CHERIE GRUENFELD
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
"Everyday Champion" featured on Wheaties Energy Crunch cereal box
 Multiple-time All-American Team (#1 Rank)


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: 64  


2008 Racing Season (all results are age group places)  

 

Arizona Ironman New Course Record

1st 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)

 

 

2001 Racing 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:

World (Kailua-Kona, Hawaii):   

11:58   

1999

Europe (Roth, Germany):   

11:17   

1996

United States (Lake Placid):   

12:08   

2001

 

#1 Rankings:

World Triathlon Corporation
----------

Inside Triathlon's
All American Team, 1997-2001, 2004, 2007
----------

U.S.A. Triathlon
Association 

 

Magazine, Television & Web Coverage

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 feature

Ironman Website features:
• "No Diamond in the Rough"
• "Gruenfeld's Winning Legacy"
• "Age Grouper of Year"

Newspapers:
• "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

 

Click here  for photos of Cherie

 

Click here  for video excerpts of the 2001
NBC Ironman broadcast featuring Cherie & the Cypress Kids

 


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