The reigning three-time champion of the Riverhead Rocks Olympic Distance Triathlon was dethroned this morning in the fourth running of the downtown race.
Anthony Chan, 24, of Flushing, finished first with an overall time of 2:05:48.
The first-place female finisher was Karen Pompay, 45, of Garden City, who finished in 2:21:28, placing 11th overall.
It was the first time for each of them in the Riverhead Rocks event.
Tim Steiskel, 25, of Brookhaven, who won each of the three Riverhead Rocks triathlons held prior to today, placed fourth, finishing in 2:12:42.
“This was a great event,” Chan said after he crossed the finish line on East Main Street. “The swim was beautiful. The river was really, really pleasant. The course was mostly newly paved roads and that was really nice. The two loops on the run was great too.”
Chan said this his “last tune-up” before competing in a half-Ironman in Salzburg Austria in two weeks.
Pompay, who said she races in triathlons three or four times a year, was also training today. She’s planning to compete in Ironman Florida in Panama City Nov. 7.
The first swimmers dove into the water at 6:40 a.m. to begin a 1.5K swim down and back up the Peconic River. Racers then faced a 40K bike ride that stretched across Riverhead Town from Wading River Manor Road to Doctors Path. Participants finished the triathlon with a 10K run around downtown Riverhead. One hundred and fifty-nine people finished the race, according to Event Power. See full results here.
The survival of local journalism depends on your support.
We are a small family-owned operation. You rely on us to stay informed, and we depend on you to make our work possible. Just a few dollars can help us continue to bring this important service to our community.
Support RiverheadLOCAL today.
