CAZENOVIA — Cazenovia resident Chary Griffin recently represented the United States at the World Triathlon Championship Finals 2024 in Spain.

Griffin competed in the Age Group Standard Triathlon and placed third in her women’s 75-79 age group.

The championship finals were held in Torremolinos, a resort town in Andalusia on southern Spain’s Costa del Sol.

“The race venue was on a beautiful beach on the Mediterranean Sea with the transition area, expo, and finish line on the other side of the street,” said Griffin. “Over 5,000 triathletes raced, and Team USA was 500 athletes strong. . . . The weather was 75-80 degrees and sunny. That being said, the water was 67 degrees with a stiff wind and tidal currents. There were numerous distance events and subsets, such as sprint distance, aqua-bike, duathlon, under 24, juniors, elites, paratriathlon, and mixed-team relay, all spanning four days of racing.”

Griffin’s standard distance race, also known as an Olympic triathlon, was held on Saturday, Oct. 19, and consisted of a 1.5-kilometer (0.9-mile) swim, a 40-kilometer (24.8-mile) bicycle race, and a 10-kilometer (6.2-mile) run.

She was accompanied in Spain by her friend and fellow triathlete Brenda Switzer, of Manlius, who served as her race “sherpa.”

In a triathlon, a sherpa is a support person who helps an athlete focus on racing by handling logistics, gear and emotional support.

“We traded sherpa duties, as she raced on Thursday morning in the sprint distance, and I raced later in the week,” Griffin said. “She also had a third-place finish in her sprint race.”

Griffin has been competing in triathlons for 34 years.

“I started when there were only two or three women in a race, [and we used] our kids’ road bikes,” she recalled. “Most races were only sprint distance. . . . [Today,] what I enjoy most about training and racing is the comradery with my fellow athletes and my coach, Kristen Roe. Kristen and I have worked together for many years, and she is the reason I have been able to work my way up the ladder slowly and carefully with very few injuries. I pick up triathlon training at Easter and train seven months, six times a week to be ready.”

Griffin has now competed in nine world championships, racing in Australia, Hungary, England, Canada, the United States, New Zealand, Germany, and twice in Spain.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, she missed championship races in Bermuda, Canada, and the United Arab Emirates due to closed borders. She also missed the race along the Great Wall of China due to a serious bicycling accident while training.

Griffin qualified for the 2024 race by finishing in the top 10 — placing fourth — last year in Pontevedra, Spain.

“Making the podium this year was very satisfying as I have come close several times,” she said. “I look forward to next year to see what I can do. [This was] a milestone to be remembered for sure.”

To learn more about the World Triathlon Championship Series, visit wtcs.triathlon.org.