Competitors of all ages, sizes and abilities crossed the finish line during the sixth annual Cortez Burst Triathlon on the Fourth of July.
Participants swam laps at the Cortez outdoor pool, biked on city and county roads, then ran a few miles to the finish line at Cortez City Park with family and friends cheering on.
The casual race format has competitor, recreational, and kid-level categories for teams or individuals. It began early in the morning, and wrapped up by noon under sunny skies.
In the individual men’s competitive, Pete Eschallier, of Kokopelli Bike and Board, finished in first place with a time of 1:32:29.
“It was fun to do – nobody passed me, so that’s a good sign,” he said at the finish line, unaware that he had the fastest time. “I’m strongest in biking so I had to train a bit for the swim and run.”
In the individual female completive class, Julie Thibodeau, of Durango, finished first with a time of 1:34:15. McCartney Thibodeau, in the 6-10 age class, also finished in first place.
Close on Julie’s heels was Katarina Marks, an assistant running coach for Fort Lewis College, coming in at 1:35:14.
“It was my first time for this race, and I liked the competitive hilly course,” she said. “I was pushing it, and finishing feels awesome!”
Local ringers Steve Heath, Terry Gorsuch, and Roy Perales took the top spot for men’s competitive team, finishing in 1:04:49.
“It’s our third year to win it, so that’s exciting,” said Perales. “I like it because of the friendly competition and that it brings out the community around the good cause physical fitness.”
Bruce Cudkowicz, 12, is a budding triathlete, and enjoyed the challenge of doing all three events.
“The swimming was toughest, and so were the uphills on the bike ride,” he said. “I like seeing if I can do all three events. It’s fun to race with friends on the Fourth of July.”
Racer Sarah Harper Burke, an Osprey employee, raced for her second year in the individual category.
“I felt strong this year. The great cheering section makes you feel proud,” she said. “Having the race on the Fourth is special, and is a good balance to all the barbecuing later on.”
Categories for kids, adults, teams and individuals, makes the race popular, said event founder Rayna Hale.
“It’s geared towards promoting fitness in the community, and we’re seeing more people participate every year,” she said. “The excellent parks and outdoor pool in Cortez make it perfect for a triathlon.”
In the competitive class, racers swam 500 meters (ten laps), biked 16 miles, and ran four miles. Recreational racers did a 500 meter swim, biked 12 miles and ran three miles.
“It’s a real do-able triathlon that will test you, but not something you have to train really hard for,” said individual racer Jack Schuenemeyer, 76. “Also it’s a fundraiser for Friends of the Recreation Center that helps low-income families to access the Rec Center.”
The event is dubbed a sprint marathon to attract amateur athletes, added volunteer LJ Lyons.
“It’s not a grueling Ironman, or something you have to train years for,” he said. “The race gives more people a chance to compete, and to basically have bragging right to say they did it. We had a great turnout.”
jmimiaga@cortezjournal.com