Tollakson Takes Second at Ironman Coeur d'Alene

With consistency and a strong back half, TYR-sponsored TJ Tollakson claimed a second-place finish at the 2009 Ford Ironman Coeur d’Alene this past Sunday. His efforts were the fastest by an American and secured a position at the 2009 Ford Ironman World Championships. Over 2,100 athletes from around the world arrived at the starting line to compete for 1 of 72 coveted qualifying spots at the World Championships scheduled for October 10th in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. Only four positions were available for professional men. Des Moines, IA native Tollakson started the race without his expected front-end speed, exiting the water at 56:07. Mounting his bike, he trailed five minutes behind Spain’s Francisco Pontanto and was seventh overall. Tollakson charged on the bike, using the 112 miles to pass five competitors and seize the second place position. He went on to have a personal best marathon split of 3:00:32, yet was unable to pass Pontano. Crossing the finish line in 8:42:03, he was 8 minutes and 16 seconds ahead of third place finisher Maximilian Longrée of Germany. “Cycling is my strength so I usually feel right at home there,” Tollakson explained on his performance. “My run was the best it has ever been. Overall, it was a four minute improvement. I am progressing and it is nice to be back on the podium in the Ironman.” With Coeur d’Alene behind him, Tollakson will now focus on the upcoming Timberman 70.3 in Gilford, New Hampshire set for August 24th, and making sure his body is 100% ready to race in Kona. For more results on Tollakson, as well as other TYR athletes, continue to visit TYR.com or subscribe to receive results by entering your email address on /news/.