By Liz Guttenfelder

Tian Siggins, a senior, competed in the HyVee Triathlon held on Sunday, Sept. 4, at Grey’s Lake in Des Moines.

This event is 31.4 miles of swimming, biking, and running.  The competition begins with swimming at Grey’s Lake, then continues with biking to West Des Moines, and finishes with a run to the Capitol.

Siggins completed the event in 2:48:02, which placed him sixth in his age group.  The male winner, Adam Bohach, had a time of 1:59:44 and the female winner, Annie-Claude Gaudet, finished with a time of 2:15:36.

When asked how the race has affected his life long-term, Siggins said, “It gets me prepared for the Ironman Race next year.” According to Siggins, the Ironman Race is one in a series of long-distance triathlon races.  Each event has a set time limit in which it must be completed and the entire race must be finished within 17 hours.

Siggins started training for the Hy-Vee Triathlon in Dec. of 2010. To prepare for the race, Siggins says, “I swam and biked a lot. I also compete on the high school cross country team.”  His family was one influence that encouraged him to compete in the triathlon this year and accompanied him to the race.

The Hy-Vee Triathlon was first held five years ago.  It was held in Des Moines last year.  For more information about the Hy-Vee Triathlon visit www.hy-veetriathlon.com.