22 Photos
The Mighty Montauk Triathlon on Saturday. KYRIL BROMLEY
The Mighty Montauk Triathlon on Saturday. KYRIL BROMLEY
The Mighty Montauk Triathlon on Saturday. KYRIL BROMLEY
The Mighty Montauk Triathlon on Saturday. KYRIL BROMLEY
The Mighty Montauk Triathlon on Saturday. KYRIL BROMLEY
The Mighty Montauk Triathlon on Saturday. KYRIL BROMLEY
The Mighty Montauk Triathlon on Saturday. KYRIL BROMLEY
The Mighty Montauk Triathlon on Saturday. KYRIL BROMLEY
The Mighty Montauk Triathlon on Saturday. KYRIL BROMLEY
The Mighty Montauk Triathlon on Saturday. KYRIL BROMLEY
The Mighty Montauk Triathlon on Saturday. KYRIL BROMLEY
The Mighty Montauk Triathlon on Saturday. KYRIL BROMLEY
The Mighty Montauk Triathlon on Saturday. KYRIL BROMLEY
The Mighty Montauk Triathlon on Saturday. KYRIL BROMLEY
The men's winner Men’s winner William Huffman, 28 of New York City. KYRIL BROMLEY
The men's winner Men’s winner William Huffman, 28 of New York City. KYRIL BROMLEY
The men's winner Men’s winner William Huffman, 28 of New York City. KYRIL BROMLEY
The men's winner Men’s winner William Huffman, 28 of New York City. KYRIL BROMLEY
The men's winner Men’s winner William Huffman, 28 of New York City. KYRIL BROMLEY
Top-ten finisher CJ Nuess with his daughters Areli and Cavan. KYRIL BROMLEY
Women’s winner Jillian Jacinth, 38, of Babylon. KYRIL BROMLEY
Women’s winner Jillian Jacinth, 38, of Babylon. KYRIL BROMLEY
After a two-year hiatus due to the pandemic, the Robert J. Aaron Memorial Mighty Montauk Triathlon made a triumphant return on Saturday, June 11.
New York City resident William Huffman, 29, was the winner, finishing the 1-mile swim in Lake Montauk, 20-mile bike ride, and 6.2-mile run in 1:46.00, followed by fellow New York City resident Dixon McDonald, 33, who finished in 1:57.58. Both Huffman and McDonald are part of the Full Throttle triathlon team that trains at Chelsea Piers in Manhattan.
Tim Steiskal, 32, of Brookhaven was third in 1:58.56. He won the triathlon in 2018. Matthew Connelly was the defending champion, having won the last time the triathlon was contested, in 2019, but he did not compete this year.
The battle for the top three spots among the women was fierce, with less than 20 seconds separating the top two finishers. Jillian Jacinth, 29, of Babylon was first in 2:12:21 (17th overall), while Caitlin Kappel, 39, of East Hampton was second in 2:12:37 (18th overall). Nadine Crane, 44, of Sayville was third in 2:16:47 (28th overall).
Full results are at trisignup.com.
Race Director Merle McDonald-Aaron said she was thrilled to bring the race back to Montauk after the hiatus.
“It was great to be back,” she said. “And the weather was just perfect.”
McDonald-Aaron added that the newly repaved roads made the bike portion even smoother, and said she was pleased to see the intrigue in the women’s race, which made it more exciting at the end. Huffman had the men’s title in the bag when he was two-thirds of the way through, getting off his bike with a 10-minute lead on the rest of the field.
Attendance was down this year, which McDonald-Aaron said could have been due to a number of factors, with lingering reticence about large gatherings because of COVID maybe contributing to the hesitation of some people to enter. The race typically draws more than 500 competitors, she said, while this year there was slightly less than 300. But McDonald-Aaron said she noticed more young competitors and first-time triathletes, which she said bodes well for the future of the sport and the race.
“I hope that’s a trend that continues,” she said.
If it is, it will help ensure the continued popularity of an event that has been a Montauk tradition for decades. The Mighty Montauk Triathlon was started in 1982 by Robert John Aaron, McDonald-Aaron’s husband. They put the race on together every year until his death from pancreatic cancer in 2002. Since then, McDonald-Aaron has held the title of race director, and she renamed the race in his honor. The Lustgarten Foundation, which raises money for pancreatic cancer research, has been the primary beneficiary of the race since then, as another way to honor Aaron’s memory.
McDonald-Aaron said she was thankful for all the support this year in putting on the race, giving special recognition to the police and lifeguards who helped make the triathlon go off smoothly and safely, as well as Peter Kalikow, who allowed access to his property which includes the portion of Lake Montauk where the swim was conducted.
Cailin Riley on Jun 14, 2022