Athletes all over New York City geared up for the 16th annual New York City triathlon on Sunday. It was not only New Yorkers who ran the race, but also athletes from all over the country and even some parts of the world that partook in the event. This year, however, some of the athletes were not able to finish, due to the extremely hot weather conditions.

The start of the race is in the Hudson where the contestants jump in the river and swim for about one mile. Then they remove their wetsuits and head on over to their bikes where they bike for about 25 miles on New York City’s west side. Lastly, it’s off the bike and on your feet, as they run roughly about six miles in Central Park and finishes there.

Athletes spend a lot of time getting ready for this event by running, swimming, and biking almost everyday. Some spend over a year getting ready to get a good time. Athletes are divided in age groups, or categories, and also division. So the true experts are always put in the elite group, while everyone else is divided by age and sex. Athletes jumped in the water in groups of 15 and about every 20 seconds or so.

Due to the nature of the weather, though, the race was cut down by a few miles in order to ensure the safety and hydration of the athletes. The course was shortened for most runners, as instead of six miles, it went down to four miles. The elite group was still allotted to run the six miles. For the heat advisory put into effect, more medical assistance was available at the finish line and throughout the course. 4,000 athletes were expected for the event. Dustin Weigl of Massachusetts won the men’s, while Cecilia Davis Hayes of New York City won the women’s.

Featured Image via Wikimedia