A triathlete from Bend endured some cold waters and tough weather to win the Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon in San Francisco over the weekend.
Eric Lagerstrom is now a two-time winner of the event. He endured a 1.5-mile swim in 57-degree water to the mainland, an 18-mile bike ride and an eight-mile run through the streets of San Francisco to claim victory.
Lagerstrom’s time was 2 hours, 1 minute, 36 seconds, doing it as rain was falling.
“You know when you sign up for Escape, you are not just signing up for a race, you are signing up for an adventure. It is unlike any other race and the rainy conditions today just added to the challenge,” Lagerstrom said after the win. “I love this race and am so ecstatic I was able to be victorious today.”
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Lagerstrom was behind eventual third-place finisher Gregory Harper of Walnut Creek, Calif., and four-time champion Ben Kanute when they emerged from the water. He passed Harper on the bike ride then got past Kanute on the run and held on to the finish line.
Lagerstrom also won the Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon in 2015, which was his first time competing in the race.
Jackie Hering of Cottage Grove, Wisc., finished second in 2 hours, 15 minutes, 22 seconds. Danielle Lewis of Boise finished second, three minutes behind.
Nearly 2,000 people competed in the event this year, ranging in age from 18 to 86 years old.
