09 Chicago Triathlon – AG

The Windy City, home of the Cubs and White Sox, the Bears and the Bulls and the Blackhawks, Soldier Field, Harry Caray and Mike Ditka, one of the world’s fastest marathons, a NASCAR race track, and a 2016 Olympics finalist bidder, is also home to the world’s biggest triathlon. On August 30, Jan Caille’s Chicago Triathlon celebrated its 27th edition, welcoming more than 9,000 age group competitors over two days in events ranging from the McDonalds kids triathlon and a Super Sprint event on Saturday to a sprint and Olympic distance race in Sunday. All in all on the big final day, there were 57 age group waves that included the newly created Accenture Paralympic Challenge for 25 men and women from the Challenged Athlete Foundation, a category for police, elite amateurs, Clydesdales and Athenas, relays, and a sprint mountain bike division.

But when all is said and done, the lure of triathlon Chicago is the thrill of swimming in Monroe Harbor where your family and friends can cheer right next to you on the seawall, bike on the superfast Lakeshore Drive past Chicago’s world class glass and steel architectural wonders, and run though Grant Park and around the Shedd Aquarium with an unparalleled vista of Chicago’s waterfront and skyline. It’s an living ribbon of people in multicolored neoprene and formfitting spandex wrapping up one of the world’s great cities as well as conceptual artist Christo ever could.

Photo gallery by Timothy Carlson

Age group cyclist rounds the final U-Turn into T2, framed by Chicago’s glorious glass and steel canyons.

Pent up energy in the final pen before the swim start.

Several of the 57 age group swim start waves waiting for their turn on the seawall at Monroe Harbor.

One last tug on the neoprene to get the arms comfortable.

The air horn blast and another wave takes off.

The local Fox TV news station captures some action.

An Olympic distance swim wave heads south toward the museums and aquarium before rounding the buoy for the journey north.

Flags show the 20 mph winds whipping up Lake Michigan.

The signature vista of the Chicago Triathlon: Monroe Harbor and a ring of high rise condominiums and office buildings invaded by thousands of triathletes.

Age groupers make their way to the end of the swim.

Friends and family get a front row seat on the seawall to cheer on their favorite triathletes.

One of 25 Challenged Athlete competitors in the Accenture Paralympic Challenge.

With her specially designed run leg firmly fastened, it’s time to run from the swim to the bike transition area.

Age groupers run half a mile from the swim exit to their bikes.

The bike starts with a climb up the ramp to Lakeshore Drive.

Yaz was a Hall of Fame Red Sox baseball player. But Yarz has his or her own triathlon fan.

This is where you park 7,000-plus bikes on a Sunday in Chicago.

A beautiful stride along Grant Park on Chicago’s waterfront.

Part of the charm of the Chicago Triathlon is the soft green cross country style path in the first mile of the run.

Three age group competitors striding for glory in the Windy City.