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Joe Adriaens has come close to winning the Chisago Lakes Triathlon in past years, but there always seemed to be some elite newcomer who was just passing through or using the Chisago Lakes Triathlon as a warm up that kept him from the top of the podium.

But not this year. Adriaens, who hails from Elk River, won the event on a humid and steamy Sunday, July 27 with a time of 4:21:25.

Adriaens, 38, finished the 1.2 mile swim in 29:53, the 56 mile bike ride in 2:49:31 and the 13.1 mile run in 1:31:35

It was one of the closest finishes in some time at the Chisago Lakes Triathlon, as Eamonn McCullough of Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, was hot on Adriaens heels with a time of 4:21:48, just 23 seconds behind the winner. Oftentimes in triathlons, a few minutes is considered a close race, so 23 seconds is miniscule in the grand scheme of a near four and a half hour race.

Easton Syvertson of Duluth was third with a time of 4:32:35, Jason Crisp was fourth with a time of4:35:21 and Sam Larson of Stillwater rounded out the top five with a 4:40:40 finish.

For the women, Cami Eckhoff, a decorated triathlete out of Detroit Lakes who has participated in full Ironmans, won the event going away. The 40-year old finished the race in 4:58:29, almost a half hour in front of second place finisher Brie McSherry of Lakelend, who finished in 5:14:28. Just 22 seconds behind her was Morgan Gibbs, a 24 year old from St. Paul, who finished in third place. Fourth place went to Amy Hite of Cottage Grove with a time of 5:19:30. And  Emma Adriaens came in fifth place with a time of 5:20:02.

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