OMAHA, Neb. (KMTV) — More than 2,000 competitors took to Lake Cunningham Sunday morning for Omaha's inaugural Ironman triathlon.
As early morning waves lapped at the lake, over 2,000 green and pink swim caps submerged into the water at the sound of the starting buzzer.
A 1.2-mile swim in Lake Cunningham set the stage as the first leg of three in the inaugural Omaha Ironman triathlon.
Macey McGargill eagerly awaited cheering on her fiance alongside his family – all of them sporting custom shirts. She described the moment the athletes hit the water.
"Oh it's invigorating it's like scary it's fun it's everything," McGargill said.
Still dripping water, contestants hopped on their bikes for the 56-mile ride through Douglas County, ending with a 13-plus-mile run.
The event was a half Ironman, but the 70 total miles demanded serious preparation from athletes.
Sara Cipolla, the girlfriend of another competitor, described the training that went into race day.
"Oh definitely he's definitely training like four to five times a week doing biking swimming running all that so he's been getting ready for a while," Cipolla said.
Beyond the athletic feat, the event drew a strong showing of support from family and friends, and served as a major draw for out-of-towners visiting the Omaha metro.
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