C.W. Moran of Millsboro wins Bethany triathlon

Bethany is a first-class beach town in southern Delaware, a together, clean place in civic harmony with no attraction to the rambling riffraff that plagues some other resorts.

Visitors experience the boardwalk zone between the ocean and town, shaking their heads up and down, “Yep I could live here,” before returning somewhere to run the hamster wheel of the gainfully employed.

On Sunday, the Bethany Beach First Responders Tri-Du Aquabike was tightly organized with Garfield Parkway as the start and transition area for 700 bikes and 1,000 competitors.

Piranha Sports times the event with chip computer timing and eight digital clocks at the finish representing the eight waves of starts. The computer sorts and slots the finish, providing almost immediate and instantaneous results.

The races began at 7:30 a.m. with 175 duathletes heading north over soft sand for a 1K beach run followed by a 30K bike then a 7K run. The triathlon went off in waves to accommodate 415 athletes of various fitness levels.

The triathlon consisted of a 1K swim followed by a 30K bike then a 7K run. The Aquabike, which 49 souls elected to register for,  was a 1K swim followed by a 30K bike then a 500-yard sprint to the finish.

C.W. Moran, 29, of Millsboro was the triathlon winner in a time of 1:22:11, five minutes ahead of Kevin Kendro, 34, of Frederick, Md. in a time of 1:27:33.

Rick Brokaw, 53, the school psychologist at Cape Henlopen High School, placed 20th. Lance Fargo of Ocean View, the reigning national champion in the Clydesdale category, finished 23rd.

Christina Dorner, 40, of Rockville, Md., was the first woman in a time of 1:41:33, followed by Stacey Kawacki, 52, of Baltimore, Md. in 1:41:4.

The duathlon was won by Ron Mentus, 47, of Virginia in a time of 1:24.  Mentus averaged 25 mph the first half of the bike against the wind then after the Tower Road turnaround came back at 30 mph.

Elizabeth Sylves of Saint Petersburg,  Fla., was the first woman in 1.33:21.

Scott Barbour, 47, of Reisterstown, Md., won the Aquabike in a time of 1:04:36. Ellen Mcclure, 42, of Baltimore, Md., was the first woman in 1:18.20.

The Big Embryos out of Wilmington captured the Duathlon Relay with Isaac Russell the runner and Jeff Russell the swimmer.

The Firm Fitness Center won the triathlon relay with Holly Diehl on the swim, Paul Timmons on the bike and Dan Matta on the run.