West Windsor, New Jersey – With warm temperatures and testing humidity, the 2019 New Jersey State Triathlon welcomed new champions in the sprint and Olympic distance races.

The largest triathlon in New Jersey brought nearly 3,500 participants out to Mercer Lake over the weekend, with race officials implementing a heat plan in consultation with local public safety officials. That plan included making adjustments to the course to provide athletes with as safe of an event experience as possible. The sold-out race also opened a limited number of slots for displaced athletes following the cancelation of Sunday’s New York City Triathlon.

In fact, the first individual to cross the finish line in Saturday’s Sprint distance was professional triathlete Nathan Breen of Australia, who traveled to the U.S. to compete at New York. He finished the modified triathlon – consisting of a 500-yard swim, a 11.5-mile bike and 2-mile run – in 46 minutes and 21 seconds.

“This was a great event, really well run, very professional,” said Breen. “It’s the little things that contribute to an awesome event atmosphere and make all the difference – the DJ, announcer, volunteers, location, course, overall event management were all brilliant in New Jersey! I can’t thank the organizers enough for accommodating me.”

Catherine Giuseffi had the fastest time for women in the sprint race, finishing the triathlon in 54:04. Allison Gadaleta, who broke the tape as the first finisher, was second in 54:22.

Former Villanova swimmer Michael Phinney won the Olympic race on Sunday morning by finishing in 1 hour, 3 minutes, 34 seconds – just under a minute ahead of second-place Jeffrey Gomez. Like Breen the day before, Phinney was originally scheduled to race NYC.

“This is actually my 8th time doing the New Jersey race and the atmosphere is awesome, the volunteers were the best, so well-marked and well organized, that’s why I love doing this race year after year,” said Phinney. “It definitely got hot during the run, the organizers were smart to shorten the distance because you always want athlete safety to be top of mind.”

Women’s Olympic winner Megan Martin finished the race in 1:10:53. The 36-year-old from Williamsport, Maryland was competing in New Jersey for the first time.

“I had some pretty high expectations before I found out about the heat wave, so I adjusted my plan and just focused on having a good race and not over doing it,” said Martin. “The crowd was incredible. I’ve done the Hawaii Ironman twice and this would be number 2 on my list for the best event atmosphere. We were lucky to have such amazing spectator support today and the logistics were great. I’ll be back for years to come.”

All events took place at Mercer County Park, offering athletes a spectacular course that swims in Mercer Lake, a flat and fast bike ride around the scenic park and ends with a run to the finish in front of thousands of cheering spectators. The weekend-long triathlon festivities included a free two-day Health & Fitness Expo and a finish line festival featuring music and the Michelob Ultra beer garden. In 2019, the event also hosted the USA Triathlon Club National Championships where triathlon clubs from across the country competed for the national title and bragging rights. The Club Nationals awards will be announced by USA Triathlon.

The 15th New Jersey State Triathlon will take place on the weekend of July 18-19, 2020. Special pre-sale registration prices for both the Sprint and Olympic Distance events will be available online through Sunday, July 28. For complete results, photos and more, visit the website and follow the hashtag #NJStateTrion Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

About The New Jersey State Triathlon

Home of the New Jersey State Championships, the award-winning New Jersey State Triathlon, has sold out to 3,500 triathletes annually since its inception in 2006. In 2019 the sprint distance event is scheduled for Saturday, July 20 and Olympic-distance triathlon on Sunday, July 21. Both races will be held on a flat and fast course at Mercer County Park, with the swim taking place at Mercer Lake. For more information about the New Jersey State Triathlon, visit the website and follow us follow us on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook.

About Motiv

We are Motiv, a leading global event business who own and operate events and festivals in the U.S, Australia and the UK. We entertain, challenge and engage over 375,000 event attendees every year. Proud producers of some incredible events including the Surf City Marathon, Jet Blue Long Beach Marathon, Napa to Sonoma Wine Country Half Marathon, Sydney Running Festival, Nautica Malibu Triathlon, Philadelphia Love Run and the 50th Anniversary Denver Oktoberfest to name just a few. We believe in partnering with events and like-minded businesses that engage, inspire and make a difference in the lives of the audiences that enjoy them. Learn more at MotivGroup.com.

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