Bad to the (Bill) Bone!

Tom Stokes (far right), gracious as always, shakes a competitor's hand after receiving his third place age group award in the 70-74 age group at the Bill Bone Tropical Triathlon at Lake Worth Beach Park on Oct. 23. Deb Stokes photo.

Several locals trekked down to Lake Worth Beach Park on Oct. 23 to compete in the 24th annual Bill Bone Tropical Triathlon. The sprint race offered athletes a quarter-mile ocean swim, a 13-mile bike and a 5K run. There were also options for those wanting to do an aquabike or duathlon, as well.

Cocoa’s Kristen Faust turned in the fastest 321 time, zipping through the finish in one hour, eighteen minutes and 46 seconds, good enough for tenth overall female and second in the 55-59 age group.

Cocoa's Kristen Faust turned the fastest local time and 10th female overall at the Bill Bone Tropical Triathlon at Lake Worth Beach Park on Oct. 23. Donna Arnister photo.

The 57-year-old recently retired middle school math teacher, who has been racing everything from sprints to 70.3 events for fifteen years, enjoyed the south Florida course.

“The swim was with the current,” she said. “The water was so clear that I was actually distracted by looking at the bottom and I had to tell myself to focus.”

Faust came out of the water in 7:33.

“T1 was a very reasonable distance,” she said. “The bike went over the bridge, then two loops (through downtown) and back over the bridge again.

Faust averaged 18.8 with her 41:30 bike split.

“The run went over the bridge and through the Snook Island Nature Preserve,” she said. “We again came back over the bridge to the finish.”

Faust, who is a Run Klub member, coached by Kara Springer and Rebecca Sparks, ran the 5K in 27:17, averaging 8:48 per mile.

Faust gave the race a thumbs up!

“I’ve been trying to do races I’ve never done before. This race was very well organized.”

Melbourne's Deb Stokes crossing the line for third place in the 65-69 age group at the Bill Bone Tropical Triathlon on Oct. 23. Photo: Tom Stokes.

Congrats to all of our local Bill Bone finishers including: Donna Arnister, 61, Cocoa, 1st Fat Tire, 1:47:19; Joann Bohenek, 54, Melbourne, 1:42:04; Kristen Faust, 57, Cocoa, 2nd 55-59, 10th Female OA, 1:18:46; Debra Stokes, 66, Melbourne, 3rd 65-69, 1:38:58; Tom Stokes, 73, Melbourne, 3rd 70-74, 1:27:42.