More than 3,100 athletes swim, bike and run through downtown St. Petersburg as Dubrick wins second year in a row
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (April 27, 2025) – Marc Dubrick and Grace Alexander claimed hard-fought victories Sunday morning in the 42nd St. Anthony’s Triathlon along St. Petersburg’s scenic downtown waterfront. A talented pro field of Olympians, world champions and Ironman competitors vied for the titles in one of the most competitive races yet.
Dubrick completed the 1.5K swim, 40K bike and 10K run in 1:42:22.03 to win the men’s championship for the second consecutive year.
Alexander crossed the tape in 1:56:35.09 to win the women’s race, despite an unfortunate encounter with a stingray as she entered the water. She persevered, making her fourth St. Anthony’s Triathlon attempt the best one yet.
““is huge because obviously St. Anthony’s is a great venue. They put on a great race,” said Alexander of Greenville, S.C. “They are very generous – a $10,000 prize is huge. I’ll be able to pay the rent a little bit.”
Matthew McElroy finished second among the men in 1:42:43.93 and Andrew Shellenberger was third in 1:44:14.53.
“I just want to say thank you to everybody and I actually have my parents here with me (from Chicago),” said Dubrick who lives in Boulder, Colo. “It’s always fun racing here in St. Pete. The race played out exactly how I wanted it to.”
For the women, Alexander won by more than 34 seconds. Rounding out the podium, Lisa Becharas, last year’s women’s champion, finished in second place in 1:57:00.87 and Jodie Stimpson came in third in 1:57:32.95.
The Olympic-distance event has a reputation throughout the triathlon community as an essential race for any triathlon resume. For the second consecutive year, the race was designated a Florida State Championship Race by USA Triathlon.
In the Sprint Triathlon (750m swim, 20K bike, 5K run), the top three women were Avalyn Thompson (1:02:37.88), Jennifer Casson (1:02:57.68), Lucrezia Gowdy (1:04:28.00), and the top three male finishers were Jhonnatan Daza (57:54.14), Alcides De Quesada (58:43.80), Troy Llanos (59:05.02).
The Sprint Triathlon also is part of the 2025 USA Paratriathlon National Qualifier Series. Craig Vogtsberger came in first in that group.
The Olympic- and Sprint-distance triathlons and the Meek & Mighty Triathlon, which took place Saturday, were named to lists of top U.S. races this year. More than 3,000 amateur and professional athletes participated in the races.
“We had an excellent field, exceptional sponsors and, of course, the absolute best fans and volunteers who supported this incredible event,” said Patrick McGee, Triathlon manager and race director.
Dates for next year’s 43rd St. Anthony’s Triathlon will be announced soon. Registration for the 2026 event will open later this year.
About St. Anthony’s Hospital
St. Anthony’s Hospital is a 448-bed hospital founded in 1931 as a ministry of the Franciscan Sisters of Allegany. The hospital has a rich history dedicated to improving the health of the community by providing high-quality, innovative and compassionate care, and recently opened a new patient tower with 90 private rooms. Part of BayCare Health System, St. Anthony’s Hospital is located at 1200 Seventh Avenue North in St. Petersburg, Florida. For more information: BayCare.org/SAH.
About BayCare Health System
BayCare is a leading not-for-profit health care system that connects individuals and families to a wide range of services at 16 hospitals and hundreds of other convenient locations throughout the Tampa Bay and central Florida regions. Inpatient and outpatient services include acute care, primary care, imaging, laboratory, behavioral health, home care, and wellness. Its mission is to improve the health of all we serve through community-owned, health care services that set the standard for high-quality, compassionate care.
###
42nd St. Anthony’s Triathlon Champions Overcome Injury to Win
ST. PETERSBURG – In the Sunday morning warmth by the downtown waterfront, Marc Dubrick defended his title in the 42nd St. Anthony’s Triathlon while Grace Alexander took the women’s crown for her first win in four attempts in one of the sport’s premiere pro events.
