In a year with races few and far between, five AltRed professional triathletes ventured to the Bear Lake Brawl, a grass-roots triathlon located in Bear Lake, Idaho. The 70.3 race was the first U.S. based race since March to offer a prize purse for professional triathletes which was supported by The Professional Triathlete’s Organization (PTO). The extra monetary incentive drew in some great competition. Danielle Dingman and Sam Long took the win in female and male professional fields. Matt Hanson and Justin Metzler rounded out the men’s podium. Holly Benner snatched the last podium spot on the women’s side.

We reached out to the athletes to get their take on the race and here’s what they had to say:

"The Bear Lake Brawl was truly a brawl! The cold, windy, and rainy conditions made the day extra tough, but it was worth it just to get back to racing and be around great people. I'm thankful for everyone who made it happen, thankful for the opportunity and looking forward to the day when blue skies, clean air, and giving hugs become the norm again. Until then, we do the best we can in the conditions we are given and stay positive through it all." - Danielle Dingman

“I was thrilled to be able to finally put my toes on a start line again! This race popped on the radar about 3 weeks ago, so great to put together a podium performance with no specific prep for the race. Always good to share a podium with AltRed teammates!” - Matt Hanson

"Just like 2020, the Bear Lake Brawl will be totally unforgettable." - Holly Benner