A Jasper athlete was able to shake a string of second place finishes and an Edmonton competitor slammed their rivals as part of the Freewheel biathlon on Sept. 27.

The event, which acts as a season wrap up for many athletes, drew dozens of competitors on a sunny afternoon.

After two consecutive second place finishes in the event, Matt Staneland captured first place in the men’s solo event, which consists of a 30 kilometre cycle and 10 km run. Staneland, who was a member of the winning Source for Sports 24 hours of adrenalin team said the conditions were great.

“It was pretty good. I hate running, so I tried to get ahead on the bike.”

Staneland said he was glad to get the elusive win under his belt. He had just returned from his honeymoon with his wife Megan Staneland, who finished third in the women’s solo event. The couple are planning to compete in the TransRockies race next year.

Staneland finished three minutes ahead of his closest rival, posting a time of 1:37:12. Richard Ireland, battling a chest cold, grabbed the second spot with a time of 1:40:18.

“I knew Richard was a better runner than I was, so I had to get ahead,” Staneland said.

Sean Smith finished third with a time of 1:40:32.

Laurel Shuttleworth of Edmonton finished first in the women’s event with a time of 1:50:26, well ahead of her next competitor, Wendy Hall, who finished with a time of 2:12:04.

Cheryl Grant and Dawn Thomas captured the women’s team event with a time of 1:50:13. Grant said it was her first race, and she’s thrilled she was able to compete.

“I’ve just been riding my bike this summer. Dawn and I met in the playground and decided to enter,” Grant said.

Lisa Wilson and Heather Wall finished in the second spot with a time of 2:02:19, while Krista Shore and Heather Thomas finished in third spot with a time of 2:07:08

 The men’s team of Cory Wallace and Reiner Thoni were another last minute addition to the race. 

“I got a call at 9 p.m. Saturday. The previous night asking if I wanted to race,” Thoni said. “I’m glad we did it.”

The duo won the race with a time of 1:24:54, beating out the team of Marty Oeggerli and Michael D’Antonio, who finished in a time of 1:29:55. Drew Bovard and Reg Currie finished third with a time of 1:34.07.

Wallace said the race was the end of what has been a busy season for him on the mountain bike circuit, while Thoni said the race was the kick off to his ski season training.

In the mixed division, Landon Shepherd and Brenda Shepherd finished first with a time of 1:44:49, followed by John Kovacs and Renee Willis, with a time of 1:46:50. Brett Ireland and Alisson Ogle snuck into third spot with a time of 1:58:21