A former standout runner at Dallas and Shippensburg, Bryanna Urban shined in the 2023 Back Mountain Triathlon.
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Bryanna Urban (nee Dissinger) never won an individual race until she got to college.
As a senior she ran a blazing 19:34 on the hilly Elk Lake High School district championship course. Later she was recruited to run for Division II running powerhouse Shippensburg University after her successful high school career, where she helped Dallas win the PIAA Class 2A cross country team championship in 2013.
Urban ran for Dallas High School, from 2010-13. Her high school teammates that kept her off the top step of the podium early in her career? Future Division I standouts Regan Rome (William & Mary), Ally Rome (Princeton) and Lindsey Oremus (St. Joseph’s).
In the beginning, Urban was a regular, active kid when she moved to the Dallas School District starting in seventh grade. She was athletic and active, playing soccer, volleyball and swimming. She got involved in running to condition her fitness for her other sports.
But it was while running in ninth grade that she realized that she was “keeping up with these other girls.” Those girls were the future running stars at her school, and she was keeping up. Amy Rome was a huge influence and she saw the potential in Urban.
“When Bree joined the cross country team, she joined a team of talented, dedicated competitors, so she fit right in,” Amy Rome said. “She wanted to help her team succeed and became a top district runner and state medalist because it wasn’t only about her personal success. She was always a student of the sport willing to try to improve herself beyond her time spent at practice.”
In 10th grade, Urban medaled at districts. That only lit the fire hotter and pushed her to work even harder.
Early in her senior year at the Cliff Robbins Invitational, she finished sixth. By the end of the season, she was part of a Dallas trio that went 1-2-3 at districts, finishing just behind Regan Rome and Oremus to complete the sweep.
At states, she medaled and finished 15th. But even more important to Urban, the Dallas girls team won the Class 2A state championship. Her motto that season: “Hang on. Do NOT let go!”
Of her Dallas teammates, Urban said “Regan, Ally and Lindsey are the reason” that she is the runner that she is today.
After high school, Urban went to Shippensburg to run cross country and track for legendary coach Steve Spence (1992 Barcelona Olympic marathoner). Before college, some of her favorite memories of summer were spent with her Dallas teammates at Shippensburg participating in Spence’s running camp.
His recruiting speech was a simple one. “Come to Ship and you can be an XC camp counselor next summer.”
At Shippensburg, Urban ran year-round: cross country, indoor and outdoor track. Shippensburg qualified for D2 cross country nationals as a team in all four years.
On the track, she morphed into a steeplechaser and won a conference championship in her junior year and was runner-up in her senior year. Spence saw the all-around athlete in her, and this previewed the steps for this all-around athlete to make the leap to triathlon in 2023.
Steeplechase is a grueling track event where athletes run 3,000 meters while clearing 28 fixed barriers and seven water jumps. It requires major athleticism, as well as endurance, speed and even agility. Steeplechasers must be mentally tough as the race can be physically grueling.
Spence said this of Urban: “It’s no surprise to me that Bree has found triathlon and is excelling at it post-collegiately. While at Shippensburg, she spent time in the pool and on a bike as a supplement to her running. Bree was a good cross country runner and did well in the flat track races, but hurdling barriers and jumping over the water pit in the 3k steeplechase was her niche.
“I pegged her early as a possible steepler because of her athleticism, her sense of adventure and her determination. She was a great leader and team-first type of person at Ship.”
After college because of other obligations with life, adulthood and career, Urban may have briefly fallen out of love with running. But as she said, “running never leaves you,” so Urban decided to train for the Gettysburg Marathon.
She was just running for the pure joy of running for the first time in years and she loved it. Urban ran 3:19 over 26.2 miles at Gettysburg and qualified for the prestigious Boston Marathon.
In 2023, her brother-in-law trained for the IronMan 70.3 Pennsylvania Happy Valley triathlon. As often happens, he caught the triathlon bug and encouraged her to give it a try. Something just flipped a switch in her brain and she immediately knew she wanted to do it.
Doing some online research, Urban found a triathlon right in her hometown. She only had two months to train. The Back Mountain Triathlon was held on Aug. 20, 2023, and Urban was on the start line with minimal triathlon training and the most basic of equipment.
Her husband Mike Urban was on the Shippensburg cycling team, and he knew he could help her get ready to race. Bryanna bought a bike for $200 off Facebook Marketplace. She figured she had the run under control, but she was a little scared to ride on the road. Mike worked with her and taught her what she needed to know.
She only had two months to learn and prepare for the Back Mountain course. With its big downhills and a few good turns, it’s definitely a cyclist’s course.
Urban ended up winning her age group and finished as sixth overall female. She had the second fastest run time and the fastest time in T2.
I asked Urban how did she manage to have the best T2 transition time among the many experienced women? Simple. She was wearing sneakers and using flat pedals.
“I didn’t have to change at all. All I had to do was put my bike down and go. The perks of being a newbie,” she said.
And who was there to cheer on Urban as she crossed the finish line? Dallas teammate and lifelong friend Oremus.
Oremus had this to say about her friend: “Since our time running together at Dallas High School, I have witnessed Bree grow in life and sport as a runner and triathlete. She’s put her heart into all parts of her life (work, friendship, marriage, dog mommy, daughter, sister, athlete, Dunkin’ ambassador) …”
Although Urban has only competed in one triathlon, she does have many years of competitive racing under her belt. Here she offers some advice to new triathletes or people contemplating their first triathlon: “Stick with the basics. Learn as you go. Have fun with it!”
Make sure to train the basics of swim, bike and run, but don’t get caught up in expensive equipment or crazy workouts. Do the basics and you can get yourself to the starting line. Be open to learning everything you can about the sport, but don’t feel like you have to know everything just to get started.
Who knows what the future in this sport will bring for Urban. At her first marathon she qualified for Boston. At her first triathlon she qualified for USAT Nationals.
Will the former college steeplechaser find enough of a challenge in the world of triathlon? Are there other sports she is eager to try? She knows that there is work to be done to improve her bike split, and so much to learn, but Bryanna has always enjoyed a challenge.
Stay tuned.