2026 Aukeman Triathlon Results: College Athletes Crush the Competition and Break Records at Auke Lake

A UW graduate shatters the Olympic distance record by eight minutes. A Bates College swimmer claims the women's title. And somewhere in between, a woman who was told she'd never walk again crossed the finish line carrying her toddler son.

Sunday's 2026 Aukeman Triathlon at Auke Lake wasn't just a race — it was a reminder of everything that makes multisport special. One of the strongest fields in the event's history descended on Juneau, Alaska, and when the dust (and cold water) settled, two college athletes had claimed the top titles, a nine-year-old boy placed a finisher's medal around his mother's neck, and a race director got passed on the run by the very athlete she helped inspire to compete.

Whether you're a seasoned triathlete or someone who just discovered the sport exists in formats beyond swim-bike-run, this recap has something for you. The 2026 Aukeman brought together competitors from Washington, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, California, and throughout Alaska — ranging from a 17-year-old who signed up "because it was a nice day on Friday" to a 70-something finishing strong at Auke Lake. Here's how it all went down.

Jeron Griffin Comes Home — And Breaks Everything

The Record-Shattering Men's Champion

If you want to understand what made Sunday special, start with Jeron Griffin.

The 22-year-old from Kent, Washington — a recent University of Washington graduate — posted an overall winning time of 2:18:00 in the Olympic distance event, shattering the previous Aukeman Olympic distance record by a full eight minutes. His split breakdown: 26:17 swim, 1:07:44 bike, 39:20 run.

But the numbers only tell part of the story. Griffin didn't come to Juneau as a stranger chasing a record. He came home.

"It feels great. I was in the Harborview triathlon club 11 years ago, and I haven't been back to Juneau since 2017. It has been a while, but it is great to come back and see a lot of people. It felt really good to race." — Jeron Griffin

Griffin got his triathlon start in Juneau as an 11-year-old with the Harborview Triathlon Club. He graduated from UW a year before the race and made the trip back to the city where it all began — staying with race directors Charlie, Daniel, and Jenna Wiersma during the week, helping with setup and takedown.

"This is where I got my triathlon start and I know a lot of people. Actually, my girlfriend and I are staying with the race directors this week. It has been great, and we are helping out with the setup and takedown. Really great race, really happy to be here." — Jeron Griffin

That level of investment in the community paid off on course. Griffin also won the Director's Board Challenge — a fun competition where participants who beat a relay team made up of race directors earn a free entry to the following year's race. He passed race director Jenna Wiersma on the run leg.

"She was not surprised. They were thinking I could beat them, but they were sure trying to not get beaten." — Jeron Griffin

Quick facts — Men's Olympic Champion

• Jeron Griffin | Age 22 | Kent, WA | UW Graduate
• Time: 2:18:00 (new Aukeman Olympic distance record)
• Splits: Swim 26:17 | Bike 1:07:44 | Run 39:20
• Also won: Director's Board Challenge

Pacific Ricke: The Bates Swimmer Who Almost Didn't Race

Top Female Finisher Shines in Olympic Distance Debut

While Griffin was rewriting the record books on the men's side, 19-year-old Pacific Ricke — a 2025 graduate of Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé Crimson Bears who now swims for Bates College — was doing something equally impressive: competing in her very first Olympic distance triathlon and placing 13th overall with a time of 2:43:18.

Her splits: 22:18 swim, 1:28:58 bike, 46:55 run.

Here's what makes Ricke's story stand out: she almost didn't make it to the start line. She'd done two sprint Aukemans before, but bumping up to Olympic distance — a 1,500-meter swim, 25-mile bike, and 10-kilometer run — was uncharted territory, and work obligations nearly kept her away entirely.

"I wasn't even sure I was going to get the time off to do it until a couple days before." — Pacific Ricke

She went for it anyway. And despite some bike trouble mid-race, her swimmer's engine carried her to a decisive women's victory.

"I am really happy with it. I have done two sprint Aukemans before but never the Olympic. It was really fun to try out a new distance and push myself. I had a little bit of bike problems, but other than that, I am really happy with how the swim and the run went. I have just been doing it for fun in the summer. I swim in college so that takes up most of my time." — Pacific Ricke

Her advice to anyone on the fence about signing up? Classic.

