Published September 12, 2010 03:21PM
The first-ever event of the TriRock triathlon series took place this morning at Embarcadero Park in San Diego, Calif. Over 1,200 athletes were greeted with cool and calm conditions.
With the scenic Coronado Bridge in the panorama, the first wave of swimmers hit the 65-degree water at 7:00 a.m. to the sounds of rock ‘n’ roll band Full Revolution, who were positioned on a massive catamaran. From Embarcadero Marina Park South, participants biked on a 20 km course along Harbor Drive to the 32nd Street Naval Base and back to the San Diego Convention Center. They finished their multisport adventure with a 5k run around Seaport village, before finishing to the sounds of Common Sense at the San Diego Symphony’s Summer Pops stage.
The first two finishers across the line were part of the unique Military category that kicked off the race. The fastest times of the day came from two San Diego-area triathletes.
Eighteen-year-old Taylor Turner turned in a blazing time of 53:39 to win the overall race.
“Today was about survival for me,” Turner said post-race. “I’ve been up at school for two weeks at the University of Arizona and my training has just been bad. I was really happy with the way today went. I had a great time. It was a great event and I can’t wait to come back and do it again.”
Tanja Hsu of San Diego represented the 35-39 age group, winning the women’s race in 1:01:56.
“It was nice,” Hsu stated after she crossed the finish line. “The water wasn’t too cold, the bike course was challenging with some technical parts and the run was fun. The race atmosphere was very unique. I really enjoyed the bands on the course. The band in the water was super fun.”
After the race athletes enjoyed a breakfast courtesy of local restaurant The Naked Café and a beer garden provided by Michelob Ultra.
Stay tuned to Triathlete.com for a photo gallery from the event. We’ll also keep you updated on future dates and locations for races in the TriRock Triathlon Series.