour delayed start and a last-minute re-routing of washed-out singletrack.

At 9:30 am, with clearing skies and reasonable temperatures, over 100 racers flung themselves into the algae-colored water at Branched Oak Lake for the 1000-meter swim. But the story of the day was the mountain bike section of the course, which started with a 5-mile grass ride and culminated in 2 laps in the tangled, muddy trails just west of Branched Oak Lake's area 1. Bike handling skills, mud-shedding tires, and a good motor were at a premium, as many racers began to redefine success as simply not getting pitched over their own handlebars into the mud. But racers that kept their rear tires weighted and didn't stop till they were at the top turned in some truly amazing times for the mountain bike section, before dismounting and trotting back toward the dam for a 4.5 mile finishing run.

Afterward, winners received their bolts, and anyone willing to engage in stupid human tricks (or pushups) were further rewarded with gift certificates to a Lincoln bike shop. All in all, though, the race organizers did a terrific job, and a spirit of fun, cooperation, and camradery pervaded the entire event.

Pictures and results

If you sang the national anthem, volunteered to work at the race, participated in the race, or even happened to be water skiing at Branched Oak Lake that day, there's a really good chance that photographer Ken Coffman took a picture of you in one of these 400-some photos. Race results can be found here.