San Mateo Woman Places Fifth in Alcatraz Triathlon

San Mateo native Lauren Brandon -- one of about 12 women pros out of nearly 1,800 triathletes to compete in Sunday's San Francisco Triathlon at Alcatraz -- said she placed fifth in the race.

"It was definitely a tough course and a lot longer than the Olympic Distance Triathlon that I am used to, but it was fun!" Brandon said in an e-mail to San Mateo Patch.

Brandon, 26, a competitive swimmer since age 5, said she would "definitely" do the race again.

"TriCal did a great job putting it on and there were lots of amazing volunteers that cheered us on the entire race," she said in her e-mail.

The race consisted of a 1.2-mile swim in the strong, chilly currents surrounding Alcatraz Island, a 25-mile bike ride though the treacherous descends and sharp turns of the San Francisco hills and a 7-mile run near the San Francisco Bay near the Golden Gate Bridge with a sand beach run and a 400-step sand ladder.

Organizers deem this triathlon one of the most difficult in the world.

to read more about Lauren Brandon.