For the first four or five years of Jakes Off Road Triathlon, this small, rugged event was founded as much s anything as a gift to Peace Corps volunteers based in Jamaica. But for the first five years, before USTS co-founder Jim Curl came to lend his race directing talent, it was dominated by a proud and talented young man a birthday or so short of 30 named Bobby Barnes.

As much as anyone in Treasure Beach, Barnes was emblematic of two things strong in Jamaican culture. As anyone who has spent time in the island can tell you, Jamaicans are fiercely competitive when it comes to sport. Just look at their track and field world champions like Usain Bolt and Merlene Ottey. Bobby Barnes was not at an international level but he was something to be proud of - a good Jamaican athlete. In addition, he was part of the proud Jamaican tradition of reggae musicians. Today, he leads a band called The Storm.

During those early days at Jakes, a 15-year-old kid named David Bromfield showed up at the triathlons and Bobby Barnes took him under his wing. “I showed him how to ride the bike,” said Barnes. “I showed him all my tricks. And he learned them well.” Sweating heavily after this year's 20th edition of Jakes Off Road Triathlon, Bobby Barnes shook his head and said, “I wish I hadn't taught him all my tricks.”

In fact, since Bromfield got going, he won 11 individual titles and was part of 3 winning relay teams. And Barnes never won this race again. This year, however, Barnes saw that the flame of his innate talent was strong again. At age 49, he had the lead and the belief he could hold it against the speed of the young man he had once mentored.

As usual, Barnes had a decent 8:48 split for the 300 meter swim, which put him about 7th, but also gave him a 1:13 advantage on Bromfield, who had grown accustomed to Pac-Manning the field with his excellent bike and superior run.

This day Barnes felt good, really good on the bike. “The bike was smooth," recalled Barnes. “I felt like a motorcycle ya' know? Which is how you should feel out there. You should feel like the bike just wants to get up and go.”

Barnes had more on his mind than a feel-good bike split. “I had to press,” he said. “That's where I am the strongest and I had to take as much advantage of the terrain as possible because I knew there was gonna be pressure pressure pressure [on the run].”

Sure enough, Barnes fought his way to the individual men's lead just before the demanding hill at Big Groun. Although he says, “I caught everybody I needed to catch,” he did not rest and charged that hill. “Had to,” he said. He was on a mission. He finished with a race-best 47:30 split for the rugged 12 and half mile mountain bike leg. But powered by youth and perhaps the techniques he learned from his former mentor, Bromfield was just 9 seconds slower and started the run with a 1:22 deficit.

Bromfield, whose given first name is actually Jassette, was not aware of Barnes' ambitions after 15 years of an unbeaten string at this race. “This race means a lot to me because it is here in my community,” said Bromfield. “I come out and race for the people. The people come out and support me and look forward to seeing me win.” With a winning record at many Jamaican 5ks, 10ks and longer races, Bromfield has a 15:48 5k PB and well-earned confidence at this race.

Still, a 49-year-old man can dream, can't he?

The run is 4 and a half miles, out and back, and the day was typically hot. “I went as hard as I could,” he said, but Bromfield caught him a third of the way through the run.

At this point, competitive ambitions took a back seat to sportsmanship. “I asked him to run with me for a bit so I could taste the glory,” said Barnes. “And he gave me some water so I could pour it over my head. We ran together for a while and asked one another how were we feeling. And then it was like, ‘OK Bobby. I got to set a good time - all right?‘ He lifted up his legs and then he just took off down the stretch.”

At the finish, Bromfield's race-best 25:49 run split brought him to the line in 1 hour and 23 minutes and 20-something seconds (preliminary results cut off the final digit on finish times), 4 minutes and 20 seconds ahead of Barnes and 2 more minutes ahead of Phillip McCatty, who had a great swim, a miserable bike and a 2nd-best 27:47 run.

At the finish, Barnes was philosophical. “I started this race 20 years ago,” he said.. “I am a Leo. I am 49, and I will turn 50 soon. Now if you want to realize what you just saw, you have to go deeper than a few words and a few facts. This is an immortality quest here. You understand? You have to understand that this thing here keeps everybody in the pearl. So I feel like I am 28.”

Upon first glance, disbelief reigns when Barnes says he is about to turn 50. Unless subjected to a microscope to find tiny crow's feet at the edges of his eyes, Barnes' skin looks smooth and shiny. He is understating his case when he says he feels 28. He is bursting with energy. Ponce de Leon eat you heart out. This guy really has found the Fountain of Youth.

After a few minutes of cool down, Barnes breaks off conversation to see his girlfriend finish. "She's Ina Daley," he said. "She won here last year. Hopefully this year too!"

While Ina Daley won this race last year, this time she ran into trouble as her chain came off while dueling with Laura Cousineau of Montreal near there Big Groun hill. First time triathlete Emily Smith, a world class Ultimate Frisbee player from Montana who lives in Montego Bay, used her mountain biking skills to establish an unassailable lead and held on for the win in a time of 1 hour 38 minutes and roughly 20 seconds.

Last year, Daley outran Cousineau to take the win, but this time the Canadian posted a women's 2nd-best 34:00 run that outdid Daley by 2:55. By the finish, Cousineau finished 9:50 behind Smith and took 2nd. Daley took 3rd, 3:10 behind Cousineau.

If anything, Daley is another prime example of Jamaicans outperforming Ponce de Leon in the search for eternal youth. Daley says she is 45 years old but definitely will be carded. She is a physical therapist from Kingston and took up triathlon about five years after she qualified for the Boston Marathon with a time of 3:40.

She, too was philosophical about her fall from 1st to 3rd this year. “Last year Laura was ahead on the bike and I caught her on the run. This year I got a mechanical on the bike and I could not catch her on the run. Which shows you - anything can happen in sport.”

Jakes Of Road Triathlon
Treasure Beach, Jamaica
April 18, 2015
S 300m / B 12.5 mi. / R 4.5 mi

Results

Men

1. David Bromfield (JAM) 1:23:20
2. Bobby Barnes (JAM) 1:27:40
3. Phillip McCattty (JAM) 1:29:30

Women

1. Emily Smith (USA/JAM) 1:38:20
2. Laura Cousineau (CAN) 1:47:10
3. Ina Daley (JAM) 1:50:20