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First Posted: 8/17/2014 LEHMAN TWP. &#8212; Rain and chilly temperatures greeted 400 plus athletes and countless spectators and volunteers Sunday morning at Harveys Lake.
But a little cold, damp weather wasn&#8217;t about to deter anyone from enjoying an annual Back Mountain tradition &#8212; the Wilkes-Barre Triathlon.
&#8220;Last year, I competed two weeks after I had my baby, so I didn&#8217;t win,&#8221; said competitor Kelly Ciravolo. &#8220;Literally, she was 16 days old. But I wanted to do it &#8230; because who doesn&#8217;t do a triathlon 16 days after having a baby. I just can&#8217;t imagine sitting this race out. It&#8217;s where I met my husband, where I met all my good friends.
&#8220;I can&#8217;t sit this one out.&#8221;
It was a good thing Ciravolo didn&#8217;t sit out this year&#8217;s race. The 35-year-old Shavertown resident was the fastest female finisher in the Olympic-distance race. She completed the 1.5K swim, 40K bike ride and 11K run in 2 hours, 28 minutes and 31 seconds.
Ciravolo finished just 8:17 behind the men&#8217;s winner, 26-year-old Stephen Brush of Dunmore. It was her fifth victory in the event.
&#8220;The course is just so much fun,&#8221; Brush said. &#8220;The only other triathlon that I have this much fun at is the Philadelphia Triathlon.&#8221;
The event also featured a shorter distance race, a swimming-and-bicycling division and a team competition.
Mary Kowalski traveled from Holidaysburg to compete as part of team with a friend from the area.
&#8220;I&#8217;ve been up here and saw the lake and thought it was cool lake,&#8221; the 47-year-old Kowalski said. &#8220;And I had a friend in Wilkes-Barre that really wanted to do it.&#8221;
Joseph Bailey of Wilkes-Barre has been at five straight triathlons, but he hasn&#8217;t swum, ran or biked in any them. He&#8217;s served as a volunteer for four years, helping competitors on race day, before becoming a member of the organizing committee for this year&#8217;s race.
&#8220;The first year I did it, my teacher at my school said they needed volunteers,&#8221; the Wyoming Seminary senior said. &#8220;I just kept doing it over and over because I really liked it.
&#8220;I liked the setup. I liked meeting all the people. Everyone is really nice.&#8221;
Would the 18-year-old ever consider competing in the grueling race himself?
&#8220;I thought about it,&#8221; he said. &#8220;But I like volunteering.&#8221;

Rain greets competitors as Brush, Ciravolo win WB Triathlon