Annual Stissing Triathlon records 67 personal bests

PINE PLAINS —  A weekend of rain broke favorably on Sunday, June 25, the morning of the Stissing Triathlon, and approximately 100 athletes competed in the event under a bright and pleasant sun.

On the docket was a 750-meter swim through Stissing Pond, a 12.6-mile hilly bike rise, and a 3.3-mile run, making the event a sprint triathlon, exactly half the distance of a standard triathlon.

Cruising into first place in the men’s category was Grahm Gaydos, who set a course record with a time of 1:03:09 in Male 20-24, beating the previous course record by four minutes. Gaydos is a student at Williams College in Massachusetts, where he studies international relations and competes on the men’s cross-country team.

Julia Mavrodin of Stanfordville took first place in the women’s category, and sixth overall, with a time of 1:13:01 in Female 40-44. A course record was also set in the sprint aquabike, which is limited to swimming and biking, with Tom Denham of Delmar finishing at 57:44 in Male 55-59. Finally, a record was set in the sprint relay as well, by the “Siscathlon” team with a time of 1:11:45.

The triathlon was put on by Wilson Endurance Sports, which annually hosts more than 20 sporting events across New York state and Connecticut. Founded by Mark and Tonia Wilson, the couple took over the Stissing Triathlon about five years ago, but the event had been held in Pine Plains for at least eight years before that. Mike Sikorski, who finished third with a time of 1:11:28 in Male 40-44, recalled his participation in the Stissing Triathlon stretching back as far as 2010, describing it as something of a yearly tradition.

The event was not without its dramatic moments, which included one participant skidding to the ground on a gravelly turn during the biking segment. But the triathlon went smoothly overall, with athletes in their 20s and 60s alike coming together after the race’s conclusion to enjoy a picnic by the beach. According to the posted race results, 67 personal bests were recorded that day.