Shortened Philadelphia Triathlon dominated by New Zealand's Docherty, Samuels

THE 33 PROFESSIONAL athletes at Fairmont Park yesterday for the sixth annual Philadelphia Triathlon went through a triathlon, just not in the truest form.

Due to the disappearance of 40-year-old Derek Valentino, of Prospect Park, in the Schuylkill River on Saturday morning while participating in the triathlon, race organizers decided to eliminate the swimming portion and replace it with another foot race.

Valentino's body was recovered and identified last night.

The duathlon-like event did not shake the New Zealand tandem of Bevan Docherty (1 hour, 49 minutes, 11 seconds) and Nicky Samuels (2:02:20), who took home the men's and women's titles, respectively.

Docherty seemed relieved when he drenched himself with an entire bottle of water. The lack of swimming had a minor impact on the two-time Olympian (2004 silver and 2008 bronze), but he was still able to maintain his lead after the first transition.

"It was unfortunate," Docherty said of the tragedy. "I really don't think it affected the result too much. To be out there from the start in the heat, it was pretty tough. It may have affected the result because it was pretty close in the end. A duathlon is a lot harder than a triathlon. I didn't change the strategy, but it was still a hard race."

David Thompson finished second with a time of 1:49:47. The two-time defending champion and three-time winner of the event, said the extra time on foot was not a determining factor.

"I think the race was kind of made on the bike," he said. "Bevan did an awesome job holding me off. It's always been pretty hot and humid. Maybe you feel it a little bit more because you don't get to swim this year. You're hot right away."

It was Docherty's first time in Philly; his focus has been on the World Series circuit. He had something to prove to the critics who call world-circuit triathletes lazy on the bike, compared to Thompson, who flourishes in riding.

"This is more of a training race for me, but I gave it everything out there," Docherty said with his sights set on gold at the 2012 Olympics in London. "He [Thompson] pushed me. I think a race like this was very good for me."

The change in activity was influential for the women as well.

"It's a legitimate reason and you can't really do anything about it," Samuels said of the change. "So you just have to go with it. There is a lot more running. Personally, the humidity really gets to me. I have been training in Boulder, Colo., for the last 6 weeks. It's the dry heat. You are not used to it."

Jenna Shoemaker's time of 2:02:35 prompted her to claim the title of "second-place queen" after continuing a string of second-place finishes. She led at the first transition.

"One of these days, I will get across the line first," she said. "I'm not a duathlete, but I have been working real hard on my run. I just thought I would give it a crack and show people that I really can run. It was definitely hard, but it was really fun."

Having competed against Samuels numerous times, Shoemaker hopes to be teammates with Samuels on the 2012 Olympic team.

"She's a fantastic competitor," Shoemaker said. "On that first run, she took off pretty hard. I had a race strategy and I didn't want to go out too hard. I knew it was going to be a lot of running. I did the best I could, but she's a phenomenal athlete."

Philadelphia Triathlon CEO Richard Adler said he has been impressed with the event's growth nationally over the last 6 years. For the first time, it served as the kickoff for the Life Time Fitness Triathlon Series Race to the Toyota Cup and was host to the USA Triathlon Mid-Atlantic Regional Club Championship. The cup series includes events in Minneapolis, New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Dallas. Adler estimated about 7,500 attendees.

"Six years ago, this was a 1-day race; now it's a 3-day race," Adler said. "Each year, we are always looking to improve and enhance the experience. We knew there was an opportunity in the market. It's the fastest-growing endurance sport out there right now. We have a unique advantage to be able to have a completely closed course. To do that right in the center of the city is a huge plus."