Thomas McGann, a 53 year old Brooklyn native, stood on the boardwalk and expressed his feelings for what he thought had been an unusual experience. “I used to come here all the time many years ago and I just couldn’t believe how clear the water was today…I could even see the bottom!! Years ago you couldn’t see your feet when you were ankle deep…what happened?” He was expressing his state of disbelief for what he had found when swimming through the clear and calm aqua green water here at historic Coney Island. In the shadow of the great Coney Island Parachute Jump with the clean sand, blue sky, and even a 7 AM rainbow jutting out near the peer the day could not have been better and the location could not have been more ideal for the inaugural Coney Island Aquathlon. Sixty nine competitors registered and forty eight showed to test their strength and take a chance on a first time event. Most of the athletes were from Brooklyn or Manhattan with a few from Queens and then a couple from New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The distances, .25 mile swim and 2 mile run combined were just enough to give the fast runner an advantage against a fast swimmer. This was clear in the results as some of the leaders who exited the swim were passed in the run.
This story played itself out among the top five women. Karen Milkosky, from Cranford, NJ, a small town just five minutes West of Staten Island, won her division hands down finishing her swim in a dolphin like time of 8:49, 3rd overall and then running a 7:20 per mile pace to close out her win in 23:29 overall. She only found herself getting passed by the men who would eventually take the top spots in their division. Then following her out of the water were three Brooklynites, second was Trisha Krusman Hanson in a time of 10:55 and then two minutes behind, 34 year old Noreen McEnaney and 35 year old Lesa Joy Schwartz. Quickly each entered and exited the transition area off for the two mile run. Trisha Hanson left without another female in sight of her thus making second place look like it was hers to take. Lesa Schwartz and Noreen McEnaney both left the transition area together making their place seem dependent on who would outlast the other. The race was on! But this race was one that gave those fast runners a chance even though their swim was not the fastest. The 31 year old Maura Vargas from Rego Park, NY was such an athlete exiting the water behind the top four women in a time of 13:02. With almost half of the athletes out of the transition area she must have questioned whether she could make up for time lost in the swim. Her pace, 7:32/mile and only second to the first place female, Karen Milkosky, quickly surprised her competitors. Within the first half mile she raced past Noreen and then Lesa who had taken a small lead ahead of Noreen. With a two minute difference between her and Trisha Hanson it was surprising to see Maura catch up to Trisha just before the turnaround point on the boardwalk. She took a quick cup of water at the water table and never looked back taking second in her division in a time of 28:05. She was 14th overall with a run time faster than five of those who placed in front of her. If she improves her swim, watch out! Trisha continued her well balanced pace and took third place with a final time of 30:43. Finally, Lesa and Norren finished each within one minute of the other to place in the top three of their age groups.
First out of the water for the men was Brian Geraghty, a 38 year old from Rockaway Beach, NY. Competition has grown so much in multisport that it’s hard to imagine that 38 year old Brian felt he had enough of a lead to win the race. Only twenty seven seconds later 20 year old Daniel Gilligan (no relation) from Melville, NY, a small quaint town about 45 minutes east of Brooklyn, exited the water and then thirty seconds later Brooklynites Miguel Castro, 50 years old, and Gary Ojeda, 32 years old. The chase was on! There were others with intentions of winning and it showed in the run. Eighth and ninth out of the water almost two minutes behind the leader came 31 year old Robert Racek from Cliffside Park, NJ and Brooklynite Dawid Jasinskit, 32 years old. Robert had seven competitors in front of him but he is a fast runner and quickly he dug in and churned out a furious 6:20/mile pace, the best on this beautiful day. Little by little within the first mile he passed four male competitors, Dawid Jasinski, Miguel Castro, 44 year old Lyzardo Valedon from Manhattan, and 14 year old Brooklynite, yes 14, Alexei Kalinin. When you are 14 years old what goes through your mind when 30 year old competitors pass you? I’m not sure but back in the day my thoughts may have centered on the idea that the future was mine to take, yours to lose, and that my time would come sooner than you would expect. Alexei may be different, but so what, ninth overall is great for a 14 year old and I’m sure the rest of us can’t wait to say that we once raced with the great Alexei from Brooklyn. So back to Robert Racek who at the turn around found himself with a podium spot within reach if he could only catch Daniel Gilligan. He did, and by the one and a half mile mark he had outpaced 20 year old Daniel who held steady with a 7:16/mile pace. Still, his pace was not fast enough to catch Gary Ojeda who was also posting a fast run to make up for his fifth place in the swim. Gary finished second in a time of 22:03 a little less than two minutes behind the winner and a little less than a minute ahead of Robert who took third. What happened to our 50 year old with the fourth fastest swim time. Miguel Castro took his age group by holding on with a 8:25/mile pace coming in 11th overall in a time of 25:55. One more example of a great comeback was seen by competitors Fumitsugo Tosu and Michael Kasper, our RUN FOR YOUR LIFE sponsor. Both exited the water with times of 11:19 and 11:21 and then took off on the two mile run in 13th and 14th place. 35 year old Michael, who is training for the marathon (don’t ask which one, the only one!) held a 6:52/mile pace, just fast enough to keep him ahead of 28 year old Fumitsugu who held a 7:06/mile pace. They each finished 8th and 9th respectively having moved up seven places by the time they passed the finish line. There were many stories to tell in this race. One that deserves mention is Benjamin Severn from Doylestown, Pa. who took the 10 year old category not because there were no other 10 year old competitors but because he had the guts to complete the entire course coming in thirty third with a great time of 38:20. We can’t wait to see what happens with him. So even though the run segment along the historic Coney Island boarwalk was the deciding factor in this race it was probably the clear, calm, and warm water that everyone will remember. This was noted most in the smiles of each when they exited the water in that each competitor was not thinking about what they had survived but about how great a swim it was. We can’t wait to see how things turn out next year. Best of luck to an awesome group of competitors. CITYTRI