The second annual Abbotsford Sprint Triathlon, held under sunny skies on Sunday morning, was hailed as a success.
The event drew 97 athletes to Albert Dyck Park for a 750-metre swim, 20-kilometre bike ride and 5-km run. The triathlon doubles as a fundraiser for Habitat for Humanity Upper Fraser Valley, and generated about $5,000 for the local charity.
“For our second one, it went phenomenally well,” said Jeff Bonham, a volunteer with Habitat for Humanity Upper Fraser Valley.
“We got positive feedback from all the athletes we talked to, and our sponsors loved it. And it was a beautiful day. Everything kind of just clicked.”
The race itself was hotly contested, particularly on the men’s side, where Whistler’s Chris Bowen (1:06.36) edged Jeremy Isaak of Yarrow (1:06.37) in a photo finish. Bowen surged to the lead by recording the fastest bike leg (33:56), while Isaak made up ground with the fastest time in the run (17:27) and challenged him all the way to the finish line.
Ricarda Greshake of Telgte, Germany was the women’s winner, clocking in at 1:14.50.