Dozens of spectators lined State Street Sunday, to support the many Ironman Triathlon participants making their way through a grueling day of high-endurance events.
Madison hosted the annual Ironman Wisconsin triathlon, an event that consists of a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride and a 26.2-mile run.
Erin Tromble, a third-year medical student at UW, was there to support four of her friends, three of whom are also UW students.
According to Tromble, each of the participants takes part in endurance sports frequently and are active year-round. Two had already participated in the Ironman event.
Athletes young and old paid a $550 entry fee to be able to call themselves triathletes. Some participated in professional groups while others participated within their age group. The youngest age group began at 18, while the last one was reserved for those 75 and older.
The event began with a mass start in Lake Monona, where, according to the Wisconsin State Journal, a missing body was also located after four days of searching.
Monona Terrace served as a viewpoint for spectators wanting to watch the swim portion, and, according to ironmanwisconsin.com, audience members were also able to take a bus from the Alliant Energy Center to Verona if they wanted to watch athletes pass by on their bicycles.
Along the way, volunteers made themselves available at several checkpoints and aid stations in order to provide Gatorade, water, soda, fruit and other snacks to the participants.
Jennifer Multerer of Madison said she began volunteering three years ago when her brother participated and has continued to do so because she enjoys it so much.
The event has also been dedicated to staying clean. Beginning only this month, an anti-doping program was initiated in which all Ironman athletes competing were eligible for in- and out-of-competition drug testing.
""Ironman has been conducting testing since 1990, and this is our latest initiative to maintain the integrity of our testing program and keep the sport of triathlon drug-free,"" Ben Fertic, president and CEO of the World Triathlon Corporation, said in a statement.
