Swim, bike, run, live! Athletes take on annual Harvest Triathlon
Natalia Moulding smiles as she finishes her run. Photos by Mari Huglin 
Racers lined up in their wetsuits to start the morning. 
Swimmers rush into the water. 
Male and female atheltes all started together separated by age and event. 
Two female swimmers head onto the course. 
Swimmers take on the pond at AD Makepeace Farm. 
Kino Liu takes off on his bike and took home fourth place in the Sprint event. 
Cyclists take on a hill. 
Athletes' numbers were marked with Sharpie on their arms and legs during the race. 
Christine Winberg smiles on her bike taking on the Aquabike event where she placed second. 
One athlete gets into an aerodynamic position to climb the hill. 
Lauren Casey placed first in the Sprint Triathlon for women. 
Max Seidel got second place in the Sprint Triathlon for men. 
Max Threlkeld focuses on the final leg of the event. 
Lauren Casey locks into her final leg. 
Morgan Wealti wears a colorful suit while finishing her run. 
Amy Nelson jumps for joy during the event. 
Kurt Mahlke runs the final leg of the event.
Natalia Moulding smiles as she finishes her run. Photos by Mari Huglin
Racers lined up in their wetsuits to start the morning.
Swimmers rush into the water.
Male and female atheltes all started together separated by age and event.
Two female swimmers head onto the course.
Swimmers take on the pond at AD Makepeace Farm.
Kino Liu takes off on his bike and took home fourth place in the Sprint event.
Cyclists take on a hill.
Athletes' numbers were marked with Sharpie on their arms and legs during the race.
Christine Winberg smiles on her bike taking on the Aquabike event where she placed second.
One athlete gets into an aerodynamic position to climb the hill.
Lauren Casey placed first in the Sprint Triathlon for women.
Max Seidel got second place in the Sprint Triathlon for men.
Max Threlkeld focuses on the final leg of the event.
Lauren Casey locks into her final leg.
Morgan Wealti wears a colorful suit while finishing her run.
Amy Nelson jumps for joy during the event.
Kurt Mahlke runs the final leg of the event.
From the pond to the cranberry bogs, athletes from around the country headed to AD Makepeace Farms to take on a sprint or olympic distance triathlon on Sunday, June 7.
The farm and Max Performance, a New England-based triathlon organization hosted there, served as a Massachusetts State Championship qualifier. As part of the USA Triathlon system, the top 30% or top five finishers in each age group, whichever is greater, will qualify for national championship events.
The sprint triathlon distance featured a one-third-mile swim, 11.5-mile bike and 3.5-mile run. The olympic triathlon featured a 0.9-mile swim, 19.5-mile bike and a 6.2-mile run.
Jennifer Stewart and Alexa Stewart from Newton were a mother daughter duo taking on the sprint triathlon individually.
Jennifer Stewart has been doing triathlons for years and got her daughter into them to train with someone. Now that Alexa Stewart is back from college for the summer, they said they thought it would be a good idea to do a first race of the season.
Jennifer Stewart is also training for the Patriot Half triathlon next week.
A rising sophomore at Bates, Alexa Stewart likes the interdisciplinary aspect of triathlons where athletes must train for all three sports at the same time is fun and challenging.
Jennifer Stewart said her favorite part of triathlons are the community aspect of them always getting to meet new people.
“It's a nice community away from work away from all those other stresses of just really great people,” Jennifer Stewart said.
Jennifer Stewart also suggested that sprint triathlons are great for entry level athletes especially for women with all-female races.
Emily Zhou and Eric Chapdelaine, both from Cambridge, were partners in the triathlon with Zhou taking on the swim leg and Chapdela doing the bike. Their partner Luke Chapdelaine was going to do the run.
Zhou, who is 22-years-old, said she is a confident swimmer but has not practiced open water swimming since she doesn’t like what could be hiding in the water.
“I'm a little nervous about dirt, leeches and stuff like that in the water,” Zhou said.
Eric Chapdelaine is 24-years-old and said he was most nervous for Zhou facing the mysteries of the water.
The cyclists said he has never raced before but felt okay about it today.
“I'm not nervous about the bike, but I guess I'm curious on how I'm gonna do,” Eric Chapdelaine said.
Volunteer Naida Parker of Rochester was helping at the event with other members of the Gleason Family YMCA. She was asked to volunteer by Lu Brito the Senior Program Director at the YMCA, but she likes to volunteer anyway.
“I enjoy giving back,” Parker said. “You know, you get involved in the towns and you like to feel that you're not just an observer you're somewhat to some degree involved,” Parker said.
Parker said she is also glad that people from all over the country and especially Massachusetts come to the event and get to see the beauty of the area.
“It gives these people a chance to see something they might not normally see,” she said.
