ST. PETERSBURG — At 7 a.m. on Sunday, a long, steady stream of more than 3,000 athletes began charging into the waters off Spa Beach and proceeded through the swimming, running and cycling of the 30-plus miles of the St. Anthony's Triathlon.
At 8:40 a.m., Cameron Dye, 33, crossed the finish line in first place, making it three straight victories in the event for the Boulder, Colo. native.
To be exact, Dye finished in 1 hour, 40 minutes and 31 seconds, a slightly faster time than predicted because the Olympic-distance course was shortened because of choppy waters in the swim (from a 1.5K to 900 meters).
"I felt pretty good," said Dye, who has been a pro for 11 years and competed in nine St. Anthony's races. "I was a little bummed that we didn't get to do the whole swim because I'm a swimmer. But I felt good in the water and jumped on the bike and started hammering just like I always do."
A little more than 10 minutes after Dye crossed the finish line, the women's winner, Lauren Goss (also of Boulder, Colo.), broke the tape with an official time of 1:51.54.
Both Dye and Goss earned $10,000 for their victories.