6/6/2026
Headwaters Adventure Race
Mantua, Ohio
2 Mile Run, 10 Mile Bike, 5 Mile Kayak Race
Scott Orlando
Finish Time: 1:50:12
Overall Place: 3rd Place / 100
Division Place: N/A
Veronica Neubert
Finish Time: 2:01:56
Overall Place: 15th Place / 100
Division Place: N/A
Russ Neubert
Finish Time: 2:02:44
Overall Place: 16th Place / 100
Division Place: 2nd Place / 3
Steve Zenar
Finish Time: 2:03:36
Overall Place: 19th Place / 100
Division Place: 2nd Place / 17
Mike Williams
Finish Time: 2:14:08
Overall Place: 36th Place / 100
Division Place: 9th Place / 19
Race Recap By Scott Orlando:
I had a challenging race today at the Headwaters Adventure Triathlon. Between training and soccer I overdid it the week before the race and toed the start line with extremely tight hips and posterior chain muscles. My 2 mile run was a struggle but not terrible. I started my GPS watch early so I was running blind not knowing my pace. I finished the run in 13th place. My struggles continued on the hilly 10 mile bike course placing me 15th heading into the transition to the kayak leg. I was feeling pretty defeated but then I started making up ground thanks to my Stellar Kayaks SR Multisport. The 1st mile of the 5 mile kayak leg was a little slow as I navigated tight lines passing several slower kayakers. Each mile I passed more kayakers and by mile 3 I was in 7th place and back in the race. I found another gear catching and passing a few more kayakers finally making it to the finish line placing 3rd overall with a time of 1:50:12. I actually would have beaten last year’s time had I not got hung up about 100 meters from the finish which cost me about a minute. I had the fastest kayak leg split in today’s race which gives me confidence for my next race.
I was really excited to see Team ER members Steve Zenar and Mike Williams do so well in their first kayak triathlon. Congratulations to Veronica Judith who was the 3rd place overall female finisher, Mike Foley, Vincent J. Elia, and Skip Brunner who all one their division, Russ Neubert who placed 2nd in his division, and to all of my other friends that did so well!
Thank you the Kristi Kato, the Portage Park District Foundation, and all of the volunteers who worked hard to put on a great race today.
Race Recap By Veronica Neubert:
Competing in the Headwaters triathlon this morning (after getting home at midnight) was tough! I felt good on the run, pretty good on the bike, but the river had other plans (including so many tree branches! Thank you to Russ for letting me use his kayak!
The results said I finished 4th female overall – I was crushed – I’ve placed in the top 3 every time I’ve done this race and I felt prepared. But, there was a technical error and I ended up finishing 3rd overall.
Only 24 seconds out of second place – had I not gotten hung up on the river … but I’m happy, I’m proud, I worked hard.
Race Recap By Steve Zenar:
I had a wonderful time at my first-ever Headwaters Adventure Triathlon. It was awesome racing alongside several Team-ER members and getting some last‑minute tips and bumps along the course.
Since this was my first time doing the event, it was a great learning experience — and a fun return to multisport racing after not doing a triathlon in several years. The course was a solid challenge: a smooth 2‑mile out‑and‑back run, a hilly 10‑mile bike, and a 5‑mile kayak to finish.
I paced the run conservatively to save my legs for the bike, which paid off as I was able to pass several racers on the climbs. Renting a kayak made participation easy, though it definitely required some extra paddle strength to keep up with competitors using race gear. Still, I held my own and was proud of my placing as a first‑timer (2nd in Age Group) — especially considering I almost never kayak.
Now that I understand how the point‑to‑point transitions work, I’m confident I can improve even more next time. Overall, I really enjoyed this race and hope to do it again. On to the next one