Tollakson Claims Second at 2009 Ironman Arizona

Under the heat and sun of Tempe, AZ, TYR-sponsored TJ Tollakson placed second at the 2009 Ironman Arizona race on Sunday, November 22nd, clocking in at 8:20:22. Tollakson is not new to Ironman Arizona, or the rocky terrains and heat of the state. Spending much of his training time in Tucson, AZ, the 29-year-old took second in last year’s race and toed Sunday’s race with more than 2,200 athletes from around the world to take another stab at the title. The race began for Tollakson and the rest of the professional field at 6:50 a.m. in the Tempe Town Lake. Wearing TYR’s new wetsuit, the Hurricane Category 5, he entered the deep-water start and immediately got to the front of the pack. At the end of the 1.2-mile swim, he split a time of 50:04. In the remaining two legs of the course, Tollakson began to build momentum and pass competitors in the men’s field. Splitting 4:25:28 on the bike, he headed into the marathon ahead of Torsten Abel of Germany and trailing behind fellow USA standout Jordan Rapp. Tollakson was unable to catch Rapp on the run, but managed to keep his distance from the emerging Abel. Splitting 3:01:18 on the 26.2-mile run to the finish, he crossed second in 8:20:22 to better his previous year finish by 14 minutes and 14 seconds. With the race’s conclusion, Tollakson’s 2009 season comes to an end. To read more about his accomplishments over the years along with the rest of the company's sponsored triathletes, be sure to visit TYR.com.