2008 Woodie Awards
Coulee Du fields 107 competitors
Steve Appelhans
Issue date: 4/30/08 Section: Sports
UWL's Rec Sports hosted its annual Coulee Du last Saturday in Holmen. The event consists of three segments: a three mile run, a 17 mile bike, and finally, another three mile run. The course is especially challenging with rolling hills throughout and several steep climbs. However, the course was not the only reason competitors were struggling this year. They also had to fight through steady 25 mile-per-hour winds with 40-mile-per-hour gusts and deal with sub-40 degree temperatures.
Despite the elements, 107 competitors came out to challenge the course-and themselves. There were quite a variety of participants, everyone from a pair of 15-year-old boys participating in their first race to competitive tri-athletes to 62-year-old Bob Brimer, who just began racing two years ago at this very event and has since gone on to complete the most challenging race on planet Earth-the Ironman. In addition, several UW-L students from the Triathlon Club competed in this year's event. Tom Shepard led the way for the club with a fourth place finish.
The winner was 37-year-old Jeffrey Fleig of Onalaska, who finished the course in an impressive one hour, 24 minutes, 18 seconds-nearly two minutes ahead of his nearest competitor. He took home a $75 gift certificate for his efforts. Both the top three male and female competitors were awarded gift certificates, while the top three male and female finishers in each age division were awarded Coulee Du commemorative pint glasses.
While the awards were a nice touch for the participants, the real satisfaction for many simply came from completing the course on such a blustery day. That was exactly how Brimer felt after crossing the finish line.
When asked whether he wanted a print off of his results, Brimer responded, "No thanks, I already have my results. I finished."
Despite the elements, 107 competitors came out to challenge the course-and themselves. There were quite a variety of participants, everyone from a pair of 15-year-old boys participating in their first race to competitive tri-athletes to 62-year-old Bob Brimer, who just began racing two years ago at this very event and has since gone on to complete the most challenging race on planet Earth-the Ironman. In addition, several UW-L students from the Triathlon Club competed in this year's event. Tom Shepard led the way for the club with a fourth place finish.
The winner was 37-year-old Jeffrey Fleig of Onalaska, who finished the course in an impressive one hour, 24 minutes, 18 seconds-nearly two minutes ahead of his nearest competitor. He took home a $75 gift certificate for his efforts. Both the top three male and female competitors were awarded gift certificates, while the top three male and female finishers in each age division were awarded Coulee Du commemorative pint glasses.
While the awards were a nice touch for the participants, the real satisfaction for many simply came from completing the course on such a blustery day. That was exactly how Brimer felt after crossing the finish line.
When asked whether he wanted a print off of his results, Brimer responded, "No thanks, I already have my results. I finished."
Be the first to comment on this story