At long last, the day of the Triathlon has arrived. The athletes had been preparing for months for this race. Most of them had to focus more on running and swimming as the new bicycles took a while to arrive. After the Huffy Beastmaster (a name that was invented by the athletes) arrived, it was very common to see the Animalian athletes pedaling on their bikes. Some athletes had to practice with the bikes quite a lot. Either it was because they were uplifted Animalians who hadn't rode a bicycle before or because they were converted who hadn't rode a bike in years and were a little rusty at it.
Certainly the most notable racers in this event were Abigail and Durga. The mare and the tigress worked together to hone each other for the race. After all, it would be disappointing if one of them won too easily. They had been competing each other for months, doing small races that pushed each other. The results of the races were mixed, but generally, Durga fared better with swimming while Abby sped out more in running. Abby did have the initial edge with bicycling, but Durga was a quick learner and soon the two women were about even. Whether or not one of them came in first, the matter of which would cross the finish line ahead of the other was something that everyone wanted to find out.
As the women athletes headed towards the first course of the race: the man-made lake that was designed for the long-distance swimming events, it was clear to see that there were a considerable variety of competitors. Along with Abby and Durga, there was a jaguar, a crocodile, a bear, a cow, a Labrador, and a water buffalo. All eight of them were wearing speedsuits, a simple one-piece suit that did not require them to change outfits between courses. The swimcaps and goggles will be easy to remove once they got to the other end.
As Abby was tucking in the last of her hair into her swimcap, she turned to Durga and said, "May the best woman win."
"Give me a good race," replied Durga.
There was a lengthy wait before the airhorn sounded. The athletes jumped into the lake and started swimming across. Of course, considering the average bustiness of Animalians, they were a little inhibited by their non-hydrodynamic chests. But it was clear that some competitors held an edge over the others in the water. The crocodile and the Labrador were out in front with Durga pulling ahead. But Abby was not trailing last. Her hooves weren't practical with kicking water, but using her thicker hoof-tipped fingers as paddles kept her from falling behind.
As soon as they reached the other side, they climbed out of the lake. Most of them had to stop and shake their fur dry, though Abby and the bovines, who had shorter fur, and the crocodile who lacked any fur were able to speed over to their bikes. Tossing aside swimcaps and goggles, they put on their helmets before climbing on and pedaling away. The other athletes weren't far behind, though still dripping water as they got on their bikes. As they rode, the wind dried out the rest of their fur.
The bicycle course wasn't just a simple straight run. The track curved and looped in several spots. It required careful balancing and steering to make sure they didn't fall off their bikes but not lose speed. The crocodile who had the initial edge in the race was starting to lose ground, her tail making her balancing a bit trickier than the others. The two cats were able to handle the curves with ease, though Durga had more energy than the jaguar. But Abby was not outdone here. She might have preferred horse-riding to bike-riding when she was human, but there were several skills she learned that were valuable here. Namely keeping her center of balance, leaning into the turns, and knowing how to ease up just enough to avoid crashing.
When they finally reached the end of the bike course, they dismounted and removed their helmets. Now was the final part of the triathlon: the running dash. There was no tricks to this one, just a simple sprint over the flat meant for this race. The ground thundered as the racers ran for the finish line. About halfway, it became clear who wouldn't be in the top spots. The bovines and the bear were lagging in the rear and the crocodile who had the initial advantage was clearly no longer in her element. The big cats were giving their all, but while both were ambush predators, tigers were built to run down their prey more than jaguars.
It was the clear that the winner was going to be Abby, Durga, or the Labrador. But the dog was losing ground, making this a race between Abby and Durga. The two of them ran as fast as she could. However, Abby was in her element now. She focused on her memories of her parents and Samson waiting for her. Her powerful legs ate up the ground in front of her. In the final leg of the race, Abby managed to pull in front of Durga. Only a few inches at first, but soon she was a yard ahead. Durga struggled hard to close the distance, but her stamina was starting to reach its peak.
There was a roaring cheer from the crowd as Abby crossed the finish line a clear foot ahead of Durga. The Labrador came in third about 5 feet after Durga and the rest soon came across the finish line as well. Abby didn't celebrate her victory immediately. All that running, not to mention the swimming and biking, were quite exhausting. But she did eventually held her arms up in victory, which made the crowd roar more. Presently, Samson and Abby's parents came onto the field to congratulate her.
"You were amazing," said her mom.
"I can't believe how fast you went," said her dad.
"We couldn't be more proud," said Samson.
Abby smiled back at Samson and said, "It was a great race."
"It certainly was." Abby turned to see Durga with her mate, Shiva, by her side. "I thought I would have won, but I guess you horses are more enduring than I thought."
"Second place is nothing to sneeze at," said Abby, "Especially not in a race like this."
"Yes, but don't expect me to win silver next year," said Durga, "Next year, I'll be a better racer and I hope you'll be able to give me a proper challenge."
"I think I can wait until that," said Abby, "I'm not sure if I can run anymore."
"Then rest and celebrate," said Shiva, "You've won a great victory."
"Indeed," said Durga, "I say this requires a special night out a good Indian restaurant I know. My treat."
"Much obliged," said Abby. She'd revel in victory later. But right now, she needed to sit and recover.