Photo below: Megan Knepper (25) of Fairfax, VA bicycling on Canal Road near mile 8. Megan won the women's race in 2:17:37.

The 3rd Annual Nation's Triathlon(TM) to Benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society was held on Sunday, September 14 in Washington, DC. There were 2391 finishers, including Mayor Adrien Fenty, in the USAT-sanctioned Olympic distance triathlon which included a 1.5K swim in the Potomac River, a 40K bike course along the C& O Canal and through downtown Washington, and a 10K run to the Pennsylvania Avenue finish line near Freedom Plaza.

The first wave of swimmers hit the water at 7am on a hot and humid day; the winning male was William Schultz (31) of Bowie, MD, in 2:01:50, and Megan Knepper (25) of Fairfax, VA was the fastest female (2:17:37). Washington, DC Mayor Adrian Fenty finished 149 (2:30:10) among 1440 male finishers. In the 1st Annual Military Challenge sponsored by UMUC, 104 competitors from all four military academies finished the triathlon; the winners were Kyle Hooker (20) in 2:08:06 and Samantha Bird (30) of Arlington, VA with 2:18:40.

Photo below: Seen here while running the final mile on Constitution Avenue near 7th Street, Amy Alexander (22) of Rockville, MD represented the U.S. Navy with a second place (2:29:12) in the Military Challenge--Females.

For the first time, the Nation's Triathlon(R) joined forces with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS); it is the first triathlon in the nation dedicated to raising money to help cure blood cancers. More than 700 Team in Training (LLS endurance program) athletes competed and raised $3 million for research, patient education and support initiatives.

"We'd like to thank all of our competitors and sponsors this year," noted Nation's TriathlonTM founder Charles Brodsky. "Their participation has helped make this one of the premier triathlons in the nation." Triathletes are encouraged to register for the 2009 Nation's Triathlon, and experience one of the most scenic, patriotic and picturesque cities in the nation.

Photo below: Kyle Hooker (20) is young and talented. Seen here bicycling on Canal Road, Kyle placed fourth (2:08:06) among men and won the Military Challenge--Males.

About The Nation's Triathlon(TM)
The Nation's Triathlon, founded by Charles L. Brodsky, is a premiere Olympic distance triathlon in the United States. Major sponsors for the Nation's Triathlon To Benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society include: UnitedHealthcare--Official Healthcare Provider and sponsor of The UnitedHealthcare Sports & Fitness Expo; Timex--Official Timekeeper for The Timex Timing Zone; JetBlue Airways--Official Airline and Sponsor for The JetBlue Airways Finish Line Festival, UMUC--Official Sponsor for the Military Challenge, and The Roll Call Group--Official Sponsor for the Congressional Challenge. Additional sponsors include: Federal Radio Talk News, City Sports, Crocs, Dasani, PowerAde, DC Tri Club, Xterra Wetsuits, MetroSports DC magazine and TriBike Transport.

Photo below: The city of Washington, DC can take pride in the athletic prowess of Mayor Adrian Fenty (right in photo), who finished the Nation's Triathlon in 2:30:10. Sponsored by Fleet Feet of Adams Morgan, Mayor Fenty ran the 10K leg in 46:00; he is often spotted among the swift finishers at local road races.