Hartselle’s inaugural Great Escape Mini-Triathlon far exceeded expectations as it attracted 128 participants from throughout North Alabama to Sparkman Park on Saturday.

Competitors swam 200 yards in the aquatic center pool, rode bikes four miles and ran two miles.

One-half of the $40/$50 entry fee was earmarked for construction of the third and final phase of the Morgan County Special Needs Accessible Playground in Sparkman Park.

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The overall male winner was George Mattison of Birmingham. He finished the course with a time of 40:38. The overall female winner was Theresa Bynum, also of Birmingham, with a time of 48:35.

“This is an awesome thing for Hartselle and Morgan County,” said Matt Hames, event director. “One-half of the money is going to SNAP, a great charity.”

“We ‘re glad you’re here supporting SNAP,” said Susan Hines, president of the Hartselle Area Chamber of Commerce. “I’m also excited that the Decatur-Tri Club has promised to help us with the event until we get the funding we need for the final SNAP construction phase.”

“The participation is phenomenal,” said Bob Francis, SNAP coordinator. “We certainly didn’t anticipate this large of a turnout. I can see that it will grow in the years to come.”