CHERIE
GRUENFELD
Nine-time
age
group
winner,
Ironman World Championship
Fifteen Ironman Age Group Wins Worldwide
Eight-time World
#1-ranked Amateur Ironman Triathlete
2000 WTC Female Age Grouper of the Year
2001, 2007 USA Triathlon Female Grandmaster of the Year
Multiple-time
USAT
All-American Team (#1 Rank)
"Everyday
Champion"
featured
on
Wheaties
Energy
Crunch
cereal box
Click
here for Photos
Click here for Records & Rankings
Click here for Media Coverage & the Wheaties box
Birthdate: 7-8-44 |
Height: 5'10" |
Weight: 125 lbs |
Age: 66 |
2010
Racing Season (all
results are age group places)
| Wildflower Long Course (half Ironman) | 1st place | |
| Honu 70.3 | New Course Record | 1st place |
2009
Racing Season
| IRONMAN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP | New Course Record | 1st place |
| Wildflower Half Ironman | New Course Record | 1st place |
| Santa Barbara Long Course | New Course Record | 1st Place |
Honu 70.3 |
New Course Record | 1st Place |
Vineman 70.3 |
New Course Record | 1st Place |
2008
Racing Season
| IRONMAN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP | 1st place | |
| Arizona Ironman | New Course Record | 1st place |
| Santa Barbara Long Course | 2nd Place |
|
Buffalo Springs Lake (Lubbock) 70.3 |
2nd Place |
|
Vineman 70.3 |
New Course Record | 1st Place |
2007 Racing Season
| IRONMAN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP | 1st place | |
| Arizona Ironman | New Course Record | 1st place |
Buffalo Springs Lake (Lubbock) 70.3 |
1st Place |
|
Vineman 70.3 |
1st Place | |
| Santa Barbara Long Course Tri | 1st Place |
<No races in 2006 season due to injury>
2005 Racing Season
| IRONMAN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP | 3rd place | |
| Wildflower Olympic | New Course Record | 1st place |
XTerra Scramble |
1st Place |
|
Camp Pendleton Olympic |
1st Place | |
Vineman Half Ironman |
1st Place | |
| Santa Barbara Long Course | 1st Place | |
| Desert Sprint | 1st Place |
2004 Racing Season
| IRONMAN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP | 1st place | |
| St. Croix Half Ironman | 1st place |
|
Buffalo Springs Lake Half Ironman |
1st Place |
|
Vineman Half Ironman |
1st Place | |
Desert Triathlon |
1st Place |
2003 Racing Season
| IRONMAN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP | 2nd place | |
| Oceanside/Ralph's Half Ironman | 3rd place |
|
Utah Half Ironman |
1st Place |
|
Vineman Half Ironman |
1st Place | |
Buffalo Springs Half Ironman |
1st Place |
2002 Racing Season
| Desert Triathlon | 1st Place |
|
Big Rock Triathlon |
1st Place |
|
Utah Ironman (accident...out for remainder of season) |
| IRONMAN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS | 1st Place |
|
IRONMAN USA (Lake Placid) |
New Course Record (12:08) |
1st Place |
Keauhou Half Ironman |
New Course Record (5:23) |
1st Place |
Wildflower Half Ironman |
1st Place |
|
Big Rock Triathlon |
1st Place |
|
Desert Triathlon (Palm Springs) |
1st Place |
2000
Racing Season
IRONMAN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS |
1st Place |
|
Buffalo Springs ½ Ironman |
Overall Grand Master Winner |
1st Place |
Los Angeles Triathlon |
1st Place |
|
Big Bear Triathlon |
1st Place |
|
Carlsbad Triathlon |
1st Place |
|
Desert Triathlon (Palm Springs) |
1st Place |
1999
Racing Season
IRONMAN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP |
New World Record (11:58) |
1st Place |
Ironman USA - Lake Placid (Inaugural) |
Established Course Record |
1st Place |
Wildflower Half Ironman |
1st Place |
|
Keauhou Half-Ironman |
New Course Record |
1st Place |
Oceanside USTS Olympic Distance |
1st Place |
|
Carlsbad Sprint Distance |
1st Place |
1998
Racing Season
IRONMAN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP |
3rd Place |
|
Keauhou Half-Ironman |
New Course Record |
1st Place |
MetRx Lake Perris Half Ironman |
1st Place |
|
Big Bear Triathlon |
1st Place |
|
Ramona 5K |
First Female Overall |
1st Place |
Mission Inn 10K |
1st Place |
|
Redlands Classic Bicycle Race |
1st Place |
|
Palm Springs Tram Road Challenge |
New Course Record |
1st Place |
Desert Challenge 15K |
First Female Overall |
1st Place |
Wildflower Half-Ironman |
2nd Place |
|
USTS Triathlon (San Diego) |
2nd Place |
|
Carlsbad Triathlon |
2nd Place |
|
Senior Winter Olympic Games |
Three gold medals |
Other Highlights
• '97 EUROPEAN IRONMAN, Germany |
New Course Record (11:17) |
1st Place |
• '97 IRONMAN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP |
3rd Place |
|
• '96 IRONMAN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP |
2nd Place |
|
• '95 IRONMAN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP |
1st Place |
|
• 94 IRONMAN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP |
1st Place |
|
• ‘94 IRONMAN NEW ZEALAND |
2nd Place |
|
• ‘93 IRONMAN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP |
6th Place |
|
• ’92 IRONMAN WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP |
9th Place |
• Furnace Creek 508 (Death Valley) |
First and only all-female team |
• Inside Triathlon’s All-American Team, 1995 - 2000 |
|
Ironman Age-Group Records Held:
World 65-69 (Kailua-Kona, Hawaii): |
13:22 |
2009 |
Europe 50-54 (Roth, Germany): |
11:17 |
1996 |
United States 55-59 (Lake Placid): |
12:08 |
2001 |
#1 Rankings:
World Triathlon
Corporation |
Inside Triathlon's |
U.S.A. Triathlon Association |
The Wheaties Box:
• Pictures of the box
• General Mills announcement
• KNBC "surprise" interview (video)
• Ironman Website article
• Inside Triathlon magazine feature
• Desert Sun feature
• Mountain News featureIronman Website features:
• No Diamond in the Rough
• Gruenfeld's Winning Legacy
• Age Grouper of Year
• Always Exceeding ExpectationsNewspapers:
• An Iron Will
(Desert Sun)
• In the Company of Ironwomen
(Mountain News)
• In it for the Long Run
(Desert Sun)Exceeding Expectations: The Cypress Kids:
Articles about the kids have been moved to the Exceeding Expectations Website, http://eefoundation.org/.
Click on the logo to go there:
For Lee Gruenfeld's article on "Triathlon Widowhood," click here
• Photos of Cherie
• Video excerpts of the 2001 NBC Ironman broadcast featuringCherie & the Exceeding Expectations kids
• Video of Cherie's record-breaking 1999 Ironman race
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