New Course Record Set At Annual Reston Sprint Triathlon

RESTON, VA — After last year's Reston Sprint Triathlon became a virtual event due to COVID-19 restrictions, triathletes competed against each other in-person across Reston pools, streets and paths on Sunday.

Now in its 15th year, the triathlon is not just an opportunity for local athletes to compete, but it also raises money to support the community, according to the race's founder, Doug Bushee.

"Unlike other triathlons, I wanted to create this triathlon to support a community partner, so I selected Cornerstones, which at the time was Reston Interfaith," he said. "I felt that we could do a triathlon in the spring that would raise money for Cornerstones and that was the inspiration to start the event."

In a typical year, the Core Foundation, the non-profit Bushee created to plan and execute the race, contributes $25,000 to Cornerstones, which uses the money to help people in need in northwestern Fairfax County.

Bushee didn't have the final numbers for the 2021 race. But, if the Core Foundation met its goal of $25,000 as he expected, that would mean the race has raised $400,000 for Cornerstones over its 15 years of existence.

"All of that great stuff that exists and is happening also raises $25,000 a year for those at risk and that's for those that are without housing, without food that need additional skills, that need daycare and childcare," Bushee said. "That's what this event brings to the Reston community."

On Sunday, 288 people competed in the 2021 Reston Sprint Triathlon, which had been postponed from its usual date of the weekend after Memorial Day.

When signup for the 2021 race started in January, organizers weren't certain whether COVID-19 restrictions would be lifted to allow an in-person event in the spring. So, a Plan B was developed to allow for the race to take place in August if necessary.

"Unlike previous years, we actually reserved two dates, one beginning of the summer, one at the end of the summer," Bushee said. "That way athletes, when they registered, knew that that option was available. They'd look, 'Could I be available both dates?'"

Organizers also launched a virtual completion starting the weekend after Memorial Day, with 10-15 people opting to compete virtually this year, according to Bushee.

As a "sprint" triathlon, Reston's event is not quite as grueling as the famed Iron Man Triathlon, in which competitors complete a 2.4 mile swim, a 12 mile bike ride and 26.2 mile run back-to-back.

Sunday's competitors started out by swimming eight laps (400 meters) in Lake Newport's Olympic-sized pool. They then hopped on their bicycles and exited the Lake Newport parking lot, taking a left onto Lake Newport Road.

"They come up to Reston Parkway and they take a right," Bushee said. "On race day, the right lane is all blocked off and they do three loops going from Reston Parkway, then up to Wielhe, then up Baron Cameron towards the Home Depot, which they call the hill of death."

Returning to Lake Newport Pool, the competitors then hop off their bikes and begin a 5K run via Reston's trail system. They finish the race back on Lake Newport Road.

In the men's competition, 20-year-old Ryan Luczak finished first with a time of 53:34, which broke the previous record that had stood for 12 years.

Here are the men who finished in the top 10 on Sunday:

1. Ryan Luczak - 53:34
2. Noah Kennedy - 54:58
3. James Crosby - 56:15
4. Rocco Saracina - 58:52
5. Cameron Hamilton - 59:36
6. Jacob Crouch - 1:00:00
7. Teagan Miller - 1:00:14
8. Roman Steis - 1:02:13
9. Dexter Steis -1:02:13
10. Joshua Shepherd - 1:02:18

In the women's competition, 17-year-old Ava Larkin crossed the finish line first with a time of 1:02:37.

Here are the women who finished in the top 10 on Sunday:

1. Ava Larkin - 1:02:37
2. Anita Freres - 1:13:38
3. Julia Shealy - 1:13:52
4. Meghan Duffy Beckman - 1:15:03
5. Kim Shoop - 1:16:07
6. Michelle Blouse - 1:17:01
7. Stefani Shepherd - 1:17:55
8. Lisa Hughes - 1:17:56
9. Maureen Dalbec - 1:18:01
10. Stephanie Alger - 1:18:20

The complete list of the 288 participants in the 2021 Reston Sprint Triathlon is available on RaceWire.