Ken Fowler is on the run.
The 40-year old Friends School math teacher is not evading the law but training for the U.S. Triathlon Duathlon National Championships that will be held in Mason, Ohio on May 6.
Fowler is in his second season of racing competitively in duathlons. The duathlon, similar to a triathlon, has three legs. The duathlon, however, consists of a run, a bike ride and ends with another run, with the distances of each leg varying from race to race.
The former Northrup-Grumman engineer put two duathlons under his belt in early April in preparation for the nationals. At the Virginia Beach Duathlon April 2, Fowler finished fourth in a field of 400 while winning the Masters (over-40) title. A week later, under rainy conditions at the Brandywine Duathlon in Delaware, Fowler finished 10th overall and third in the Masters category.
“My goal is to be first in my age group at nationals,” Fowler said. A former distance runner at Villanova University, Fowler made the transition to duathlons in 2005.
Fowler finished 13th in the world in the Masters category and was the top American finisher at the Short Course Duathlon World Championships in New Castle, Australia in 2005. He earned All-America honors from USA Triathlon and Inside Triathlon magazine.
Doug Mock, Fowler?s training partner for 15 years, said that calf and Achilles? tendon injuries were the impetus for the change from distance running to duathlons. “He started suffering injuries and was constantly frustrated,” Mock said.
Mock started his first duathlon season in 2004 with the Du2R Multisport team, and in 2005 Fowler joined Du2R.
Don Forgione, a founding member of Du2R Multisport, said that Fowler brings more to the team than just top finishes.
“We were trying to build a strong team and help duathlons grow,” said Forgione, who thinks Fowler will have no trouble qualifying for the International Triathlon Union Championships being held this year in Corner Brook, Newfoundland, Canada.
“It all depends on staying healthy,” Fowler said.
THE FOWLER FILE
Sport: Running
Occupation: Math teacher
School: Friends School
Age: 40
