Seattle Danskin Triathlon | First place makes Erin Ford three times a lady

Taking first place in Sunday's Seattle Danskin Triathlon made Erin Ford happy. What really got her stoked, though, was the camaraderie. "It's great to see so many people out on the course," said Ford, 32, of The Dalles, Ore., at Seward Park. "Everyone is so inspired. People are charging after their goals. It's really a fun event."

Ford's time (1 hour, 2 minutes, 8 seconds) ranks as the third-fasted finish among winning times in the past 10 Seattle Danskin triathlons.

Her margin of victory, 3:48, is the second-best in the past 10 races, overshadowed only by a gap of five minutes-plus logged by 2007 winner Alexis Waddel of Monterey, Calif. Waddel, a pro racer like Ford, hit last year's tape in 1:00:41, the top time in the past 10 years.

Ford, in second place after a half-mile swim in Lake Washington that began at 6:45 a.m., took control of the race early in the 12.5-mile bike ride. Ford recorded the day's best times in both the bike and 3.1-mile run.

"Has she already showered?" said Kathy Morrison, 38, of Kent, who finished fourth and more than seven minutes behind Ford. "She was way out in front. She was gone the whole time."

Teresa Nelson of Seattle took second in 1:05:56. Robin White, 36, of Sammamish, participated in her first Danskin since 2004 and placed third (1:08:31). Both were among 13 elite class racers in the field of 3,710 finishers -- the highest total in seven races in the national Danskin series.

Following Morrison (1:09:47) was Keenan Tanis of Delray Beach, Fla. (1:09.58) in fifth. In sixth was Karin Gardner of Seattle's Wedgewood neighborhood. It was Gardner's 11th consecutive Danskin.

Gardner, 39, has competed in past Ironman events and placed third in the 2005 Seattle Danskin. She praised the competitiveness of the elite class but views that as secondary to the goal-meeting vibe of an event that involves many cancer survivors.

"I've been in the triathlon community a long time, but this is always my favorite day," Gardner said. "I find a lot of inspiration here, especially when you see people of all shapes and sizes and walks of life giving it their all.

"You can see people come across that finish line who must be thinking, 'Wow I really did this amazing thing.' For a lot of people this is a really big change of lifestyle. It represents waking up one morning and thinking I'm going to do something good for me. I'm going to set a goal and achieve it. It's pretty neat to be part of it.

"I want to win this thing one day," she added. "Until this, I just enjoy having a good time here. Sixth place is OK."

Notes

• Jeanne Verville of Seattle completed her inaugural triathlon at age 67 in 2:34:28, placing her 3,548th out of 3,710 racers. Verville's last race of any kind was more than 30 years ago, and aching knees required her to walk the concluding 5K distance.

"Riding my bike I only said 'On your left' twice," she said, laughing. "I think I heard it about a thousand times as people passed me. But at least I got to say it twice. And hey, I didn't crash."

Verville has taken on a variety of challenges, from kayaking to jazz singing, in a self-directed campaign to counteract aging. The semiretired lawyer says she'll race again. "I felt so inspired to see that I can do it," she said. "I know I can do it again and I'll do it better. Now I'm motivated to train harder and get in better shape."

• The event included 273 racers who are part of Danskin's Team Survivor, a support group for racers impacted by cancer. Cathy Dalvin, the program's national coordinator, said that is the top total in any race this year.

Laura Brown of Seattle, 47, is a team member. Brown had run in past Danskins, but this was her first after losing her a breast last year.

"I'm running in honor of my right breast," said Brown, who concluded cancer treatments in December. She added with a laugh: "She'd be proud."

Brown values the team's support. "These are all things you need when you're surviving," she said. "It makes you want to get out there. There's a slogan you'll see on some T-shirts: 'It's not amazing I finished. It's amazing I began.' It's all about challenging ourselves to do it."