My first-ever criterium — the Branchbrook Park Spring Series in Newark, NJ — where I raced safely in the pack and took 10th in the Cat 4/5 field, getting boxed out in a hectic sprint finish.
HIGHLIGHTS
Result: 10th place in the Cat 4/5 race — his first criterium
Held with the main pack behind a two-man breakaway and two-man chase
Found an outside line in the sprint but got boxed out by five riders
Raced at Branchbrook Park in a new ISM Saddles race kit
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Safety first in a debut crit: prioritizing staying upright over risk paid off in a clean first race
Positioning wins sprints: getting boxed out cost places at the line — a clear area to improve
Crits are a different beast: pack dynamics and finishing tactics differ sharply from triathlon
Embrace the fun: a hectic, close finish made for an exciting new kind of racing
Guess what I just did? My first criterium race! 😎
The race took place at right across the Hudson River. Well not really, but it was close enough, at Branchbrook Park in Newark, New Jersey. I made my best effort to get some snapshots before and after the race.
Special thanks to ISM Saddles for the super race kit!
Here are the results via USA Cycling – I got 10th place in the Cat4/5 race. There was a 2 man breakaway, with a 2 man chase, followed by the rest of the pack. Clearly, I was in the pack. Being that this was my first race, safety was my main concern. I found an outside line during the sprint finish, but was boxed out and outsprinted by 5 others. It was such a fun experience!!!
Our lead vehicle was a VW Beetle! How cool!!
Post race shot. Thank you ISM!!
The CAT4/5 results are in!
I don’t remember what the race director said, but I guess it was funny…
At a Glance Written on the flight to Kona, this recap traces a jam-packed stretch between qualifying at Ironman Lake Placid and the World Championship — Leadville 100, Tobay Sprint, a 5th-overall Toughman Half, and the inaugural Ironman Maryland, all while starting grad school. HIGHLIGHTS Qualified for Kona at Ironman Lake Placid (July 27) Finished…
At a Glance Just 8 days after my DC half PB, I ran another personal best of 1:16:54 at the United NYC Half — a gritty, positive-split effort where I got dropped in Central Park, ground alone up Harlem Hill, and dug deep to break 1:17 down the West Side Highway. HIGHLIGHTS Result: personal-best 1:16:54,…
At a Glance On a tight 5.5-week turnaround after 70.3 Worlds, I raced Ironman Louisville to a big swim PB and a first-in-age-group bike, then gutted out the marathon despite under-fueling — punching my ticket back to Kona for 2016. HIGHLIGHTS Result: qualified for the 2016 Ironman World Championship in Kona Swim PB of 68:55…
At a Glance My second consecutive IRONMAN 70.3 Muncie turned into a personal-best day. After storms cooled the reservoir enough to make the swim wetsuit-legal (and a near-disaster forgetting my timing chip), I rode conservatively on my favorite 70.3 bike course, then ran my fastest-ever half marathon off the bike — a 4:15 PB and…
At a Glance Opening 2014 at the Old Bethpage 5K — race one of the four-part Nassau Run Series — I ran an even, 17:53 effort to finish 2nd overall on a deceptively hilly course, matching my prior year’s 5K time despite a bike-focused winter. HIGHLIGHTS Result: 17:53, good for 2nd overall Even splits: 3:34,…
![United Airlines NYC Half Marathon [2016]](https://chanthony.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/img_0538-768x1024.jpg)
![RaceAwesome Spring Duathlon Report [April 1, 2017]](https://chanthony.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/img_3094-768x576.jpg)
![IRONMAN 70.3 Muncie Race Report [July 8, 2017]](https://chanthony.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/2017-07-05-10.19.23-768x576.jpg)
