August Avantaggio, of Damariscotta, won the Pemaquid Triathlon in a time of 1:14:12 on Sunday, Aug. 24 in Bristol. (Mic LeBel photo)
More than 220 athletes braved the blustery remnants of Hurricane Erin while competing in the Pemaquid Beach Triathlon on Sunday, Aug. 24 in Bristol.
The annual event, hosted at Pemaquid Beach by Bristol Parks and Recreation, went off without a hitch, thanks to a throng of volunteers that battled gusty winds and strong surf. The race had 40 more participants than last year.
“The word is getting out that this is an outstanding event and it continues to grow every year,” said Carla McKay, who shares co-organizer duties for the event with Hannah McGhee, of Coastal Rivers Conservation Trust. “We had more first-timers than ever this year and many people that volunteered last year raced it this time around. We also had a bunch of folks who did only a relay leg last year that upped their game to compete in the whole triathlon as individuals this year.”
Known as a “mini-triathlon,” Pemaquid Beach Triathlon kicks off with a sprint down Pemaquid Beach for a 400-yard swim in the Atlantic Ocean followed by a 15.4-mile bike ride that includes a pair of loops around the southern part of the Pemaquid peninsula and a 3.1-mile out-and-back running course along Pemaquid Trail. The residential street with views of John’s Bay also features a loud crowd of supporters cheering on racers during the most grueling final stretch of the race.
August Avantaggio, 39, of Damariscotta, was the overall winner with a time of 1:14:12. His combined time in the three triathlon disciplines was 28 seconds faster than runner-up Nicholas Citriglia, of Camden, who finished with a time of 1:14:40. Dennis Clair, of Plymouth, N.H., was third overall, crossing the finish line in 1:16:13.
As starting times for the competitors were staggered, Avantaggio had to wait a little while at the finish line area to learn that he had won.
“The swim was a little more challenging than I expected due to some choppy waves out there,” Avantaggio said. “I had to pause a couple times to catch my breath due to waves in my face. The biking was also interesting due to some of the wind gusts.”
The cycling stage was the key to Avantaggio’s triathlon victory, as he clocked the race’s second fastest ride in the saddle with a time of 43:30.
Allison Dimatteo, 56, of Saco, was the top female racer and seventh overall with a time of 1:20:00. Dimatteo also won the female title by a matter of seconds, as runner-up Miranda Dillinger, of Boothbay, clocked a combined time of 1:20:11. Catherine Peterson, of Thomaston, was the third female overall with a time of 1:25:41.
The Pemaquid Beach Triathlon also had a record 25 relay teams, in which a trio of athletes split the responsibility of swimming, biking, and running to log a team score.
The top three relay teams were Mach3 (1:17:49, Greg Maher, Tom Maher, and Ada Shirley); Tri & Beat Us (1:19:02, Erin Cochran, Mara Crans, and Mariah Lussier); and Perfect Strangers (1:20:06, David Anderson, Jason Bigonia, and Florin Ungureanu).
The Pemaquid Beach Triathlon is a fundraiser for Bristol Parks & Recreation with the goal of raising money to build a new playground at Pemaquid Beach Park. The final donation sum had not yet been calculated, but with the strong turnout the co-organizers were expecting to exceed their goal of $11,000.
The top three finishers in each age category are as follows:
Women
19 and under: Maya Kellett, 1:35:17; and Ellie Legare, 1:41:46.
20-24: Grace Godes, 1:40:26; Jessica Kennedy, 1:55:42; and Sarah Byrd, 1:59:37.
25-29: Miranda Dillinger, 1:20:11; Catherine Peterson, 1:25:41; and Melissa Britsch, 1:26:44.
30-34: Abigail Brockelbank, 1:45:04; Elizabeth Allaby, 1:49:01; and Clair Baer, 1:51:38.
35-39: Jessica Landry-Lyons, 1:33:49; Julia Brown, 1:43:34; and Katie Sellers, 1:45:36.
40-44: Angela Emery, 1:45:56; Heather Durrell, 1:54:39; and Amy Tardiff, 2:02:47.
45-49: Theresa Goodman, 1:36:16; Irit Altman, 1:38:58; and Meg Hatch, 1:53:33.
50-54: Deborah Moorelai, 1:25:49; Cortney Linville, 1:27:03; and Kirstie Wilkins, 1:44:06.
55-59: Allison Dimatteo, 1:20:00; Sara Bullock, 1:31:36; and Karen Thomas, 1:41:16.
60-64: Maureen Anderson, 1:46:51; and Margaret Pelton, 1:58:55.
65-69: Eileen Dunfey, 1:36:40; and Ginny Hush, 1:55:39.
70 and over: Amy Flanagan, 2:15:46.
Men
20-24: Noah Parker, 1:24:36; Tate Harris, 1:43:25; and David Dole, 1:45:40.
25-29: Jem Bullock, 1:20:20; Cameron Baxley, 1:25:04; and Paolo Demarco, 1:26:42.
30-34: Colby Black, 1:20:58; Alex Milde, 1:30:04; and Tyler Dillinger, 1:30:08.
35-39: August Avantaggio, 1:14:12; Tucker Neale, 1:22:28; and Jaren Willey, 1:23:45.
40-44: Dominic Johnson, 1:20:52; Chris Pert, 1:32:13; and Luke Chao, 1:35:42.
45-49: Nicholas Citriglia, 1:14:40; Dennis Claire, 1:16:13; and Tom Westerlind, 1:22:02.
50-54: Nathaniel Parker, 1:17:01; Stephen George, 1:17:04; and William Lai, 1:22:54.
55-59: Allyn Emery, 1:28:29; Alex Pugh, 1:38:26; and Jim Folgert, 1:40:19.
60-64: Curtis Bentley, 1:19:04; Carl Lane, 1:21:19; and Steve Hart, 1:40:26.
65-69: Mark Dvorozniak, 1:42:10; Peter Owen, 1:43:37; and John Weston, 1:50:55.
70 and over: Dana Grant, 1:52:00; Glenn Montgomery, 2:15:32; and Keith Kallberg, 2:54:09.
(Correction: An earlier version of this article online and on Page 15 of the August 28 edition omitted a result. Amy Flanagan won the female 70 and over division with a time of 2:15:46. The results listed under the Women subheader in the article should have included 70 and over: Amy Flanagan, 2:15:46. The Lincoln County News regrets this error.)
Pemaquid Beach Triathlon co-organizers Hannah McGhee (left) and Carla McKay (right) present buoy lamp prizes to race winners August Avantaggio and Allison Dimatteo on Sunday, Aug. 24. Avantaggio, 39, of Damariscotta, was the overall winner with a time of 1:14:12 and Dimatteo, 56, of Saco, was the top female racer and seventh overall with a time of 1:20:00. (Photo courtesy of Kris Christine)
