2011 Bath Triathlon Draws 250 Competitors

Warm Springs, VA – The 8th Annual Bath County Triathlon is over, but participants and spectators alike will have fond memories of the event. The weather cooperated with balmy temperatures and some breezes to keep everyone comfortable. Water temperature was just under the legal limit to ban wet suits so swimmers could choose the most ideal swimming environment for them.

This year’s triathlon had about 250 participants from 10 states and the District of Columbia, many of whom had local ties to the area. The triathlon consisted of, in order, a half mile swim, a 12 mile bike ride, and a 3 mile run, and 2 and a half hours were allotted for completion of all three events.

Area agencies were at the triathlon including the Bath County Sheriff’s Department, the Virginia State Police Search and Dive Team, and the Hot Springs and Millboro Rescue Squads. In addition, many volunteers offered their services to make the triathlon a success.

Overall Winners were:

For the men – Andrew Cochran of Morgantown, 1st, followed by Philip Hatcher of Wilmington, North Carolina in 2nd place and Baucum Fulk of Little Rock, Arkansas, rounding out the top three. For the women – Ellen Sortore of Roanoke was the overall women’s winner, with Cortney Martin of Blacksburg and Kathleen Casto of Harrisonburg coming in 2nd and 3rd, respectively. Team Tribabies took the first place spot in the relays. No Third Wheel came in 2nd and 2 Geezers and a Stud came in 3rd.

Local winners fared well in the competition. Team Redington of Hot Springs placed 6th out of 17 relay teams. Hayley Billingsley placed 23rd, Jaime Letourneau, 39th, Kae Zulager, 65th, and Jeanne Troast, 80th, in the women’s rankings.
For the men, Kirk Billingsley placed 82nd overall and Pete Minetree placed 126th.

The Bath County Triathlon is co-sponsored by the Warm Springs Ranger District and the Bath County Chamber of Commerce, which involves many of its members to house and support participants and spectators in many ways. The Chamber also promotes the natural beauty of the Allegheny Highlands to first-time visitors such as those to the Triathlon in hopes they will return to the area.

A lot of work went into the planning and implementation of the 8th Annual Bath County Triathlon, but the smiles on the faces of individuals which included all ages seems to indicate that all that work has paid off. Planning is already underway for next year with a desire to make it an even more successful event.