The 2012 Westchester Triathlon

For 29 years, the Westchester Triathlon has been a premiere multisport event in the New York tri-state area.

 

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For 29 years, the Westchester Triathlon has been a premiere multisport event in the New York tri-state area. Held this year the morning of September 23, it was the final event of the season for many local triathletes. More than 1,084 athletes, from novice to professional, young and old, gathered together in Rye for the Olympic distance race.

The swimming event started at 7:15 a.m., with a just under a mile swim in the 71-degree waters of Long Island Sound. I’ve been covering this event for the past four years and I’ve never become immune to the sight of the beautiful sun rising on the Oakland Beach shore, with the silhouettes of all the athletes ranging along the sand.

Upon exiting the water, the athletes hopped on their bikes for the 25-mile bike ride. The course took the triathletes through residential neighborhoods here and all the way to Greenwich.

The final leg of the race was a 6.2-mile run through the shady streets in town. The relatively flat course concluded in Rye Town Park, where the post-race festivities began.

This year, over 50 Rye residents participated in this grueling event, with Noga Ruttenberg and Geelen Pia being the first Rye female and male athletes, respectively, to cross the finish line. For the second consecutive year, Jordan Jones, 31, of Boulder, Colorado, was the male winner, and Amy Ferrell, 37, of Tupper Lake, New York was the first female racer to cross the finish line.

All in all, it turned out to be a great day for all the athletes, their families, the City of Rye, and of course, thehard working staff of the Westchester Jarden Triathlon organization. For the triathletes, it is the beginning of the long wait until next year’s races.

 

— By Nick D’Agostino

 

 

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 The day before the 29th Westchester Jarden, 314 enthusiastic kids took part in their own Westchester Triathlon at Rye Town Park. For the 14-and-under crowd, September 22 was a glorious day.

In all, 177 7-10 year-olds (89 girls, 88 boys) competed in a 75-yard swim, 2-mile bike, and 1-mile run. The 137 11-14 year-olds (75 boys, 62 girls) competed in a 150-yard swim, 4-mile bike, and 1-mile run.

In the 7-10 year old category, Avery Skolnick came in first with a time of 18:26.250. Meghan Lynch placed 2nd overall and 1st in the girls’ category with 19:46.793.

Tyler Kennedy won the 11-14 race with a time of 24:18.723, and Sophie McIntyre placed first of the girls and third overall with 24:59.913.
— Photos by Melanie Cane