Ironman competitor dies in swimming event

An athlete died Saturday during the swimming portion of New York City's first Ironman triathlon, a grueling, 140.6-mile endurance race that ends with a full-sized marathon.

The 43-year-old man "experienced distress" during the first part of the competition -- a 2.4-mile swim in the Hudson River, race organizers said.

The swimmer was pulled out of the water and taken to a hospital in nearby Englewood Cliffs, N.J., but did not survive.

The organizers said the cause of death is unknown. An autopsy is planned.

"On behalf of all of us in the triathlon community, we mourn his death and send our condolences to his family and loved ones," said the organizers, who declined to release the man's name.

Over 2,500 athletes from around the world competed in the all-day Ironman U.S. Championship. The swimming course ran along the New Jersey shoreline, just north of the George Washington Bridge.

Contestants followed their swim in the Hudson with a 112-mile bicycle ride through the suburbs, and then a 26.2-mile marathon that finished at Manhattan's Riverside Park.

Deaths during triathlons, especially during the swimming part of the races, have happened occasionally. Two people died during the swim portion of the Nautica New York City Triathlon last summer.

Before the race, the Westchester County Department of Health issued a sewage advisory about the Hudson but lifted it Friday. The warning followed a discharge of partially treated sewage into the river at Tarrytown, where workers had repaired a broken pipe.

The discharge was stanched, and tests were done to determine whether the racecourse was safe for swimming, organizers said.

Jordan Rapp, of upstate Scarborough, 32, winner of multiple triathlons, won the race in an unofficial time of 8 hours, 11 minutes and 18 seconds. Mary Beth Ellis 35, was the fastest female competitor, at 9 hours, 2 minutes and 48 seconds.

Some athletes grinned as they crossed the finish line to the sight of cheering families. Others could barely stand and leaned heavily on the shoulders of event volunteers.

On a warm and humid day, Rapp said the final leg was the toughest. "The whole time, I just needed to keep my temperature down: grab some water, ice -- anything," he said.

With AP