But the road to the finish line was paved with challenges for both champions – a recent foot injury for Dubrick, and a stingray barb at the worst possible moment for Alexander. They were just two of the more than 3,100 athletes who participated during the Triathlon weekend which started with the Meek & Mighty Triathlon on Saturday.
Dubrick said that he wondered less than a week ago if he would even be able to race, let alone achieve his first successfully defended championship. A month ago, an MRI revealed that he had partially torn two tendons that wrap around the anklebone. Sunday was only the second time he’d run hard since the diagnosis.
“On Tuesday, I was still on the fence about racing until I did my first hard run that day,” he said. “I didn’t want to hurt myself, but it went well and we were good to go.”
Dubrick won his second straight St. Anthony’s Triathlon by completing the 1.5K swim, the 40K bike and the 10K run in 1:42:22.03, some 21 seconds ahead of Matthew McElroy who took second in 1:42:43.93 and third-place finisher Andrew Schellenberger at 1:44:14.53.
It was extra special for Dubrick of Boulder, Colo., considering his parents, Paul and Marypat Dubrick, had flown in from Chicago for the race. “He’d been struggling with his foot injury and this was his first time running in several weeks, and we had no idea what he could do on his feet,” Paul Dubrick said. “So this was very exciting for us to see.”
Alexander had her own hurdle to overcome at the start of Sunday’s race. As she entered the water to begin her swim, she felt a sting in her right ankle. “The girl next to me stepped on it, and said, ‘I think I just stepped on a stingray, and immediately I felt the stinger,” Alexander explained. “…I went to a volunteer and asked if these were dangerous stingrays, and should I be worried – I wasn’t going to take a risk. She said, ‘No but it’ll be painful.’ ”
Indeed it was, yet the Greenville, S.C., triathlete powered through to win by more than 34 seconds in a time of 1:56:35.09, ahead of last year’s women’s champion Lisa Becharas (1:57:00.87) and Jodie Stimpson (1:57:32.95).
Alexander went immediately to the first-aid tent for treatment after crossing the finish line, and minutes later, savored her significant achievement. Her prior best finish was seventh place. “This is huge, because, obviously, St. Anthony’s is a great venue, and they put on a great race,” she said. “And the prize money is very generous here – winning $10,000 is huge. I’m very happy with that, and I’ll be able to pay my rent for a little bit.”
The pro race was far from the only compelling storyline Sunday. One of the most powerful belonged to Kevin McCormack, whose plan to compete in the Triathlon two years ago with his son, Shane, abruptly ended with his son’s passing. McCormack has taken some solace in his son’s organ and tissue donation with Tampa-based LifeLink, an organ and tissue bank. And Sunday he came to compete in his son’s memory. “This was unfinished business,” he said. “I know Shane was with me today, and he lives on through the many families he has touched.”
Then there was long-time triathlete Matt Dell. Three years ago, the Illinois man was diagnosed with throat cancer. He underwent chemotherapy and radiation, but it spread to his lungs, then his lymph nodes. Today, the cancer is inoperable, and the 59-year-old CEO of a medical device company has been told he has between two and 10 years to live. But he has responded by embracing life each day, including his love of triathlons.
“I’m literally blessed by cancer because it gives you the freedom to stay in the present,” Dell said. “Cancer has allowed me to quit worrying about the future. In addition, movement and triathlon are like medicine. It’s all about continuing to do what you love.”
Count St. Petersburg grandmother Gina Anderson as one who now loves triathlons, too. After losing 100 pounds since 2023, she decided to do her Sprint-distance race Sunday, along with her husband Allan, a triathlon veteran. With family, friends and colleagues watching, Anderson crossed the finish line in elation and beat her husband in the process.
“I was so worried about the swim, but it was my best part of the race,” she said. “I was hoping to do it in 20 minutes and I did it in 14! And when I crossed that finish line, seeing people I know cheering me on, I almost cried.”