A trio of Delaware County women excelled at the fifth annual Escape the Cape Triathlon, which recently drew 1,700 participants to the Cape May-Lewes Ferry Terminal in North Cape May, N.J., writes Brian Cunniff for Shore News Today.

The triathlon included separate sprint- and Olympic-distance triathlon races. Sprint and Olympic aquabike races were also held.

For the triathlon races, athletes started the race with a 12-foot jump off a Cape May-Lewes Ferry boat into the Delaware Bay. They then swam ashore and biked through the beautiful vineyards and back roads of Cape May County before running to the finish line.

Kerry Hicks, 45, of Garnet Valley, finished second in the women’s sprint triathlon – which included a .35-mile swim, 12-mile bike, and 5K run – with a time of 1:15:24.9.

Newtown Square’s Gretchen Cooney, 57, finished in fourth place, with a time of 1:16:59.6.

In other competition, Media’s Monika Lukens, 54, won the Olympic aquabike – which included a one-mile swim and 23-mile bike – in 1:32:00.6.

The Escape the Cape Triathlon has been voted the best triathlon in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast regions by Competitor magazine.

Click here to read more about the Escape the Cape Triathlon from Shore News Today.