Beautiful Day Welcomes Racers During 2014 Sartell Apple Duathlon [VIDEO]

ST. CLOUD - It's become a springtime tradition in Sartell, hundreds of racers took part in the annual Apple Duathlon race on Saturday.

The race consists of a 5k run, a 33k bike ride and another 5k run. The race started at the Sartell Middle School and went through St. Stephen back over the Mississippi River along the River Road.

36-year-old David Thompson won the race with a time of 1:21:34 and has participated in the event for many years, he says the course and the people keep him coming back every year.

"It's a great venue-the 5k goes by really fast and you have volunteers at every corner, the community likes it so it means the race should be back year after year," Thompson says.

Thompson has won the race numerous times over the last few years. However, he says the sense of accomplishment in finishing is the most rewarding part for him.

"Even at the elite level or if you're a beginner-whatever your levels at, there's something there to challenge yourself with," Thompson says.