DeCook wins race for sixth time

Photo: An “angel bike” gifted by a stranger allowed Brook Tyrrell to finish the race.

From staff reports

Ryan DeCook owns the M22 Challenge. The 45-year-old resident of Washington, Mich., won the popular Leelanau County running, biking and paddling triathlon in the heart of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore for the second consecutive year and the sixth time overall. This year it took him one hour, 16 minutes and six seconds.

But that wasn’t the headline of Saturday, June 13, the date of the 18th annual M22 Challenge. Races like this one are competitive, but they also inspire acts of kindness and attract good Samaritans.

Brook Tyrrell, a 26-year-old Traverse City resident, discovered her bike had a flat tire within the first mile. She pulled off M-109 and looked for help. “Hi, I have a flat. Do you have a pump?” she asked spectator, Katie Butera, who was standing next to her own bike.

“No, but you can use my bike,” Butera offered. They exchanged greetings and phone numbers, and Tyrrell was on her way. She had 16 more miles ahead of her through Glen Arbor, around both Glen Lakes and a grueling climb up Inspiration Point. Thanks to the “angel bike,” Tyrrell placed third in her age group, with a time of 1:49:06.

Butera, also of Traverse City, was volunteering as a bike course marshal with Team Hagerty. The bike she leant Tyrrell was a Bianci purchased in 2018 from Suttons Bay Bikes.

“I road off without thinking of seat height or bike fit at all,” said Tyrrell. “Luckily, the seat was only slightly too tall, but the pedals were incompatible with my bike shoes and the big ring wouldn’t shift.

“I was just so happy being out on the course. You couldn’t wipe the smile off my face, and I kept saying ‘thank you, Katie’ to myself.”

Meanwhile, race winner DeCook shaved six minutes off his victorious time from 2025. He also won the race in 2025, 2023, 2022, 2019 and 2018. DeCook set the course record in 2019 with a time of one hour, 9 minutes and 24 seconds.

Previous winner Denny Paull, 62, of Cheboygan finished second, 3.5 minutes behind DeCook. In third was Owen Johnson, 22, of Ann Arbor with a time of one hour, 22 minutes and 21 seconds. The top finisher from Leelanau County was Leland resident Nicholas Murray, 51, with a time of one hour, 28 minutes, and 22 seconds.

The top women’s finisher was Amanda Rutkowski, 28, of Cheboygan with a time of one hour, 30 minutes, and 10 seconds. In second was Allie Lucas, 38, of Royal Oak, who finished five minutes behind Rutkowski. Amy Coneset, 50, of Traverse City finished third with a time of one hour, 38 minutes and 56 seconds. The top woman from Leelanau County was Jessica Alpers, 40, of Lake Leelanau with a time of one hour, 46 minutes and 27 seconds.

The M22 Challenge attracts competitive athletes from all over the country. For some, it’s just about having fun and enjoying the event in such a beautiful location. Athletes take off from the start line on M-109 near Glen Haven in the heart of the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Park, with the grueling “Dune Climb” run, kicking off the start to the 22-mile race. From there, athletes jump on their bikes for a 17-mile race around Little and Big Glen Lakes and up Inspiration Point, and finish with a 2.5-mile paddle on kayaks or on stand-up paddle boards in Little Glen before crossing the finish line.