Courtesy of Kurt Oeler from Lake Michigan, Illinois.
Adam Dawkins and Adrienne Bicek claimed top honors at Saturday’s Big Shoulders 5K, besting a field of 800 racing along Chicago’s chilly, choppy Lake Michigan shoreline.
A notch better than 2013’s runnerup finish, Dawkins finished 2 laps in a relatively slow 1:04:32. A year ago under better conditions, the Southwest Indiana Masters standout covered the triangular course in less than an hour.
Justin Chiles was second in 1:05:13, with Bicek crossing the line 4 seconds later.
Though Bicek is a recent Michigran grad and Big Shoulders frequently draws collegians from Northwestern and other nearby schools, the race serves more like an unofficial Midwestern masters open water championship.
Competitors enter from around the Great Lakes region and often further. Despite its very large field, this year’s event sold out in May — some four months before race day.
Such popularity belies the Lake Shore Drive venue’s notoriously fickle conditions. From Tuesday to Saturday, conditions dropped from a smooth 75ºF (23.8ºC) degrees to stormed-tossed 66ºF (18ºC). “Two parts washing machine, one part ice bucket,” one swimmer joked about the competition that had 4 women in the top 10 finishers.
Ann Beres-Olivotti and Bob Lewis nabbied the wetsuit 5 km crown in 1:06:10 and 1:06:45, respectively, while Marc Hensel and Liz Dillman were 2.5 km winners in 34:11 and 36:21.
24th Big Shoulders Open Water Swim Classic Top 3 Results (men and women):
1. Adam Dawkins (39) Southwest Indiana, 1:04:32
2. Justin Chiles (31) Chicago Masters, 1:05:13
3. Aaron Gabriel (48) Undeclared, 1:05:49
1. Adrienne Bicek (23) Napierville Waves, 1:05:17
2. Danielle Schumacher (23) Undeclared, 1:05:57
3. Mallory Mead (28) Undeclared, 1:06:28
Top 10 Overall:
1. Adam Dawkins (39) Southwest Indiana, 1:04:32
2. Justin Chiles (31) Chicago Masters, 1:05:13
3. Adrienne Bicek (23) Napierville Waves, 1:05:17
4. Aaron Gabriel (48) Undeclared, 1:05:49
5. Danielle Schumacher (23) Undeclared, 1:05:57
6. Anne Moyer (44) wetsuit 1:06:10
7. Jim Barber (54) 1:06:28
8. Mallory Mead (28) Undeclared, 1:06:28
9. David Sims (51) 1:06:33
10. Timothy Carlson (34) 1:06:36
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