The Bakersfield Triathlon on Sept. 29 featured more than 150 participants ranging from people who have never done the event before to people who have been doing them for many years.
“I feel pretty good. I worked really hard, it was really tough,” said Kimberly Sobin, 23, a first-time participant at the Bakersfield event. Tobin placed second overall among the women and first in her age group in the sprint with the time of 1 hour 22 minutes 3 seconds. Sobin stated that she was preparing for six weeks and said she is now “hooked,” and will continue to do the event for years to come.
“I was really fatigued,” she said. “I just kept pushing, I probably should have paced myself a little better. I just went all out.”
Brad Hubbard, 44, placed first overall for the men with the time of 1:09:15:2.
“I feel great, I knew I’d be competitive, but pleasantly surprised I won,” Hubbard said on his performance of coming in first. On the strategy of the race, Hubbard said his strengths were on the bike and the swim. He said he decided to go full throttle on the run.
In the sprint, participants started the race by swimming in Lake Ming for half a mile; biking for 12 miles past CALM, through Hark Park and turning around at the Goodmanville exit; and running 3.7 miles. The event holds two races, and the other one was an Olympic-stance event of a one-mile swim, 25 miles of bike riding that included two loops up the bluffs to Bakersfield College, and a hilly 6.7-mile run.
Luke Roberts, 30, made an appearance in his sixth triathlon and took first place in the Olympic event for the third consecutive year. He came in with a best 2:26:10.8. Roberts said that this was his third triathlon of the year.
“It feels great to come out and challenge yourself, both physically and mentally,” Roberts said about his feelings of participating in the race.
Roberts listed the swim as the easiest part of the race for him and the run as the hardest.
Roberts is a seven-year Kern County fire fighter stationed in Delano.