Photos: Triathlon Around Quannapowitt In The Rain

The annual triathlon sponsored by the Reading-Burbank Y attracted 170 hardy regional athletes this year. But, the race had barely begun when heavy downpours and booming thunder forced the organizers to cancel the event. Had it been completed, the 170 competitors would have finished a 1/4 out-and-back swim in Lake Quannapowitt, four loops around the lake on bicycles; or 13 miles, completing the challenge with one circuit of the lake on foot; or 3.1 miles.

The triathletes hailed primarily from Middlesex and Essex counties and included first-timers and experienced racers. All proceeds from the event support the Y's Reach Out Campaign which provides scholarships for fitness and summer camp programs run by the Y.