Escape the Cape Triathlon celebrates 10 years with 2,000 competitors

The competition that started 40 years ago began its swim portion with a plunge from a ferry into the frigid waters of the San Francisco Bay. So when Del Monte wanted to bring a triathlon to his home county, he drew inspiration from that famous race.

Sunday marked 10 years for the Escape the Cape Triathlon, which has become a staple for DelMo Sports’ racing season.

“It’s remarkable,” Del Monte said. “This is the 20th year in the business for me, and the fact this event has been going on for 10 years is remarkable. To think, in 10 years we’ve had close to 16,000 or 17,000 people jump off a boat.”

This year’s event featured 2,000 competitors, the largest field in its history, Del Monte said. The crowd of supporters that turned out also was the largest he’d seen.

Escape the Cape, held at the Cape May-Lewes Ferry terminal, consists of Olympic and Sprint triathlons, along with shorter competitions, including relays, aquabikes and swim-only races.

Competitors of the Olympic and Sprint triathlons and the 1-mile swim begin their events by making the 16-foot leap from one of the Cape May-Lewes ferries. They swim to shore, transition to riding their bike through the vineyards and rural parts of Cape May before returning to the terminal and running the final leg of the race.

The Olympic triathlon consisted of a 1-mile swim, a 25-mile bike and a 5-mile run. The sprint consisted of a 0.35-mile swim, a 12.5-mile bike and a 3.1-mile run.

Thomas Garvey, of New York City, was the overall Olympic winner in 1 hour, 49 minutes, 33 seconds. Kathryn Donohue, of Washington, D.C., was the top female finisher (12th overall) in 2:05:32.

Del Monte was grateful the weather held off and the poor air conditions cleared up following the Canadian wildfires. He couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate 10 years.

“There were a lot of happy people today,” Del Monte said.

Linda Langan sat on the jetty with her son Domenic working on their signs as they waited for her husband, Jeffrey Rossley, to make his way out of the water.

Rossley, 41, of Ridley, Pennsylvania, competed in the Sprint race at Escape the Cape for the first time, deciding to sign up after competing at Tri the Wildwoods last year, another DelMo event.

Langan was nervous as she waited for Rossley. They knew the 1-mile swim was going to be his biggest challenge of the day.

“Once I see him get out of the water, I’ll be OK,” said Langan, 38.

Rossley finally emerged and shot his family a wave. He finished the race in 1:25:32. Afterward, he said he needed a little encouragement to make his first plunge.

“Steve Del Monte, he actually pushed me off (the ferry). He sent me off in a good way,” Rossley said.

Ray Vogel, 32, of York, Pennsylvania, has been doing DelMo events since 2018. But this was the first time he competed at Escape the Cape. Running the Olympic course, he finished in 2:18.48.

“I was nervous about the jump,” Vogel said. “But all the energy on the boat, you can’t beat it. You just gotta do it and everybody, the music, the energy — it was awesome. Once you jump in, you’re like ‘Man, I did it.'”

Sunday was the 35th wedding anniversary for Raine and Jeff Fussner, both 60 and of Kempton, Pennsylvania. The couple who loves to run, bike or swim together on a daily basis decided the best way to celebrate was on the Olympic course.

“My mom said, ‘Why don’t you just go out to dinner? Why are you jumping off a ferry?'” said Raine, who finished in 2:14:07. (They did plan to go out for a nice dinner Sunday night.)

Jeff, who finished in 2:18:01, said ,the swim is his favorite part of the race.

“It’s just awesome,” he said. It’s challenging, it’s memorable and something to talk to your friends and your parents and inspire your kids.”

Joe Bonczek, a former first-team Press All-Star in football at St. Augustine Prep, just graduated from Princeton University, where the linebacker wrapped up his playing career last fall. The 22-year-old decided to try his hand in endurance sports by competing in the Sprint race. It was his first triathlon.

“I want to keep doing this now,” said Bonczek, of Northfield, who finished in 1:34:14. “It’s something to do now that I’m done football. It keeps me going. I trained after last fall, and it paid off.”

Lars and Amanda Osterlind have competed all 10 editions of Escape the Cape, which has been held annually except for 2020, when it was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The father-daughter duo from Burlington Township were among the 18 people acknowledged on stage after Sunday’s race. Del Monte and his team presented the group with embroidered hooded sweatshirts.

“It’s exciting. We love coming out here every year and doing it together,” said Amanda, 30.

This year was the first time Amanda (1:39:19) bested her father’s time (1:39:43) in the Sprint.

“It was 10 years in the making, but I’m happy to turn it over,” said Lars, 59, with a big smile. 

The first triathlon Ryan Osmundsen ever did was Escape the Cape, which happens to be right in his backyard. The 43-year-old from Cape May took the jump off a ferry 10 years ago and has been hooked on triathlons ever since.

“I’d say this is one of the best,” Osmundsen said, comparing it to his previous nine Escape triathlons. “DelMo keeps adding more and more sand, which everyone’s hating. It’s all good, though!”

The other 15 who have competed all 10 years: Beth Clarke, Shane Cranford, Erin and Toni Egan, Brenda Englehart, Edward Gibbson, William Harner, Michael Mader, George Reinhart, Cassie Scull, James Sharp, Erik Simonsen, Kristin Walsh, David Webster and Jim Welshman.

Those people coming back every year to compete are why Del Monte does this, he said.

Del Monte, like the endurance athlete he is, says he’s 46.3 years old now. He grew up in North Wildwood and lives in Wildwood Crest.

“The intention was I wanna do something amazing in my home community in southern Cape May County” Del Monte said. “We have paradise, a perfectly good boat and a perfect shore town — the West Coast of New Jersey. And people have responded.

“I didn’t have to go anywhere to find a paradise. It’s always been right here. The community of Lower Township has embraced this event, and we’re grateful.”