Robb is the World Champion in his age group, Zenon took 3rd is his category!

This article was written prior to the 2024 World Cross Duathlon Championships.

When Robb Reece and Zenon Reece stepped up to the starting line on August 22, 2024, it marked a special moment in international competition and for their family.

For not only were both Grand Junctionbased athletes competing in the cross duathlon (sometimes called off-road duathlon) at the 2024 World Triathlon Multisport Championships, but as far as they know — and anyone can confirm — they were the first father and son to compete in the same event, at the same championship competition, as members of Team USA.

The world championships, which were held in Townsville, Queensland, Australia on August 14-25, 2024, featured 19 races in eight different sports, with medals awarded for women and men in age groups, elite/U23, juniors and para categories. In all, 4,500 athletes from more than 50 countries competed.

Robb Reece, age 59, qualified for the 60-64 age group. “I turn 60 in November, but the USA Triathlon license is tied to the calendar year, so I’ll be the youngster in my age group,” laughed Robb Reece, when interviewed prior to the competition. Zenon Reece, at 19 years of age, competed in the U23 category, which is paired with the Elite racers. “There is some stagger at the start, but Zenon and I will be on the same course at the same time. Zenon is going to be smoking it, well out at the front. I will be looking at his butt for a minute,” explained Robb proudly.

Cross duathlon has three components. The race begins with a 6K (3.72-mile) trail run, followed by 20K (12.43-mile) of mountain biking, ending with a 3K (1.98-mile) run. The mountain bike course winds through a hilly conservation park, while portions of the run are along the Pacific coast, with views of islands on the Great Barrier Reef, according to the official event website.

Not that either Robb or Zenon Reece had time to take in the view. Both of them went into the race believing that the initial running portion would be key to their success. “Definitely, running is my strength,” shares Zenon Reece. “I know I have a lot of power on the bike, because I come from a road biking background. I’ve been doing it way longer than mountain biking. The technical aspect of mountain biking is the hardest, rather than the power needed for it.”

While neither athlete experienced the actual course prior to arriving in Australia, videos showing the route were posted, so they had a preview. The course, which Robb likened to the Grand Junction Lunch Loop trails, was mostly technical singletrack which makes it difficult to pass other riders. “We are both going to have to be well in position out of the first run. Then we have to get through the ride and be ready for the second run, which will be short and fast,” explains Robb Reece. “The finish will be a fullout, insane, fast run.”

Qualification for the 2024 World Championships was in Fayetteville, Arkansas in 2023. Zenon had just graduated from Palisade High School, where he ran competitively. “I really like running and biking, so putting them together seemed like a fun thing to do,” recalls Zenon Reece. “I stuck with some of the top guys in the run section, so I thought if I put in the work, I could compete with the best in the world.”

After qualifying for the 2024 World Championships, Zenon Reece took a gap year to train and focus on theater, his other passion. “I’m actively a theater guy and being a part of that is super cool,” he shares.

This fall, Zenon will attend the University of Oregon, where he plans to focus on club running. “Their team, in terms of track and cross-country, is one of the top in the country,” he explains. “My current experience and times wouldn’t allow me to walk on.”

While the race in Australia will be Zenon Reece’s first international competition, Robb Reece has an impressive Team USA resume. After graduating from Grand Junction High School, Robb Reece trained as a road cyclist at the USA Olympic and Paralympic Training Center in Colorado Springs during the 1980s. During this period, he represented the United States at the Road World Championships. During the 1990s and 2000s, after switching his focus to running, Robb Reece represented Team USA at the Mountain Running World Championships.

When asked about their individual goals for the competition back in early July, Robb and Zenon Reece had strikingly different answers. “I’ve been focusing on seeing how I feel. My goal is to get up there and compete in my age group and see how far I can get. As of right now, I’m just planning on going out and giving it my best shot,” declares Zenon Reece.

Robb Reece is more blunt: “I’m going in to win my age group. I always set my goals high, that’s just the way I’ve always been. I feel great, so it’s a realistic goal.”

No matter how they fared in Townsville, Robb Reece considers the upcoming event “the icing on the cake” for his career, because he gets to do this race with his son.

Although Robb Reece never completely retired from competition, he took a long break after Zenon and his younger sister Sophie were born. As they grew older, however, Robb Reece found himself reinvigorated. “They started doing stuff, and I realized that it was kind of fun again. They are the inspiration that gets me out there to keep training. It is super cool to be able to pass this onto them.”

Sophie did not compete in Australia; she is more of an “adrenaline junkie and gym rat,” according to Robb Reece. But she made the trip, providing moral support and photographing the event, another skill passed along by her father. Robb Reece has a commercial photography and video business, although he finds himself increasingly transitioning toward fine art photography.

For his part, Zenon Reece agrees that sharing this experience with his father is exceptionally meaningful. “Being able to do this with him is the coolest part, for sure. I wouldn’t be doing this if not for him. I don’t know if I’d even be running or biking if not for him.”

Robb and Zenon Reece would like to thank Bicycle Outfitters of Grand Junction for their support.

Originally published in the Fall 2024 issue of Spoke+Blossom.

Robb + Zenon Reece Take On The World In Cross Duathlon