Swim Portion Of 'Escape from Alcatraz' Triathlon Canceled

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — A small craft advisory and strong winds on San Francisco Bay forced the cancellation of the swim portion of Sunday's "Escape from Alcatraz" triathlon in San Francisco. The conditions on the Bay made it dangerous for safety personnel in kayaks and on paddleboards to be in the water to help keep the swimmers safe.

The bike and running portions went on with Rio Olympian Ben Kanute from Tucson winning the men's division with a time of 1 hour, 30 minutes and 9 seconds.

“I felt great coming into today’s race,” said 2017 Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon Winner Ben Kanute. “When I first heard the swim was cancelled I was disappointed but then I realized I was here to race and win, no matter what the course and all legs of this course are extremely challenging. The strong winds today made both the bike and run legs even more challenging. To race alongside some of the legends of the sport in this quality field was a huge honor, making this the biggest win of my career to date.”

Lauren Goss of Boulder, Colorado took home the women's title with a time of 1:42:06.

“I was disappointed the swim was cancelled, so I knew I had to give it my all on the bike leg; it was the only way to win- and it worked,” said 2017 Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon Champion Lauren Goss. “I’m shocked, to win today is the biggest win of my career.”

UC Berkeley took first place in the Muscle Milk Collegiate Escape with a finishing time of 1:54:27.

Race officials said participants came from more than 50 countries. The oldest triathlete was 87-years-old. This year's athletes are guaranteed a spot in next year's event.

— Bay City News contributed to this report; Image via Escape from Alcatraz