Howard County Celebrates Second Annual RYKA Iron Girl Columbia Triathlon

By Amanda Hof



On Sunday, Aug. 19, 2007, Howard County welcomed more than 2,300 female tri-athletes, representing 33 states, to Centennial Park in Ellicott City for the second annual RYKA Iron Girl Columbia Triathlon, the largest event in Iron Girl history. The sold-out women's-only triathlon took participants ranging in age from 12 to 77 years old on a 1-kilometer swim, 30-kilometer bike ride and 5-kilometer run through Centennial Park. The challenging course bordered Columbia and scenic farmlands of Howard County. Family and friends showed up in droves at the park and lined the streets of neighborhoods within the racecourse to cheer on their own Iron Girls.

Participants enjoyed amenities such as performance shirts sized just-for-women, electronic timing by Champion Chip, personalized race bibs, custom finisher medals, post-race giveaways and a chance to win an entry and all-expense-paid trip to the recently announced 2008 Iron Girl Lake Las Vegas Triathlon, courtesy of the race facilitator, Columbia Triathlon Association Inc. Festivities officially kicked off on Friday, Aug. 17, with a Pre-Packet Pick & Expo at the Sheraton, Columbia, the official hotel of the RYKA Iron Girl Columbia Triathlon. Iron Girl's charitable partner, the Ulman Cancer Fund, was on-site race day and at pre-race activities offering information on racing to benefit young adults living with and recovering from cancer.



Top Five Finishers

Rebeccah Wassner, 32, of New York, N.Y., led a competitive field of professional and top age group athletes, to claim the 2007 title by a finishing time of 1:21:08. Also among the top five are: Pip Taylor, 27, of Australia; Laurie Hug, 42, of Ambler, Penn.; Loren Smith, 27, of Hyndman, Penn.; and Holie Kenney, 35, of Baltimore, Md.



Athletes Stand Out With Inspirational Stories

"Today we saw many great stories of determination, inspiration and dedication to a goal, as 2,337 women registered for the event with the hope of becoming an 'Iron Girl' at the end of their journey," said Robert Vigorito, event director for the RYKA Iron Girl Columbia Triathlon. "The course was challenging and tested the women to their limits. I am proud of each and every participant who did not give up and worked so hard to accomplish the personal goal she set for herself."

Among the women who registered, there were several athletes who stood out of the crowd with their inspirational stories.

¥ Melissa Mulreany, 54, from Columbia, Md., who spent most of her time in 2003 and 2004 undergoing and or recovering from treatment for inflammatory breast cancer, is now staying healthy and active by participating in events such as the Aug. 19 triathlon, where she crossed the finish line with a time of 2:50:12.

¥ Maura Dunnigan, 39, from Ellicott City, Md., mother of five, created an event team to raise money for the female-focused local charity Women's Giving Circle and completed the event with a time of 1:47:18.

¥ Lori Adams, 52, assistant editor of Runner's World magazine and an avid triathlete from Bethlehem, Penn., finished first in her age group with a time of 1:51:26.

¥ Nancy Lineman, 32, from College Park, Md., participated in honor of her uncle who was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Her goal was to raise $3,000 for the Ulman Cancer Fund (the designated charity of Iron Girl). As of the 2007 event, she raised the second highest amount for UCF. Lineman finished the race with a time of 2:19:35.



Why Iron Girl?

Vigorito, also president and CEO of The Columbia Triathlon Association Inc. (CTA) and a nationally recognized race director, had the vision to bring a premier women's-only event to the area. Iron Girl, a branded event series company headquartered in Tarpon Springs, Fla., had the type of event Vigorito was looking for.

The focus of Iron Girl events is to create top-notch quality women's events. Iron Girl provides women with a competitive platform - one that showcases seasoned athletes and novices alike. Performance is encouraged by offering challenging courses and event camaraderie. Iron Girl wants women to embrace a healthy lifestyle and aim to achieve their personal bests.

Director of Iron Girl Judy Molnar added, "Iron Girl events are welcoming, not intimidating to the novice." Up to 45% of the participants in the Columbia event were first-timers. The hope is that women who participate in an Iron Girl event will feel empowered to compete in similar and or even more challenging events such as the internationally recognized Columbia Triathlon at Centennial Lake with a 1.5-kilometer swim, 41-kilometer bike ride and 10-kilometer run.



Triathlon to Become an Annual Event

The RYKA Iron Girl Columbia Triathlon and the recently announced 2008 Iron Girl Lake Las Vegas Triathlon, the first international-distance triathlon Iron Girl event of the 2008 series, are among 11 nationwide Iron Girl events. The inaugural 2006 RYKA Iron Girl Columbia Triathlon hosted by CTA marked the first of a three-year agreement to host the event. CTA recently renewed for an additional three years.

"Columbia and Ellicott City are beautiful and provide an incredible Iron Girl event experience," said Molnar. She hopes to see the event grow even larger, "drawing more people to Howard County."

For more information on The RYKA Iron Girl Columbia Triathlon, contact The Columbia Triathlon Association Inc. at 410-964-1246 or www.tricolumbia.org.



Amanda Hof is special events and projects manager for Howard County Tourism and is a 2007 RYKA Iron Girl Columbia Triathlon finisher. She can be reached at 410-313-1904 or Amanda@visithowardcounty.com.