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Triple Trail Challenge concludes at Canyons

As Park City High School track and cross-country coach Steve Cuttitta made his way to the finish line of the Mid Mountain Marathon on Saturday, he knew his lead in the Triple Trail Challenge was hanging by a thread.

Cuttitta, who held a lead in the TTC (which combines a runner’s times from the Jupiter Peak Steeplechase, the Park City Marathon and the Mid Mountain Marathon), had a rough day on the trails, he said.

"This was probably the toughest Mid Mountain Marathon I’ve ever had," he said. (Saturday marked his sixth-straight year competing in the marathon.) "After mile 15, it was a long day. I tripped a couple times, but I didn’t go down. I just wasn’t feeling it."

Though Cuttitta "wasn’t feeling it," he still turned in a time of 3 hours, 26 minutes, 1.9 seconds – good for sixth place overall. However, Sebe Ziesler of Park City took advantage of Cuttitta’s slower-than-normal day, taking first place in the TTC by nine minutes. Ziesler finished fifth overall at the Mid Mountain Marathon, crossing the finish line in 3:14:37.4.

Even though he lost his TTC lead on Saturday, Cuttitta said he still enjoyed the experience.

"I just love the trail," he said. "The trail is great – most of it is in the shade and it’s cool. I just love everything about the race – the volunteers, the competition, it’s always great."

Russell Dessaix-Chin of Australia cruised to victory on Saturday, completing the 27-mile course in a record time of 2:59:32.9. The first-time trail marathoner didn’t exactly know what to expect coming into Saturday’s race, but was happy with how he ran.

"I’m normally a road marathoner, so I wasn’t going to expect that sort of time," he said. "But when I finished, the announcer seemed pretty stoked, so I guess I should be stoked with it, too."

Dessaix-Chin added that Park City has been a great place to train while he prepares to get back to road running in October.

"I’m up here training for the Chicago Marathon," he said. "I saw this was going on and I needed to do a long run on the trails anyway, so I thought I’d have some company to do it and get involved with a local event while I’m here."

So, what was the biggest difference between road running and trail running?

"Just the surface," Dessaix-Chin said. "I rolled my ankle three times. The second one was probably the worst – I had to stop and walk for a bit. But you’ve just got to keep going. As long as it’s not hanging off by the skin, you know you’re going to be OK. You just learn that from lots and lots of rolling your ankles. You get through it."

Dessaix-Chin said he’s been enjoying training in Park City during his first trip to the United States.

"It’s a good high-altitude training center," he said. "I’ve trained a few places around the world and this is certainly one of the best. I’d recommend it to other people to come and train. You’ve got bike tracks everywhere, the trails – it’s a good setup and a nice environment."

Noah Brautigam (3:02:26.5) finished second overall in the men’s race, with Nathan Peters (3:03:53.2) taking third place.

In the women’s marathon, Veronika Mayerhofer finished first (14th overall) with a time of 3:37:32.5. Park City’s Devery Karz took second (16th overall), crossing the line in 3:42:24.4.

While Dessaix-Chin considers himself more of a road runner, Karz is the exact opposite.

"If given a choice to road run or trail run, I would trail run every time," she said. "It’s a little longer and it’s a little harder. You hit some of the hills and your muscles seize up, but when you look around, you’re like, ‘This is so awesome!’"

Karz, who started volunteering at the Mountain Trails Foundation tent shortly after crossing the finish line, said she enjoys giving back to the organization that sponsors trail events in the community.

"I was born here, grew up here," she said. "I’ve always used the trails. I was in Young Riders when I was a kid. When I’m in town, I used a trail once a day, at least. You’ve got to give back – if you’re going to take from [the trail system], you’ve got to give back.

"This trail system is awesome, but without Mountain Trails, we wouldn’t have it. So it’s one of those take some, give back some things."

Karz is also a member of the U.S. Rowing Team. She said running the Mid Mountain Marathon is a great way to stay in shape for the upcoming fall rowing schedule.

"It’s kind of like my segway – finishing the racing season and going into the fall season of rowing," she said. "You get back into cross-training because you do a lot of cross-training in the fall. It’s a great cardio base. No matter how fast or slow you’re going out there, you’re going to be getting a workout."

With the Triple Trail Challenge concluding for the 2014 season, many runners are already setting their sights on next year’s events.

Danny Connolly, who finished in 12th place overall on Saturday, took fourth in the TTC. After winning the TTC the past two years, Connolly hopes to get back on track next year to reclaim his title.

"I’ve been working so much, that means less running," he said. "I still enjoy it a lot, though. Maybe next year, if I can time things a little better, I can get a little more training in."

Ziesler edged Cuttitta for the men’s TTC victory. Dominick Layfield came in third. In the women’s TTC, Alison Memmott took first place, compiling a three-race time of 10:20:00. Alyssa Zybell finished second and Megan Budge took third.

For full results from Saturday’s Mid Mountain Marathon, please see the Scoreboard section on page B-5.

Triple Trail Challenge Final Standings

Men

Sebe Ziesler – 8:12:46

Steve Cuttitta – 8:21:14

Dominick Layfield – 8:40:01

Danny Connolly – 8:50:15

Shawn Miele – 9:38:46

Women

Alison Memmott – 10:20:00

Alyssa Zybell – 13:03:24

Megan Budge – 13:13:25

Lubdha Shah – 13:14:09

Kelly Boardman-Fowler – 13:30:35


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