Audrey Mahew completed the inaugural Cheaha Extreme Triathlon in a time of 14:47:55 to win by almost an hour in a field of 16 competitors.
Mahew, 32, completed the course 56 minutes ahead of runner-up Ryan Davis, who crossed the line in 15:44.40. Rafael Santiago was third in 15:56:30.
See all the Cheaha Extreme Triathlon results here.
Ten of the 16 competitors finished the event, which was held June 11 at Mt. Cheaha in east-central Alabama. The 2,407-foot mountain is the highest in the state. It also is one of the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. Cheaha State Park is popular year-round for its vistas and outdoors opportunities. It, like others in the state, are well-loved and used often.
Triathletes experienced more than 15,000 feet of elevation gain over the 135-mile course. They had a 2-mile lake swim, 108-mile bike ride with 11,250 feet of elevation gain, and a 24-mile run. The latter included more than 3,700 feet of elevation. Competitors were required to have at least one crew-team member to assist.
East-central Alabama’s mountains and hills may not compare to other states’ taller peaks, but they’re challenging. Roots, rocks, switchbacks, ticks, snakes and rooty-rocky-OMG! areas in the area give any trail runner a test. Throw in biking and swimming, and no doubt this one was a doozy.
(MAIN PHOTO: Pulpit Rock in Cheaha State Park / Mike Callahan, Alabama DCNR)
Check out the event promo video below:
