DeCamp's son Colby commandeered his father's ride to race in his first Dinosaur triathlon. Setting an example for Vernal's jean-clad crowd, Colby DeCamp finishes as the second youngest racer of the day. V ernal's bike course is a balance of hills and flats that takes racers out of the reservoir's depression, through the edge of town and out past fields turned green with irrigation water. A long and gradual climb serves both bikers and runners as a route out of the park to picturesque views overlooking the reservoir's hilly surroundings. The venue's mile-high location helps keep the climate from soaring out of control.
Racers grind their way through the first mile of the run.
Shelly Howe strides through the last half mile of gravel off-road run. A s morning temperatures began their rise, racers began the last leg of their run, past the last water station, and on to the final hill before a descent to the finish. Amy Mohelnitzky , 25-29, charges into the last mile of her run. E xcept for the addition of a few USAT rules, the Vernal Dinosaur Triathlon is reminiscent of the informal races common to triathlon a decade ago. With potential to be one of the best races in the mountain West, Vernal seems content to remain small and laid back.