D’Agostino wins 2nd annual Iron Horse Triathlon

Shreveport triathlete Horacio D’Agostino came to the Iron Horse Triathlon for the first time Sunday and came away with a first-place overall finish.
D’Agostino recorded the top time of 54.08.5, besting second-place Luis Iturralde, who finished in 54.27.4
While the triathlon times was based on marks in the 400-meter swim, 14-mile bike ride and 2-mile run as well as transition times between each event, both had to pass Stephanie Smith of Metairie, the top female finisher in the event, in the running portion of the event.
Smith, who finished third overall, was the top female competitor with a time of 54:44.8.
All three competed in the Elite Wave, a category added to this year’s race for those who have finished in the top three in races within the last year.
D’Agostino, 32, finished his swim in 6:37.6 before riding on the bicycle in 33:45.7 and finishing with a time of 12:39.6 in the 2-mile run.
He had transition times of 28 seconds between the swim and the bike ride and 37.3 seconds between the bicycle ride and the run.
Because he said he isn’t the fastest of swimmers, he had to catch up with the competition on the bike. He also had to counteract a miscue on the bike ride when he said he went further than he needed to.
“So when I came back, I had to regain my position,” he said. “That really burnt up my legs and I still had to run down Stephanie.”
He said he passed her halfway on the two-mile run.
He said he was familiar with Smith before Sunday’s race.
“Stephanie’s just the female beast,” he said. “She dominates males always in the swim almost every race I’m at. She’s so strong on the bike and strong on the run. She’s always the talk of the race when she shows up.”
Iturralde finished in 5:21.4 in the swim, 33:49.6 in the swim and in 12:49.2 in the 2-mile run. His transition times were 34 seconds between the swim and the bike ride and 43.6 seconds between the bike ride and the run.
Smith got out to an early lead in the swimming, finishing more than a minute ahead of D’Agostino and Iturralde at 5:21.4 seconds. She completed the bicycling in 34:01.4 seconds and the two-mile run in 13:55.3. She had transition times of 42.4 seconds between the swim and the bicycle ride and 44.3 seconds between the bicycle ride and the run.
Smith, who was competing in the Iron Horse Triathlon for the first time, said that she went “all-out” and used the event as a “great training day” to fix some things.
“I know that my run is my weakness,” she said. “I just kind of see how fast I can go on the swim and bike and try to hold on with the run.”
One of the race directors, Clay Leonard, said that it is a rarity for female competitors in triathlons to be able to compete with males.
“We knew she was coming, and we knew that she was going to be very fast,” he said.
While the day was dominated by the race, prior to the awards being distributed, Glenda McFarlain of Crowley, who was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, more commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, was presented a plaque by three racers, Jay Duhon and J.D. Meche, both of Crowley, and KO Kennedy of Lafayette. The trio know McFarlain and dedicated their races to her.
Proceeds from Sunday’s race will go to the Blazeman Foundation, which looks to raise awareness and funds for the treatment and cure of ALS.
McFarlain, 59, agreed that this event and the support that was given for ALS makes her want to fight harder in her battle against her typ of ALS, which is a more aggressive type of the disease.
“You walk by faith first,” she said.”I don’t want to live like I have ALS. I want to live with it.”
At the conclusion of the race, D’Agostino bettered the time of last year’s innaugural champion, Richard Parker, by more than a minute.
However, Smith shattered the time of 2013 champion Jeannie Theriot by more than 12 minutes.
Parker, who finished in 55:17.7 a year ago, clocked in at 56.15.1 this year.
Theriot, who clocked in at 1:06.52.9 a year ago, finished in 55th place this year at 1:08.33.7. She won her age group this year.
Sunday’s race featured 270 competitors, up from the approximately 180 that were part of the event a year ago.
Leonard said he thought putting in the elite, or open wave, helped attract faster swimmers. However, he said he also thought the race served its purpose of putting on an event for rookies to the sport.