IRONWOOD, MI – Double the competitors and two new course records.
That was the story of the day at the Red Bull 400 in Ironwood, where 1,000 athletes from across the globe raced 40 stories uphill to the top of Copper Peak’s ski jumping tower on May 11.
Competitors traveled from as far away Malaysia and Australia to participate in the second year of the unique challenge, which took place under picture-perfect skies in the heart of the Upper Peninsula’s Copper Country.
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The day included entertainment from local vendors and a skydive that swooped down the ski jump and landed at the starting line.
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The men’s final heat at the venue of the Red bull 400 at Copper Peak in Ironwood on May 11. Twenty heats were held throughout the day with the top 40 men and top 40 women moving on to the championship round.
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Runners compete at Red Bull 400 at Copper Peak in Ironwood, MI, USA on May 11, 2019.
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Runners compete at Red Bull 400 at Copper Peak in Ironwood, MI, USA on May 11, 2019.
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Miles Daisher competes at Red Bull 400 at Copper Peak in Ironwood, MI, USA on May 11, 2019.
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A runner competes Red Bull 400 at Copper Peak in Ironwood, MI, USA on May 11, 2019.
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Runners compete at the Red Bull 400 at Copper Peak in Ironwood, MI, USA on 11 May, 2019.
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Miles Fink-Debray (4:38.0) of Ketchum, Idaho took first in the final heat of the men’s race, sending the 23-year-old on to race for the title at Red Bull 400 Park City for the second year in a row.
He will then head to the Red Bull 400 World Championships in Whistler later this summer.
“This is the coolest race; it’s been fun to have this as my focus right now and to come here and win is the best feeling in the world,” Fink-Debray said.
“I drew a lot of my experience from last year’s race in Park City and I tried to conserve my energy and save everything for the finals. I just put my head down and never looked back.”
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Second place winner, Matt Novakovich, competes at the Red Bull 400 at Copper Peak in Ironwood, MI, USA on 11 May, 2019.
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Ski jumper Sarah Hendrickson, a 24-year-old, two-time Olympian proved that she is just as equipped to travel up ski jumps as she is to fly down them. She won the women’s race with a time of 6:13.4.
“I’m stoked to win, and to see the amazing community and atmosphere around a ski jump warms my heart,” Hendrickson said.
“A lot of people in the states don’t know what ski jumping is and I am so excited that Red Bull puts on these events to bring awareness to my sport, and it makes it even more exciting to win!”
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A runner competes Red Bull 400 at Copper Peak in Ironwood, MI, USA on May 11, 2019.
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A runner competes Red Bull 400 at Copper Peak in Ironwood, MI, USA on May 11, 2019.
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Red Bull 400 race are set to take place at ski jumps across Europe, Asia, and North America this season. The Red Bull 400 Copper Peak is supported by Moosejaw and Northern Michigan University.
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Here is a closer look at the top three finishers on each side.
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MEN’S
1st – Miles Fink-Debray, 31 (4:38.0) – Ketchum, ID
2nd – Matt Novakovich, 45 (4:51.9) – Anchorage, AK
3rd – Ian Torchia, 23 (5:04.6) – Marquette, MI
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WOMEN’S
1st – Sarah Hendrickson, 24 (6:13.4) – Park City, UT
2nd – Kristen Monahan, 31 (6:15.1) – Houghton, MI
3rd – Kameron Burmeister, 23 (6:37.1) – Marquette, MI
Read the full article here.