For 28 years a first-class triathlon has been held in Rye.

For 28 years a first-class triathlon has been held in Rye.

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On September 29, 1,084 athletes of all ages and abilities gathered before dawn at Rye Town Park for the Jarden Westchester Triathlon. Soon after the singing of the National Anthem, waves of swimmers headed out for the .9-mile swim in Long Island Sound.

I’ve been covering this event for the past five years and have yet to become immune to the sight of the sun rising above the Oakland Beach shore, with the silhouettes of athletes arranged along the sand.

After exiting the water, the athletes hopped on their bikes for the 25-mile ride. The course took them through the residential neighborhoods of Rye, Port Chester, Harrison, and Greenwich.

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

Over fifty Rye residents participated in this year’s event, with Kristina Dorfman and Geelen Pia being the first Rye female and male athletes, respectively, to cross the finish line.

Owen Kendall, from Boston University was the male winner, and Bria Edwards from Penn State was the first female racer to cross the finish line.

It turned out to be another fine day for all the athletes, their families, the City of Rye, and of course, the hard-working staff of the Westchester Triathlon Organization. For many of the triathletes, it was the final competition of the season and the beginning of a long wait until next year’s race season, for which they are already training for and looking forward to.

— Nick D’Agostino (ryesportsphotos.com)