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SPORTS
Pursuit of physical fitness becomes competitive for athletes of endurance
St. MaryÕs Medical Center Tri-State Triathlon held at Beach Fork Lake on Aug. 3, 2008.
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LAVALETTE -- Frances Hughes once had a problem with her back.
Then she became more serious about exercise.
"I haven't been injured in years," Hughes said Sunday after winning the female portion of the St. Mary's Medical Center Tri-State Triathlon at Beech Fork Lake with a time of 2 hours, 1 minute, 58 seconds.
Jessica Prater placed second in the female competition (2:05.10) and Christy Lawyer finished third (2:08.17).
Hughes, 43, could appear on a poster for HealthyHuntington.org that conducts events such as the triathlon to promote healthy living in the Tri-State.
Jeff Gibson, 35, also got into exercise for fitness reasons. Then his competitiveness kicked in.
"Train to race or race to train, which one is it? The chicken or the egg?" said Gibson, the male triathlon winner with a time of 1:37.08.
Robert Smith of Huntington was the runner-up (1:41.42) and Matt Humphrey from Huntington was third (1:42.48).
More than 200 athletes entered either the triathlon or a duathlon that were conducted at the same time.
The triathlon began with a half-mile swim in the lake followed by a 24.5-mile cycling leg and a 2.9-mile run. The duathlon was a 2.9-mile run, a 24.5-mile bike ride and another 2.9-mile run.
Hughes is a Huntington native living in Raleigh, N.C., and working as a youth counselor. She ran on the Huntington High track team and did some swimming at the Huntington YMCA.
She entered the triathlon two years ago and said, "I was happy to finish."
Gibson was in from Chattanooga, Tenn., visiting relatives and brought along his bike. He saw the event posted on the Internet and decided to sign up.
A cheering section watching from a hillside next to the finish line included Gibson's wife, Bridget, and two sons, Harrison, 2, and Hayden, 4. Gibson's father-in-law, Larry Raymer of Huntington, was also there.
Gibson said he runs about 10 triathlons a year.
Female duathlon winner Jessi Dancy, 29, of Marion, Va., had a time of 1:55.37.
Doug Covington, 39, and also from Marion, Va., was the male duathlon winner with a time of 1:42.23.
HealthyHuntington.org also offers a triathlon relay for teams of two or three members that was won by the Midland Knights with a time of 1:38.21.
Cabell Midland High School athletes on the victorious relay team were sophomore Christian MacCourtney who swam, junior Wes Rhoads who did the cycling leg and junior Michael Niemann who ran.
Rhoads said he is a member of the Turner Logistics Junior Cycling Team.
