“This was the hardest course I’ve ever done,” said Sunday’s top finisher in the Elite male division, James LaMastra, of Rocky River, Ohio. He noted that both the bike course and the running course had some difficult hills to contend with.

“There was no easy part,” said McCormick. “There was no release for your legs.”

Still, athletes love a good challenge. And The Dam Tri provided one.

“You totally appreciate it,” McCormick said. “There are a lot of great races that are a little flat. And you appreciate those, because you can go out and just hammer the bike, or hammer the run. But in a race like this, where you’re really challenged, you really do have to pace yourself. It brings you up a level.”

The top three finishers in the men’s and women’s Elite divisions each earned a trophy. And those became motivating factors as well, each one feature a small, furry, stuffed beaver posed next a gnawed piece of wood.

Honestly, they were way more charming than that description makes them sound.

“This is, like, the best trophy I’ve ever had,” said Brockenbrough, looking down at his. “He (the beaver) is so cute. In fact, when I saw the trophy, that was my big motivation for being in the top three. I didn’t care if I was first second or third. I just wanted to by in the top three.”

“That was Kristoph’s brainchild,” Fuller said about the trophies. “We had a committee and we voted on all of the decisions. And, you know, I was a ‘no’ on that one. But sometimes you win, and sometimes you lose.”

Pete Chiodo can be reached at 724-6370 ext. 275 or by e-mail at pchiodo@meadvilletribune.com.