Stissing Triathlon Draws Nearly 100 Athletes to Pine Plains
Originally published in the New Pine Plains Herald. Photo by Ava Battinelli
For many, Stissing Lake in Pine Plains serves as a scenic and calming spot, but on June 22, it became the starting and ending point for an endurance challenge: the Stissing Triathlon.
As if an 800-yard swim, a 12.6-mile hilly bike ride, and a 3.3-mile fast run isn’t hard enough, a slight drizzle in the early morning made the water choppy and the roads slick — though instead of the typical 90-degree heat, the temperature was a manageable 65.
The couple behind the event, Mark and Tonia Wilson, were ready to call off the swim at any moment after lightning struck at about 6:30, an hour and half before the start. They considered turning the sprint triathlon into a duathlon, with just the run and the bike. However, the weather cooperated enough for athletes to swim, though that leg was shortened from 800 yards to around 500 due to the unpredictable conditions.
“I thought the rain was great, actually,” said the winning entrant, Brian Northrop. “I was really worried about the heat, and it turns out that the weather was great. I didn’t need sunscreen; I didn’t put on a hat when I ran.”
Northrop (male, 45-49) of Middletown, Conn., finished in 1:07:56. He has been doing triathlons for 20 years, and it’s the second time he’s secured the top spot at Stissing in three tries. (The first was in 2019.)
The race drew 96 full-triathlon competitors, as well as three Aquabikers and four relay teams. Everyone who started crossed the finish line. The entrants came from across the Northeast, as well as from Michigan, Georgia, Idaho, and Illinois, ranging in age from 18-year-olds Dylan Scott and Aiden Miller to 81-year-old Jim Becker.
Stanfordville resident Julia Descoteaux (female, 40-44) took the first-place spot for female participants, making this the second time she’s placed first among the three Stissing Triathlons she’s participated in.
“I really enjoyed riding and swimming, and running through the scenery. I think the race does a tremendous job of highlighting the most beautiful resources that Pine Plains has, like its winding country roads and the beautiful Stissing Lake,” Descoteaux told the Herald. “The run around the lake is just lovely. I love to race, and that race is one of the most beautiful local races that I’ve ever been in.”
This is the seventh straight year that the Wilsons have organized the race — one of 14 events they run annually in New York state. Poughkeepsie resident, Tom Vaculik (male, 55-59), has participated in all seven Stissing Triathlons.
“There’s a sense of community, camaraderie, meeting the people that have been around for a couple of years, but helping people along the trail is always nice,” Vaculik said. “Especially on the bike, I always helped a lot of people on that because they don’t understand the hills, and I’m out there. You know, I’m not here to win it, but I’m here to just be out here, get my exercise, and enjoy the day.”
For one of the relay teams, dubbed Bag of Cans, of Beacon, N.Y., Stissing marked a triathlon debut. The team, consisting of swimmer Glenn Rafter, cyclist Dan Stone, and runner Kim Goodin, was in great spirits after coming in second. While in the water, Rafter recalled, I was just “trying to stay alive—not have a cardiac event.” Stone said with a laugh, “I was obviously wondering where the beers were. I was looking for them as I came in.”
Along with the Wilsons, this event is supported by the Pine Plains Fire Department and Police Department, volunteers, and sponsors.
Bike Way, one of the sponsors, helped with bike maintenance before the race. Ronnybrook Farm and Southern Tier Brewing Company provided competitors with beer and chocolate milk at the finish line.
First-place Aquabiker Louise Dagosta (female, 65-69) traveled two hours from Oakridge, N.J. This was her first experience climbing Sigler Hill Road. “I thought there was a big hill at mile four,” she said. “When my computer said I was at mile four, I said, ‘There’s no hill!’ And then I got to like 4.8 and I said, ‘Oh, OK, that’s the hill.’ It was very big and very long.”
For New York City residents Asher Chong (male, 30-34) and Huaqing Xia (male, 35-39), the event served as both a challenge and a friendly rivalry. They crossed the finish line at the exact same time, 1:18:45, and each earned the first-place spot in his age group.
As the friends’ third triathlon, battling at the end was “brutal, honestly.” Chong said he has Xia in his sights for the last mile and a half. “[Xia] didn’t even know I was behind him, but I chased him down. I think I got him at the end.”
After the race, Mark Wilson called out the names of the first three finishers in each age group and gave them a pair of socks. Erica Feller (female; 50-54) proudly stood on the third-place podium for females in the overall.
When asked what was going through her head during the race, Feller said, “Oh, my God, just like make it, get there. Come on, let’s get there. I’m pushing as hard as I can, and it’s a competition, but you know, it’s friendly. You see everybody passing you, and the hills are really, really steep, and you’re dying. It’s like a mental and physical challenge at the same time.”
