Florida Runners Dominate Walt Disney World Triathlon
More than 2,000 Participants Mark Largest Field in Event History

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Posted Monday, 24 September, 2007

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (Sept. 23, 2007) – Andrea Ugazio of Kissimmee, Fla., posted a time of 2:45:05 to lead the nearly 2,000 registered runners to victory in the 2007 Walt Disney World Triathlon.

The 2007 Walt Disney World Triathlon highlighted a three-day race weekend that will include activities for everyone in the family. The race took place in and around Disney's Fort Wilderness Resort and Campground and included a 1.5K swim, a 56K bike segment that took competitors off property then returned s them to the campground for the final 10K portion of the run that finished just outside the Fort Wilderness Pioneer Hall.

After an eighth place finish in the 2006 Walt Disney World Triathlon, Ugazio, 42, made sure he got off to a good start with the fastest time coming out of the water (21:04). Second-place finisher, Rodolfo Galvao, finished just 55 seconds behind his training partner Ugazio. The 46-year-old from Kissimmee, Fla. finished with the seventh fastest swim time at 23:37, but was ahead of Andrea Ugazio on time after the bike portion thanks to a 17 second time differential during the transition phage between swim and bike and a time of 1:33:09 during the bike portion. Galvao could not hold on to the lead as his transition time between the bike and run was eight seconds slower and he recorded a time of 46:25 during the run. Luis Fernando Roca, 33 of Cutler Bay, Fla. finished third with a time of 2:46:43

On the women’s side, after finishing sixth in last year’s event, Svetlana Slocum from Tampa, Fla. overcame a slow start, to clock of time of 3:01:48 and finishes nearly a minute faster then the next competitor. After finishing the swim portion with the 14th-fastest time (26:39), Slocum, 33, made up ground with the second-best time during the bike (1:40:51) and cruising to the victory running the 10K in 49:57.

The second place finisher, Dana Zykoski, started out strong finishing the ninth in the swim (25:46) and recording the fastest bike run (1:38:06). Zykoski, 37 of Largo, Fla. could not hold on with a run of 54:26, which was 43rd amongst the women. Tara Tobias, 43 of Orlando, Fla. finished third with a time of 3:04:31.

Millie Tanner, 47, of Neptune Beach, Fla. earned the Female Masters Division (age 40+) win in the triathlon with a time of 3:10:46 and a fourth place overall ranking.

Bill Terlop of Tampa, Fla. was the oldest competitor in the field. The 69-year-old finished in a time of 4:16:27 to win the 65-69 age division and finished ahead of nearly 500 other participants.

In other action during the Walt Disney World Triathlon Weekend, Jamie Arnold (2:22:47) of Kitchner, Ontario, and Tamara Estrada (2:38:12) of Windermere, Fla. won the Walt Disney World Duathlon. The Duathlon was also run on Sunday and included 36 mile bike and 10K run.

In the Walt Disney World Kids' Duathlon, Riley Hawes, age nine of Sarasota, Fla. won the 7-10 age division (16:56) and John-Gerard Farese, age 12 of St. Petersburg, Fla. won the 11-14 age division (34:19). The race, which took place on Saturday, allowed the kids the opportunity to take part in the Walt Disney World Triathlon Weekend. Children ages 7-10 will run a half-mile, bike three miles and run a half-mile, while 11-14-year-olds will run a mile, bike six miles and run a mile.

The Endurance Series at Walt Disney World Resort gives recreational athletes of all ages and abilities the chance to walk, jog, run, skate, bike, and swim their way “around the world.” From running and skating marathons to road races and triathlons, participating athletes from across the country and around the world compete to stay in shape, to achieve personal-best times and often to raise donations for charitable causes.

Popular Endurance Series events include the Walt Disney World Marathon and Half Marathon (January), the Walt Disney World Triathlon (September), Disney’s Race for the Taste 10K (October) and the newly created Tower of Terror 13K (October).
For more information on Endurance Series events at Walt Disney World Resort, please visit www.disneysports.com/endurance

For more information on events taking place at Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex, please visit www.disneysports.com.

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