Going the distance

Michellie Jones can feel your pain. The world champion triathlete understands that her level of fitness makes mere mortals uncomfortable.

Swim 1.2 miles? Pass. Bike 56 miles? Nope. Run 13.1 miles? Kind of makes even an average athlete squirm.

"I can totally understand when people say, 'Yeah, that's crazy,' " the Australian said of the race dubbed Ironman 70.3 because that is the combined mileage for the three disciplines.

Jones and 2,000 fellow elite triathletes take to the water and roads of Sonoma County today for the 17th running of the Vineman Ironman 70.3 Triathlon. The race is the first of five Vineman events in Sonoma County, and organizers say it boasts one of the best fields of professionals this year. Four more Vineman races are scheduled Aug. 4.

The two-weekend event has proven to be a boon for local tourism, drawing an estimated 13,000 visitors who book hundreds of hotel rooms.

The half-ironman distance race launches with a swim from Johnson's Beach in Guerneville at 6:30 a.m. today, followed by bicycling through the Dry Creek and Alexander valleys and running a loop that starts and ends at Windsor High.

The event pits Jones, the defending Ford Ironman World Champion, against the reigning 70.3 triathlon world champ, Samantha McGlone of Canada.

On the men's side, reigning Ironman 70.3 world champion Craig Alexander of Australia will take on three former Vineman Ironman 70.3 champs, as well as the 2007 Eagleman Ironman 70.3 winner, T.J. Tollakson of Iowa.

"We have four world champions racing -- some of the absolutely best athletes on the planet," assistant race director David Latourette said. "It's an unbelievably talented pro field here."

The racers will be vying for $25,000 in prize money.

While today's event is considered the most competitive of the five Vineman events, the remaining four races are no less grueling.

On Aug. 4, the same roads that host 2,000 athletes today will welcome another round of competitors -- about 1,000 athletes spread out over four events.

The 18th annual full Vineman Ironman triathlon will send participants on a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride followed by a 26.2 mile run.

There also will be the seventh annual Barb's Race, a women's only half-marathon.

Half of the entry fees for Barb's Race go to local cancer charities. This year, organizers expect to top $200,000 in funds generated since 2001.

Organizers also will stage relay races for the full and half-marathon distances, and an aquabike -- cycling and swimming only -- competition on the full- and half-distance course.

The Vineman is a proven draw for tourists who might never have visited Sonoma County -- much like the annual NASCAR race at Infineon raceway and the relatively new Amgen Tour of California bicycle race, according to Ben Stone, director of the county Economic Development Board.

"Each of these has financial impact because they expose (the area) to different audiences," he said. "We are bringing in people who never have been to Sonoma County before, and they might come back."

"When people do come, a high number return," he added.

Santa Rosa-based Sports America Tours handled about 25 percent of the entrants' hotel reservations, booking more than 360 rooms for an average of three nights each, according to Terri Mueller of Sports America.

Today's field boasts racers between the ages of 16 and 76, from 48 states and at least 14 countries.

Alexander, 34, is a newcomer to the Vineman. But he has been briefed on the details -- the competition, the route and even the scenery.

"It's a pretty renowned race," he said. "It has a little bit of prestige. Obviously, it's in the Wine Country -- I have heard good things about the scenery."

Tom Anderson, 60, of Santa Rosa knows the scenery well -- he has been riding and running these roads for years. Sunday's race marks nearly his 100th triathlon of one distance or another.

"I think one of the great parts of it is doing an event with friends -- the bantering, teasing," he said. "It's really been a wonderful camaraderie."

The pros are vying for six Ford Ironman World Championship 70.3 qualifying spots. Amateur racers are competing for 28 qualifying spots for the full Ford Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii, in October. There also are 69 qualifying spots for the Ford Ironman World Championship 70.3 in Clearwater, Fla., in November.

McGlone, the current Ironman 70.3 champ, doesn't need a win today to qualify for Clearwater or Kona -- but don't expect the 28-year-old Canadian to cruise through the course.

"I definitely want to win the race, that is always the goal when you toe the line," she said. "You always want to race against the best . . . for the women's race, I think it's probably one of the most competitive 70.3 races of the year."

Jones said she'll use today's race as a fitness gauge in her quest to repeat in Kona in October.

Even with her athletic resume, Jones sounds like a mere mortal when speaking about her strategy.

"My whole focus is getting to the finish line," she said. "You just want to get through those bad patches as fast as you can."

While Jones, McGlone and Alexander are racing for the podium, Tom Anderson said he'll revel in the simple pleasures of the event.

For Anderson, the reward in being a triathlete comes in the 20 hours a week logged on the road and in the water while training with members of his triathlon club, the Tridogs.

"The race is the icing on the cake," he said.

You can reach Staff Writer

Kerry Benefield at 526-8671 or kerry.benefield@pressdemocrat.com.