KELLOGG — Clark Fork High junior Trent Roberts led all area finishers, placing second out of 18 competitors in the male 16-27 age division with a time of 56:39 at the sold-out Leadman Triathlon held this past Saturday, April 19, at Silver Mountain Resort.

Caitlin Eller of Laclede was fourth out of 13 in the female 31-39 age division with a time of 1:07.25. Representing Sandpoint were Treva Rawlings, who finished fourth out of 16 in the female 40-plus age division with a time of 1:09.29, and Peter Wilson, who placed eighth out of 28 in the male 28-34 age division with a time of 1:02.47. Sagle's Nick Blackburn added a 21st-place finish out of 36 in the male 35-43 age division with a time of 1:15.02.

Shoshone, Kootenai, Benewah, Boundary, and Bonner counties were all represented during the race, which included 274 competitors from Idaho, Washington, Oregon, Montana, and Arizona. 

After five straight years of Leadman being run in near-perfect spring conditions, Silver Mountain marketing manager and race organizer Gus Colburn said that the event was due for a bad weather day. Despite the tough conditions, Leadman was a muddy good time for athletes, volunteers, and spectators alike.  

“I loved how racers, volunteers, and fans were good sports throughout the whole event despite the rain and snow,” Colburn said.  

The race, which begins with a short one-mile ski, followed by an eight-mile downhill mountain bike run, really finds its energy when the racers ditch their bikes and go straight into the final stretch — a 4-mile run.

“I love hanging out at the final turn on the run stage into the home stretch,” Colburn said. “People tend to congregate there to cheer, so it’s always really positive energy. A lot of the racers come back to this corner after they finish to cheer on their fellow competitors.”  

Leadman is a community fundraiser for the Kellogg Rotary, who takes the proceeds from the race and donates them right back into the hands of the groups who volunteer at the event. Over the years, they have donated close to a quarter of a million dollars to various community organizations.

Colburn once again expressed his thanks to Dave Smith GMC for sponsoring the event, which requires more than 100 volunteers each year to pull off.