"I would tell people to just go and sign up… go out there, have fun, give it your best, push as hard as you can at the end." — Pacific Ricke

Quick facts — Women's Olympic Champion

• Pacific Ricke | Age 19 | Juneau | Bates College swimmer
• Time: 2:43:18
• Splits: Swim 22:18 | Bike 1:28:58 | Run 46:55
• Overall placement: 13th

The Rest of the Olympic Field: Young Guns Meet Local Veterans

A Generational Battle on the Course

Griffin and Ricke stole the headlines, but the depth of the 2026 Olympic field deserves its own spotlight.

Jaime Yu from Lexington, Massachusetts — a Stanford University athlete — finished second among male competitors and third overall with a time of 2:27:02 (27:45 swim, 1:13:14 bike, 41:47 run). His route to the starting line? Accidentally hilarious.

"Funny enough I didn't realize I signed up for the race until a few weeks ago. Friends were telling me about it and I thought I should see what was going on. It turns out six months ago, I knew I was coming up to Juneau to work for the summer. I race for my school and I must have saw there was early bird pricing for this and signed myself up, totally forgot about it." — Jaime Yu

He won't forget it again. Yu raved about the course and promised to bring teammates next year: "I don't think any of my teammates have raced in Alaska. It's a beautiful course. I am going to tell them all to come up here for next summer."

Brandon Ivanowicz, 44, of Juneau placed third among men (fourth overall) in 2:29:36 — and offered the most memorable quote of the day about racing against college athletes.

"I knew I was going to be way behind coming out of the swim. So I tried to make it all up on the bike and run. I never got into the lead. A young guy named Jeron, on the Washington University team, got first, and another young guy named Jaime, on the Stanford team, got second." — Brandon Ivanowicz

He laughed and added: "How are us old guys supposed to compete with these college guys? Yeah, man, these young guys are fast."

Despite finishing behind the youngsters, Ivanowicz landed on the podium and captured the spirit of what the Aukeman is really about.

"This race is just a great time with all your buddies you have been training with, and so many people you know. Just a positive environment." — Brandon Ivanowicz

John Bursell, 62, of Juneau placed fourth among men (fifth overall) in 2:30:24 — and won his 60-64 age group. His wife Jamie Bursell, 63, won the women's 60-64 age group as well. More on that partnership below.

Sprint, Aquabike & Duathlon: Racing for Everyone

New Formats Expand Who Gets to Compete

One of the most significant developments at the 2026 Aukeman was the introduction of aquabike and duathlon formats for both Olympic and sprint distances — a first for the event. The expansion wasn't just logistical; it fundamentally changed who could participate.

Sprint Triathlon

750m swim, 14.8-mile bike, 5K run:

• Men's winner: Adam Moser, 47, Douglas — 1:25:05 (11:57 swim, 43:36 bike, 23:19 run)
• Women's winner: April Rezendes, 41, Juneau — 1:42:26 (15:16 swim, 53:58 bike, 25:56 run)

Moser was characteristically direct about his approach: "Just a solid swim was key. Good bike ride also, and all the real competition was doing the Olympic distance." He added advice for newcomers that's worth bookmarking: "If you want to do a triathlon, give it a try. You have nothing to lose. Just don't be too proud, go out and participate."

Rezendes, who did the relay last year, was surprised by her victory despite reduced training. "I was surprised I won, but happy I can still be a bit competitive even if my training is nowhere what it used to be."

Aquabike

Swim + bike, no running. The aquabike format was created specifically for athletes who can't run — whether due to injury, preference, or physical limitation. Cody Pinger, 35, of Juneau won the sprint aquabike in 1:34:02.

"It is pretty exhausting and humbling. I injured my calf a couple months ago playing coed rec league volleyball so the run was a deal breaker for me. I couldn't run this year. But the biking and swimming was so much fun. The secret is lots of sugar." — Cody Pinger

Cathy Tide, 52, of Juneau won the Olympic aquabike in 2:16:47.

Duathlon

Run + bike + run, no swimming. The duathlon offered a pathway for athletes who love to ride and run but aren't comfortable in open water. Thomas Faust, 32, won the sprint duathlon in 1:29:38 — despite going to the wrong start area and having to sprint just to catch the field.

