Thousands of spectators flooded the streets of downtown Madison Sunday to cheer for the city's tenth annual Ironman Triathalon.
In honor of the Sept. 11 anniversary, 20 men and women from Madison's police and fire departments combined to run the Ironman together as a team. Madison firefighter Robert Helst ran the marathon portion in his gear.
""A lot of the athletes from the department are only doing this because it's 9/11,"" Madison Police Detective Tracie Jokala said. ""It's like having a second full-time job to be an athlete, it's a lot of dedication.""
More than 2,000 athletes gathered on the shores of Lake Monona at 7 a.m. to begin the race, which consisted of a 2.4 mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride through nearby Verona and a 26.2- mile run through downtown Madison. The course ultimately led to the state capitol where athletes crossed the finish line.
Male winner Ezequiel Morales, 38, finished in the top spot after 8 hours, 45 minutes. Female champion Jessica Jacobs, 35, completed the triathalon in 9 hours, 41 minutes.
Spectators watched the swimming part of the race from Monona terrace and, according to ironmanwisconsin.com, fans could take a bus from the Alliant Energy Center to Verona to catch triathletes on their bicycles.
Spectators cheered on their loved ones, some wearing self-made t-shirts and posters, running alongside athletes.
Hundreds of volunteers helped athletes transition to and from different portions of the race and also handed out water and snacks to participants at several points throughout the course.
First-time volunteer Jason Pasho of Milwaukee, said volunteering was his ""way of giving back"" after completing several Madison Ironman triathlons in the past.
""I've always admired the volunteers and spectators who came to watch me and I finally decided to pay it forward,"" Pasho said. ""They've all made me feel great, and I'm going to try to do the same.""
