Madden completes his perfect season
- Updated: December 6, 2021
Kurt Madden celebrates following his age group victory.
2021 LOCAL COVERAGE
By Nick Pellegrino
ECS staff writer
TEMPE, Ariz. —– Nothing seems to be able San Diego’s Kurt Madden from accomplishing all of his goals in the world of triathlon.
Competing in his fourth Ironman event of the season, even though he’s already qualified for the world championships, Madden completed the 2021 calendar with an unblemished record following his triumph in Sunday’s (Nov. 21) Ironman Arizona event.
For Madden, it’s another 5,000 points in his bank to maintain a perfect 5K average for the year, undoubtedly clinching the World No. 1 ranking in the Male 65-69 age group.
In the All World Rankings, a win at this distance is worth 5,000 x 3 races maximum or equal to 15,000 or a perfect score for the season.
If Madden continued in the Make 60-64 division — he was World No. 1 the past three consecutive seasons until he got old” or, better, “got older” — he would’ve placed fifth in the division.
His statistics prove he runner as well as ever with a split time of 10:36 per mile, completing the 140.6 course in 4:37:38 more than two minutes better than Eric Johnson of Seattle. Johnson is one of Madden’s team of athletes and was third in 2019 in the 65-60 age group in Kona.
“My split time for the marathon was 10:36 per mile, while Johnson averaged 10:09,” Madden said.
Among all competitors in all age groups, Madden placed 260th among more than 1,000 participants.
Madden’s last IM Arizona appearance came in 2018, capturing the Male 60-64 crown in his “go-to” event when not advancing to the Ironman World Championships held in Hawai’i each October.
Because of COVID-19 concerns, the 2021 Ironman worlds will be held in St. George, Utah, this spring.
