(Gallery) Lake Minnetonka Triathlon Draws Hundreds

After a one-year hiatus, the Lake Minnetonka Triathlon returned to Excelsior over the weekend. More than 430 athletes from throughout Minnesota and from as far away as California, Virginia and Florida competed in the race. 

Steve Sander of Richfield was the top overall finisher, completing the 18-mile course in 1:05:58. Sander, who also won the Lake Minnetonka Triathlon in 2009, recently became a dad for the first time and said Saturday's win would make his first Father's Day all the more memorable. 

"I seem to have a decent swim here every year, and the bike course is hilly enough to give me an advantage," he said. "The course is flat enough on the run so I can at least hold them off. I think the course really works well for me."

Saturday's course tested competitors with a half-mile swim, followed by a 14.5-mile bike ride and finally a three-mile sprint. Heidi Keller-Miler of Chaska was the first woman to cross the finish line of Saturday's race and said a strong swim and good bike time propelled her past an elite field of competitors.

"It was pretty cool, I was happy," she said. "These gals are really fast, so any time you can win you're really pleased and you have to enjoy it a little bit."

Saturday's high humidity slowed most runners, but Keller-Miler, who works for the Minnesota Distance Running Association and coaches for the West Express Swim Team in Chaska, said it actually worked to her advantage. 

"Now that I'm older now and have a lot of injuries, the humidity keeps me loose," she said. "But it's hard running. Look how sweaty I am—I'm totally drenched."

At age 80, Charles "Bud" McJilton was the oldest athlete competing in this year's Lake Minnetonka Triathlon. McJilton completed the three-mile run portion of the race and along with daughters Pauline and Genevieve made up the relay team "Jilty's Tri For Life." They finished second in their category.

McJilton has been running for more than 40 years and received one of the more boisterous welcomes at the finish line, which he crossed only slightly out of breath.

"That was worth a lot of pain out on the course," he said of the cheers.

McJilton lives in Roseville and said he has no regimented training routine—rather going "what works at the moment."

"Way back when I started, there was a guy who I was working with, and his rule to go by was whaever he does training wise can't interefere with his family life," McJilton said. "I said, 'that's a good idea,' and I've tried to do that."

Ross Rogney founded the Lake Minnetonka Triathlon and said the limited number of race spots for this year's race filled up back in March. Rogney said he started the race as a way to give back to his home town of Excelsior.

"I did a race over in St. Paul, hated the course and thought I could do better here," he said. "I love my town, I live in the house I was born in, so I thought I'd bring a nice race back home, and it's been great."

Rogney estimated that somewhere between $50,000 and $70,000 has "been given back into the community" thanks to sponsors and friends of the race.

"One great thing about living in the same community for 50 years is you have lots of friends," he said. "They all come out."

Below are some of the Lake Minnetonka Triathlon's top local finishers. Complete results can be found here.