Results from first race of the season

Local Sports from The Courier
Monday, June 16, 2008 Flag City triathlon: Mason is fastest to finish
It was the times on the clock, not on his birth certificate, that stood out about Martin Mason's performance Sunday when he won the Flag City Multisport triathlon held at Riverbend Recreation Area. Mason, 45, completed the 1,500-meter swim, 24.8-mile bike ride and 10K run in 2 hours, 5 minutes, 59 seconds. His time was almost 3 minutes better than 25-year-old Thilo Fielder, the runner-up in 2:08.53. Nathan Russell, 36, was third in 2:09.14.

In the Olympic Female Triathlon, former University of Findlay track athlete Emilie Tullis won the overall women's title with a time of 2:24.34. Sara Skilliter was second (2:27.57) and Findlay's Rachel Martinez third (2:31.13).

Two world-class athletes highlighted competition in the duathlon, which substitutes another running event for the swimming competition found in a traditional triathlon.

Cheryl Hart, a 54-year-old sports psychology consultant who earned silver medals in the 2004 World Triathlon Championship in Portugal and the World Duathlon Championship in Belgium, completed the 5K run, 24.8-mile bike ride, and then a 10K run in 2:27.14. She not only won the Olympic Female Duathlon, but would have finished third in the men's event as well.