This Sunday, 32-year-old Rebeccah Wassner of New York, NY, led a competitive field of professional and top age group athletes, to claim the title at the second annual RYKA Iron Girl Columbia Triathlon. The sold-out event took women, ranging in age from 12 years old to 77 years old, on a 1K swim, 30K bike and a 5K run through beautiful Centennial Park. The scenic, challenging course, located in Ellicott City, MD, bordered the community of Columbia and the surrounding farmlands of Howard County. Of the more than 2,300 women who registered, there were several athletes who stood out of the crowd with their inspirational stories. Among them were:

Melissa Mulreany (54) of Columbia, MD - In 2003 and 2004, Melissa spent most of her time undergoing and/or recovering from treatment for inflammatory breast cancer. Today, Melissa is staying healthy and active by participating in events such as today's triathlon. She crossed the finish line with a time of 2:50:12.

Maura Dunnigan (39) of Ellicott City, MD - Maura, a mother of five, created an event team to raise money for the female-focused local charity Women's Giving Circle. Dunnigan completed today's event with a time of 1:47:18.

Lori Adams (52) of Bethlehem, PA - Lori, one of the Assistant Editors of the popular Runner's World Magazine and an avid triathlete, finished first in her age group this morning with a time of 1:51:26.

Nancy Lineman (32) of College Park, MD - Nancy's uncle was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma and she participated in today's race in honor of him. Her goal was to raise $3,000 for the Ulman Cancer Fund, and so far she has raised the 2nd highest amount for UCF to date. Nancy finished today with a time of 2:19:35.

Top five

1 Rebeccah Wassner    32   New York, NY   1:21:08         
2 Pip Taylor          27   Lennox Head    1:22:55         
3 Laurie Hug          42   Ambler, PA     1:29:32         
4 Loren Smith         27   Hyndman, PA    1:30:45 
5 Holie Kenney        35   Baltimore, MD  1:32:01 

In photo, Erica Rubenstein proudly celebrates her finish.

"Today we saw many great stories of determination, inspiration and dedication to a goal, as 2337 women registered for the event with the hope of becoming an "Iron Girl" at the end of their journey. The course was challenging and tested the women to their limits. I am proud of each and every participant who did not give up and worked so hard to accomplish the personal goal she set for herself," said Robert Vigorito, Event Director for the RYKA Iron Girl Columbia Triathlon.

The Iron Girl event experience provides women of all ages and fitness levels with a competitive platform and added amenities such as performance shirts sized just-for-women, ChampionChip timing, personalized race bibs, custom finisher medals, post-race giveaways, and much more. Iron Girl's charitable partner, the Ulman Cancer Fund, was on- site this morning offering information on racing to benefit young adults living with and recovering from cancer.

The Iron Girl brand, with a mission of empowering women toward a healthy lifestyle, offers several distinct components to include an Interactive Web site and Team Iron Girl. The Web site offers resources such as training tips and nutrition information, while Team Iron Girl serves as an online community that gives women the opportunity to communicate and support one another through success stories, monthly newsletters and features on leading an active lifestyle. The latest addition, IronGirlShop.com offers a variety of nutrition/hydration items and jewelry from Iron Girl.

Photos Below

1. Molly Freitag (27) in the center shares the joy with fellow triathletes.


2. Britt McCormick (39) is 11th overall sharing the stage with two young admirers.


3. Soraya Veloso (32) enjoys the cycling stage of the triathlon.


4. Brianne Lawson (27) is one of the more than 1700 finishers.

Editor's note: Among these triatheletes, were a number of the area's elite road racers, Kristen Didomenico (40), Judi Carbary (57), Laurie Dempsey (37), Janelle McIntyre (42), and top ranked grandmaster Alison Suckling.

For more information on Iron Girl, visit www.IronGirl.com.

For full race results on the event see, http://www.chiptimes.com.

Photos courtesy of asiphoto.com