A Petersburg man was among the athletes completing the Ironman triathlon in Juneau Sunday. He also helped his team to victory at that event.
59-year-old Tommy Thompson, a Petersburg High School math teacher and cross country coach, finished the course in 11 hours, 47 minutes and 10 seconds. He took sixth place in his age group and finished in 109th place overall. He was also part of High Cadence Triathlon Team, which scored the highest in the Ironman tri-club competition at the Juneau race.
It wasn’t Thompson’s first time doing the full Ironman distance. He finished similar races in Canada as well as an Alaska extreme triathlon in Seward five years ago. The race in Juneau on Sunday was rainy, with tough road conditions and a shortened swim course because of cold water.
Joe Viechnicki spoke with Thompson this week about his experience.
Top finishers in these races qualify for the Ironman world championships in Kona, Hawaii.
Thompson says he doesn’t expect to race Ironman Alaska next year. He isn’t the only Petersburg resident competing in an Ironman triathlon this year. 36-year-old Rob Cross plans to compete later this month in Penticton, British Columbia.
