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By JESSICA FISHFormer Safety Harbor athlete Lisa Purul finishes first among women at the Great Floridian Triathlon.
CLERMONT - Pre-race favorite Joe Bonness, 50, of Naples, won Saturday's Great Floridian Triathlon XV with a time of 9 hours, 56 minutes, 10 seconds.
Lisa Purul, 32, of Santa Rosa Beach, was the fastest woman at 11:02:22.
"All the cheering at the Mad Dog water stop helped us all get through the marathon," said Purul, who works as a real-estate developer since moving from Safety Harbor.
"I had the lead at the beginning of the run, and I never looked back. It was overcast, but it was still tough. I am happy to win as an age grouper, and I would never turn pro, as I prefer to have a job."
Steven Gust, another member of the Naples Area Triathletes Team, placed second in 10:01:22. Bonness passed him on mile 4 of the run.
Bonness celebrated his third win (2001, '03) at the Great Floridian Triathlon, saying that he would rest for a few days, on the way to his usual "Bonness Triple" racing attempt.
Last Saturday, Bonness placed second in the 50-54 age division at the Ford Ironman World Championships in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii. He will compete in a third Ironman, Ironman Florida, in Panama City Beach on Nov. 5.
Although out-of-town triathletes fretted about the weather all week, the competitors who remained in Clermont for the event were rewarded with relatively calm winds on the bike course, and overcast conditions during the running segment.
In an earlier race, Viktor Zyemlsev, 32, of Ukraine won the Florida Challenge Triathlon with a time of 4 hours, 18 minutes, 57 seconds. Marc Damon, 28, of Naples, was second in 4:26:29.
Surprising the field with her last-minute entry, Germany's Ute Muckel, 37, won the women's division in 4:57:00. Muckel, who won Ford Ironman Wisconsin this season, won Saturday's Florida Challenge, despite being tagged with 12 minutes of penalties.
Kimberly Grogan, 26, of Clermont, was second in 4:58:11; and last year's winner, Christina Noordstar, 29, of Tierra Verde, placed third.
For full results, go online to www.greatfloridian.com