It was a beautiful day for a bike ride and a run, but maybe a little chilly for a swim.

The fifth annual Land Between the Lakes triathlon was held Sunday in Albert Lea under ideal weather conditions.

The triathlon is the first leg of the Tri-Minnesota series and begins with a 1/4 mile swim, then a 19.8 mile bike ride and a 4.2 mile run.

“It’s a great beginner triathlon,” event organizer Steve Merfeld said. “If you’ve never done one, this is a great one to start on.”

As the first event of the Tri-Minnesota series it gives athletes an indication of how their winter training went, Merfeld said.

Matthew Payne, of Columbia Heights, won the male competition with a time of 1 hour, 15 minutes and 23 seconds. Payne was the 2008 overall champion of the Tri-Minnesota Series. Payne won the race by nearly five minutes over second-place finisher Steve Sander of Richfield.

Brooke Larsen placed first overall on the women’s side with a time of 1:40.26, beating Caroline Skaar-Page, of Eden Prairie, by three seconds.

The event has started to draw some elite athletes, Merfeld said, but the competition level doesn’t deter those first-time triathletes.

“You’re competing against people your own ability and there’s also very above average athletes in this race,” Merfeld said.

The water temperature at the start was 60 degrees which made for a difficult first leg, but with little wind the bike and running courses were good for the 128 athletes that participated.

The course was set up on the east side of Edgewater Park this year instead of the west because of construction on the west side, but participants didn’t mind the change.

“This is one of the most beautiful venues — this lake,” said Albert Lea resident Jennifer Chalmers, who finished fifth and was the top area placer. “It’s quaint.”

Merfeld along with Dennis Dieser and Steve Erlandson organized the event and were aided by more than 100 volunteers to help the event run smoothly.

There were plenty of well-wishers out along the course cheering on all of the participants and the event has turned into a community event.

“It’s fun to see kids here and families,” said Albert Lea resident Ross Williams who placed eighth overall in the men’s division and was the top area finisher. “It works out to be a great day and promotes the fitness piece of things for everyone. It’s just a good time.”

The triathlon also had a team event with 11 teams participating. The teams are often a group of friends and family members that divvy up each leg of the competition.

“It’s a real family orientated event,” Merfeld said.

All of the results are available at www.pickleevents.com.