It’s an unusual family tradition, but it suits the Middaughs just fine.
That tradition is elite athleticism, and Sullivan Middaugh celebrated the XTERRA World Championship by winning his first full triathlon medal and the $20,000 top prize Saturday, Oct. 10, at Wingfield Park.
The race wasn’t close, as Middaugh finished almost a full six minutes ahead of Jose Ignacio Galvez Ponce, who was just behind Middaugh as they exited Grindstone Lake on the swim leg and in transition to the cycling course.
But Ponce, who prefers to go by the name “Nacho,” took a spill on a hairpin turn of the steep course, and Middaugh opened up a major gap which he maintained and increased throughout the rest of the race to finish in 2:06.50.
“I was just trying to keep the throttle on the whole time,” Middaugh said. “I had just passed Nacho because I wanted to get to the single track first, and about five seconds later, I heard him slide out.”
Once on the single track portion of the course, there was no way to do any passing, which is why Ponce and Middaugh were fighting so hard to get into the lead position at that point.
Sullivan, 22, was joined on the course by his father, Josiah, and younger brother Porter. All three finished in the top 10.
Josiah, 48, is a prior XTERRA world champion, having won in 2015. He has also won 15 national XTERRA championships.
“Today was Sullivan’s moment,” Josiah said. “To be a part of this is really special. But it makes getting ready for the race pretty hectic. It was a lot just to get to the start line.”
Porter, 21, had a scary moment on the cycling portion of the race, losing control on a downhill portion of the trail at Grindstone Mesa and taking a spill over the handlebars. He ended up with a nasty road rash on his back and arm, but got back on the bike and raced fast enough to finish just behind his father.
“It happened on the first descent,” Porter said. “I had some speed and must have hit a rock or something in some of the sage brush there. I stood up with my head spinning a little bit, but that can happen in this race. Fortunately I got, up, regathered and was able to finish.”
Sullivan Middaugh is the first runner to pass back past Grindstone Lake during the XTERRA world championship triathlon on Saturday, Oct. 10, in Ruidoso.
It was more than a finish, it was a top 10 finish, as Porter was four-tenths of a second behind his father at the finish line. Father and son were sixth and seventh, just ahead of Reed Legg of Tampa, Fla.. Legg was the winner of last year’s XTERRA Ruidoso gold event.
The Middaughs are from Vail, Colo., so running in the Sacramento Mountains was something of a hometown race for the family. “The wildlife, the mountain bike trails, the people, the town has been really welcoming,” Sullivan said. It’s been an awesome experience.”
Todd Fuqua is Sports Editor for the Ruidoso News and can be reached at 575-937-0344.
