Colorado couple top winners at IRONMAN 70.3 Raleigh

More than 2,400 competitors, ages 18 to 74, from 15 countries were registered for the three-sport event that included a 1.2-mile swim at Jordan Lake, 56-miles bike trek through parts of Chatham and Wake counties and a half-marathon that ended in downtown Raleigh.

Greg Bennett, 41, of Boulder Colo., was the first person to cross the finish line with an overall time of 3:51:24. His wife, Laura Bennett, 38, ranked No. 1 among women, and 10th overall, finishing the competition in 4:17:18.

The couple planned to spend Sunday evening with their feet up, indulging in some local fare.

"There's nothing better than a beer and a burger post race," Greg Bennett said. "That's my favorite thing."

Sharon Roggenbuck, 74, of Hillsborough, was the oldest participant Sunday. She says she's competed in more than 160 triathlons since 1981.

"I'm getting slower every year, but I feel great," she said. "I'm going to keep doing it, you know, until there isn't anyone left in my age group."

IRONMAN 70.3 Raleigh is a P-500 race with a $15,000 professional prize purse. There are also 50 qualifying slots to the IRONMAN World Championship 70.3 in Lake Las Vegas in Henderson, Nev., in September.

Sunday's event was the first IRONMAN race in North Carolina as part of a three-year contract with the city.

The race affected traffic in some areas of Raleigh. Fayetteville Street between Davie and Lenoir streets will be closed until 11 p.m. Sunday for the competition.