Participants in the “sold out” annual Lions Club Triathlon caught a break on July 24, as skies were overcast, misty fog cooled the air and the temperature hovered around 75 degrees.
The recent heatwave had club organizers wondering if the event should be postponed, but a weather forecast cautiously tracked by one of the club’s event planners, Rob Haley, called for cooler morning temperatures, blessed overcast skies and at least a 5-mph breeze. Mercifully, the forecasters got it right this time.
Haley said the event sold out (139 bibs) in part because the larger, USAT-sanctioned Boston Triathlon had cancelled its race set for the same day and time. “We probably picked up about 30 additional people,” Haley estimated, but even without those late entries, the event was heavily attended. “We’ll take a look at opening up maybe 50 more slots for next year … more money for our charities.”
The relay entrants were assisted in racking their bikes and instructed to have their cyclists waiting for the swimmers at the bike’s location to hand off the electronic ankle bracelet monitoring their times. Coordinating the seamless flow of fast moving athletes is a critical part of keeping everyone safe.
And what about those participants!
Likely, the youngest competitor doing the entire race herself was 11-year-old Eshe Stockton of Portsmouth, Rhode Island. Before the race began, Stockton and her mother Anne Marie Almirol, who was also suited up for her race, were enjoying the party-like atmosphere. Almirol said that Stockton had participated in eight triathlons, including Sunday’s event, five of those in one year.
Stockton sailed along, taking the number one spot in her category, females 19 years of age and younger, clocking in at 1:08:57. Almirol’s time was 1:04:06.
Friends Maggie Sexton-Dwyer and Cailey Denoncourt had signed up for the Boston event but quickly switched to Mattapoisett’s as soon as Boston cancelled. “We do things like this for fun,” the women stated with beaming smiles. Denoncourt’s time was 1:04:42, while Sexton-Dwyer crossed the line in 1:08:54.
Aner Larreategi of Spain, visiting locally as a foreign exchange student, was all business preparing for the challenge. But the 17-year-old is no novice. Larreategi is experienced in the challenges that triathlons present, having participated in numerous events in his home country. He finished with a time of 51:00.
Becky Padera said that she had in 2019 placed first for women and third overall. She bested her overall performance in this 2022 event, clocking in at 56:34 for second women’s finisher overall behind Emily Tato.
The mean age of the competitors was somewhere in the 27-35 range, but there were plenty of folks proving age is just a number. More than 30 entrants identified themselves in categories covering 60 to 69 years of age.
Low tide may have slowed down some of the swimmers as they slogged their way to deeper water for the quarter-mile swimming sprint. The swimmers lined up in rows of three, the starter paced their entries into the water every five seconds. The swim was followed by a 10-mile bike ride that wound its way north of Route 6. Last but not least was the 3.1-mile run for those who still have legs that are willing.
The community was out in force, urging on the athletes with verbal encouragement, cowbells and clappers. And no event of this scale could happen without the assistance of the town’s safety departments, Harbormaster, Police, Fire and EMT’s. One unfortunate cyclist took a spill approaching the bike finish line, injuring his leg and elbow. Medical assistance was rendered at the scene, and the athlete was later seen retrieving his belongings from the beach area.
Lions Club member and volunteer Mike Medeiros said that he had participated in the past but more recently was sidelined due to injury. But that does not mean he didn’t play a pivotal role.
While managing the overseeing the competitors’ first transition from the swim to the cycling segment, Medeiros acted as a pit crew, helping fix one cyclist’s bike chain and unlocking another’s brakes, all in a flash to help them minimize lost seconds.
“I’ve rebuilt plenty of bikes. It’s nice to be able to help,” he stated with a smile. “I’ll do this race again.”
By Marilou Newell