Results from the 28th Columbia Triathlon

TriColumbia, the Mid-Atlantic’s premier endurance event production company, held its 28^th annual Columbia Triathlon today at Centennial Lake Park in Columbia, Md. More than 2,300 endurance athletes and 40 professionals ages 14 – 71 from 28 states and 5 countries participated in the race which consisted of a 1.5K swim – 41K bike – 10K run. 28-year-old Cameron Dye of Boulder, Colorado won the men’s division setting a new course record of 1:49:41, beating Andrew Yoder’s 2011 record time of 1:49:51. 30 year-old Annabel Luxford from Australia was the top female finisher with a time of 2:06:18. Both winners took home a cash prize of $6,000.

Rounding out the top six men were: 2) Andrew Yoder (23, Columbia, PA), time: 1:52:18, prize $3,500; 3) Ben Collins (29, Seattle, WA), time: 1:52:35, prize: $2,500; 4) James Seear (26, Australia), time: 1:52:57, prize: $1,500; 5) Matt Chrabot (29, Colorado Springs, CO), time: 1:53:15, prize: $1,000; 6) Clark Ellice (30, New Zealand) time:1:54:08, prize: $500.

After Luxford, the top six females were: 2) Leanda Cave (34, Great Britain), time: 2:07:17, prize: $3,500; 3) Laurel Wassner (33, New York, NY), time: 2:07:29, prize: $2,500; 4) Margaret Shapiro (36, Herndon, VA), time: 2:08:02, prize: $1,500; 5) Debbie Tanner (30, New Zealand), time: 2:09:53, prize: $1,000 6) Sara McCarty (29, Clermont, FL), time: 2:10:48, prize: $500.

“The course is one of the most beautiful, and also one of the most challenging, I have ever competed on,” said Cameron Dye. “The TriColumbia staff and volunteers put on a great race and I am excited to add this event to my resume.”

“Triathlon is a great sport and this race was a lot of fun,” said Annabel Luxford. “The course was one of the toughest I have run, but the support throughout was amazing.”

The 2012 Columbia Triathlon, TriColumbia’s hallmark event, is one of the most challenging and longest running triathlons in the United States, along with being named a 2012 5150 qualifying event. The top 15 in each age group were invited to race at the 5150 Hy-Vee U.S. Championship on September 2, 2012 in Des Moines, Iowa. In addition, those who finished in the top 5 in each age group were offered complimentary entries into the 2012 5150 Hy-Vee U.S. Championship. For more information on the 5150 Triathlon Series, click HERE.

“The weather was absolutely perfect today, which made for an enjoyable race experience by all athletes,” said Robert Vigorito, President of TriColumbia. “Both Cameron and Annabel took advantage of the weather and ran incredible races, logging in excellent times.  We congratulate them and all who participated today, along with our amazing volunteers and sponsors who make this event an annual success.”

TriColumbia is a 501 (C)(3) nonprofit and the Mid-Atlantic’s premier endurance event production company providing an array of events for all ability levels across the triathlon/multisport continuum.  Founded by current president, race director and 6-time Ironman Kona finisher, Robert Vigorito in 1983, the organization makes a difference for participating athletes by providing superior events and memories to last a lifetime, but also gives back to the community by supporting many local and regional charities, which provide a full spectrum of support for citizens in need.  In 2011, TriColumbia contributed more than $200,000 in direct donations to dozens of local and regional charities and community organizations. For more, visit TriColumbia.org.