"My first ever duathlon. I am surprised. Really surprised. I was a terrible runner, spent a lot of time on the bike and, thankfully, I was just able to pass a lot of people on the bike and maintain to the end." — Thomas Faust

He entered specifically to avoid the swim: "I don't like the swimming. I did the swimming last year and, yeah, I was really excited there was a duathlon this year." His advice for anyone hesitating? "Just start; it comes pretty easy in a year or two or whatever, and it is amazing how quickly it adds up."

Nico Ambrose, 37, of Juneau won the Olympic duathlon in 2:35:22 — an effort he described with characteristic humor: "It felt terrible. My wife signed me up for it and I didn't really train much. But it feels good to be done."

Race director Jenna Wiersma was thrilled by the new formats:

"This is the first year we put on an aquabike and duathlon for both distances. And we hope to have even more participants next year, but we're so glad people signed up and wanted to try a new multi-sport event." — Jenna Wiersma

Format breakdown — What each race involves

Format	Swim	Bike	Run
Olympic Triathlon	1,500m	25 miles	10K
Sprint Triathlon	750m	14.8 miles	5K
Aquabike (Sprint)	750m	14.8 miles	—
Aquabike (Olympic)	1,500m	25 miles	—
Duathlon (Sprint)	—	14.8 miles	2.5K + 5K
Duathlon (Olympic)	—	25 miles	5K + 10K

Stories That Go Beyond the Clock

Triathlon as a Vehicle for Personal Transformation

Race times matter — but some of Sunday's most powerful moments had nothing to do with pace per mile.

Kylie Larson traveled to Juneau from Galesburg, Illinois with something to prove. At 16, she suffered a basketball injury and was told by doctors she would never walk again. On Sunday, she completed the sprint triathlon and then — in an image that stopped spectators in their tracks — carried her 18-month-old son Stone across the finish line.

"This is a much different course than I am used to. Illinois is very flat, we don't have very many hills. I didn't realize when I grabbed him how much was left in the run portion so I was looking, 'Oh man, where can I set him down?'" — Kylie Larson

But she didn't set him down. She finished.

"In high school I had a basketball injury and was told I would never walk again. And here I am. I want to do a race in all 50 states. That is my goal, to show anything is possible." — Kylie Larson

Alaska was one more state checked off the list — with a fishing trip with her cousin planned as a bonus.

Megan Hendrickson, 36, of Juneau placed 46th in the Olympic distance with a time of 3:40:10. On paper, that's a mid-pack finish. In reality, it was one of the most significant moments of her athletic life. Hendrickson is training for a long-distance triathlon in Wisconsin in September, and Sunday's Aukeman landed at the tail end of her hardest training week ever — and it was her first-ever triathlon.

"I feel so proud about it. I am training for a long-distance triathlon in Wisconsin in September and this came at the end of my hardest training week with my first ever triathlon at the end of it so it gives me a lot of hope that I can do it." — Megan Hendrickson

When Hendrickson crossed the finish line, her 9-year-old son Conrad was waiting. He placed the finisher's medal around her neck.

"It was really, really, really special. A lot of the reason I started in the first place was to try and inspire him." — Megan Hendrickson

The road to that finish line ran through one person: race director Jenna Wiersma, who is one of Hendrickson's closest friends.

"She is just a very inspiring and motivating person in general. And she got me into running a couple years ago, after years of trying to convince me, and then it was just a slippery slope from there. I got into running, and now, here I am training for a long-distance triathlon. Her positivity wears off on you." — Megan Hendrickson

The Heart of the Race: Community, Couples, and Camaraderie

More Than a Competition

Some of the day's most memorable moments happened away from the podium.

Jamie and John Bursell, both in their 60s and both from Juneau, won their respective age groups (60-64 female and male) in the Olympic distance. Race director Jenna Wiersma said at the awards ceremony that she couldn't call out one without the other.

"We each have our own race on race day, but we are always cheering for the other person. Crossing the finish line is special, but celebrating each other's accomplishments is even better. Triathlon has given us a healthy lifestyle, shared adventures and friendships that we never would have experienced." — Jamie Bursell

Frequently Asked Questions

Source: Juneau Independent — College kids crush Aukeman to win men's and women's titles