The Best in the West Triathlon races returned to Sweet Home for the 16th year last weekend, as a total of 825 competitors hit the water, the roads and the trails in a kaleidoscope of events. .
The festival includes 26 separate events, geared toward nearly every taste or ability, many of them single sections of the triathlon races.
Together, the Olympic (1,500-meter swim 40K (roughly 25 mile) and Sprint (500-meter swim, 12-mile bike, 3.1-mile run) drew a total of nearly 500 competitors, who started with a swim in Foster Lake, followed by biking along North River Drive (and beyond, in the longer races) and runs starting and finishing at Lewis Creek Park.
Noah Shlesinger of Eugene won the Half-Ironman (1.2 mile swim, 56-mile bike, 13.1-mile run) in 4:10.11 in a field of 71 competitors, while Batya Beard was the first woman, fourth overall, finishing in 4:47.43.
In the Olympic Triathlon, which like the Half-Iron took place Saturday, Zane Moore of Portland finished ahead of the field fo 243 competitors in 1:59.05, with Kaitlin Carew of Springfield first in the woman’s race (2:20.04), eighth overall.
Kendra Mhoon, 49, of Lebanon, finished 135th overall in the Olympic Triathlon (3:08.25), fourth in her age category.
Michael Bastidas, 37, of Sweet Home, was 235th in 4:40.24.
The Sprint Triathlon, held Sunday morning, June 7, drew 250 competitors. Zane Moore of Portland won in 55:49 and Cameron Hawkins of Beaverton was the first woman in 1:11.16.
Gerritt Schaffer, 51, of Sweet Home, finished second in the Challenged Athlete Division of the Sprint Triathlon, in 2:57.05.
Lebanon finishers in the Sprint were Shaina Adams, 40, (1:25.05), 68th overall and second in her age group; Ryan Angellano, 30, 109th in 1:34.24; Brandon Williams, 23, 161st in 1:44.19;
Marika Pullam, 39, 196th in 1:53.10, which was second in her age division; and Alexandra Benetti, 66, who was third in her age division in 2:02.30.
The Super Sprint Triathlon (250-meter swim, 4.8-mile bike, 1.5-mile run) was won by Theo Mierisch, 18, of Roanoke, Va. in a field of 56 competitors, clocking 32:28. Rachel Macy, 14th overall, was the first female in 46.33.
Quinlan Adams, 13, of Lebanon finished 20th in the Super Sprint (50:00) and Emmett Ahn, 11, also of Lebanon, was 30th (54.56).
Other local finishers were Riley Brocksen, 30, of Sweet Home in the 10K run, (1:05.24); Elena South, 55, of Lebanon in the half marathon (2:05.23); Aliya Griffiths, 22, in the 1.2 mile swim (38:24); Stephen Benetti. 68, of Lebanon, in the Sprint Duathlon (swim/bike) in 1:41.32; Ken Wiliams, 69, of Lebanon in the Sprint Aqua Bike (1,000 meters) (1:14.27); and the Hill Willy Racers team in the Sprint Relay (1:20.38) – members’ names were not immediately available.