The first Regional Championship of the season has wrapped up with the conclusion of racing in Washington D.C. At stake was the title of Americas Champion, along with a single qualifying spot for each division.

Podiums for each of the races were as follows:

Women’s Elite

1. Lauren Weeks — 56:27 Q
2. Vivian Tafuto — 59:00 Q
3. Morgan Schulz — 60:36 Q

Weeks ran away with it — quite literally — posting a run total almost two minutes faster than Tafuto (and a time that would have placed her 2nd in the men’s field). Tafuto once again showed her consistency with another sub-60 performance.

It was a tight battle for both the podium and the lone qualifying spot. Schulz ultimately held off Carolyn Watkins despite giving up thirty seconds of her lead during the Wall Balls.

Men’s Elite

1. Cole Learn — 53:37 Q
2. Dylan Scott — 54:39 Q
3. Frédéric Dubé — 54:53

Many came into this race with Scott and Rich Ryan as the favorites. Instead, Learn ran away with it and even gave the world record a scare on his way to both the championship and locking up his qualifying spot for Stockholm.

Dubé surprised many by taking nearly three minutes off his PR and becoming one of the few men ever to break the 55-minute barrier.

Women’s Elite Doubles

1. Lauren Weeks & Vivian Tafuto — 52:59 Q
2. Katherine Fahsbender & Morgan Schulz — 55:09 Q
3. Kris Rugloski & Alandra Greenlee — 58:11 Q

In just their third race together, Weeks and Tafuto went 3 for 3 resetting the world record each time they’ve raced.

Fahsbender and Schulz established themselves as the clear number two team after qualifying earlier this season in Phoenix. Former World Champion Rugloski and multi-time Worlds qualifier Greenlee punched their ticket to the World Championships with a comfortable third place finish.

Men’s Elite Doubles

1. Dylan Scott & Stephen Pelkofer — 49:03 Q
2. Dawson Miller & Marcus Wallace — 49:50
3. Jarret Newby & Hayden Warner — 50:17

There was only one qualifying spot on the line here. After missing out in Phoenix by just four seconds, Scott and Pelkofer returned to claim both the championship and the qualification.

What’s Coming Up?

Although D.C. just wrapped up, attention quickly shifts to the next Regional Championship in London. Lineups have already been confirmed.

Women’s Field

Linda Meier (Q)
Lena Putters (Q)
Emilie Dahmen
Sinéad Bent (Q)
Lucy Procter (Q)
Kathryn Parnell
Danél Louw
Melanie Maurer
Elli Stenfors
Seka Arning
Jana Lebenstedt
Stefanie Oswald
Manuela García
Roisin Egan
Charlie Searle

Men’s Field

Tim Wenisch (Q)
Hidde Weersma (Q)
Sean Noble (Q)
Tomas Tvrdik
Alen Ploj
Luke Greer
Graham Halliday
Charlie Botterill (Q)
Harry Thompson
Louis Osselear
Liam McCroary
Maarten Enthoven
Richard Hynek
Sebastian Ifversen
Alan Cao

Who isn’t running?

Alexander Roncevic, Emilio Aguayo, and Josh Van Zeeland all qualified but have elected not to race.

Although there could be last-minute changes, there is currently no roll-down for the women’s race.

How fast did you have to be?

For the men, Alan Cao was the last athlete into the field with a two-race average of 55:48.

For the women, Charlie Searle was the final entrant with a 61:28 average.

Compare that with the qualifying marks for the Americas Regional — 58:48 for men and 66:03 for women — and it’s clear that the depth in Europe is on another level.

The Women’s Qualifying Race

Seka Arning, Emilie Dahmen, and Kat Parnell all finished one spot outside qualification at prior Majors this season and have proven they can compete on the big stage.

But Danél Louw and Elli Stenfors have also shown strong improvement throughout the year and will be right in the mix.

The Men’s Qualifying Race

Tvrdik and Ploj have posted the strongest Major results this season. However, every athlete in the field besides Cao has raced individually in a Major before.

Athletes like Greer, Thompson, and Halliday appear to have hit form late in the season and could pose serious threats.