More than 400 athletes participated in Sunday’s Lawrence Memorial Hospital Triathlon at Lone Star Lake.

Swimmer Greg Parker, of Springfield, Mo., is helped out of the water by volunteers Oather Strawderman, left, and Susie Nightingale, right, during the annual Lawrence Memorial Hospital Triathlon. Parker finished sixth in the long course competition Sunday morning at Lone Star Lake.

Perhaps no one found it quite as special as Greg “Turbo” Watson, though.

Watson participated in his 100th race on Sunday, a milestone that earned Watson praise from several of his peers. As for Watson, he said he wouldn’t want to celebrate his entrance to the century club anywhere else.

“The last three years, I’ve been planning to make sure this would be the one,” he said. “This is definitely my all-time favorite race.”

Watson, of Harrisonville, Mo., kept track through the years by saving all his entry forms from every race he competed in. His first race was one of the first LMH Triathlons, back in 1988. Since then, he’s been participating in races from coast to coast. None, he says, is as meaningful as this one.

Barb Park, Lawrence, celebrates as she crosses the finish line and claims first place in the female short course of the Lawrence Memorial Hospital Triathlon on Sunday at Lone Star Lake.

“I want to come back and do this every year,” Watson said. “It’s one of those special races. I’ve always enjoyed it.”

Wearing Speedos and a tanktop bearing his popular nickname, “Turbo” finished 19th in the men’s long course division. His time of 2:23:35 was 17 minutes behind champion Matt Schlicht. Topeka’s Jeanna Chain won the woman’s long course with a time of 2:22:59.

Still, the 37-year-old Watson can’t complain about his performance at Lone Star, not after his new commitments have cut back his training.

“I don’t train anywhere near what I used to,” he said. “My fastest time out here is 2:11, and I was at 2:23 today.

Matt Schlicht, Raytown, Mo., right, was second out of the water, but went on to dominate the cycling and running portions of the Lawrence Memorial Hospital Triathlon. He won the competitive long course division Sunday at Lone Star Lake.

“I got married last year, and that cut into it. But that’s a very willing thing.”

Watson, who runs between six and 10 triathlons a year, says new milestones are being chased now.

“I was reading in Runner’s World,” he said, “and there was a guy that was 91 that set the world record for the 100-yard dash in his age group. I want to be in that age group.”

Lone Star Lake, which annually hosts the LMH Triathlon, has a taxing long course that consists of 0.9 miles of swimming, 24.8 miles of hilly bike-riding, and another treacherous 6.2 miles of running. When all was said and done, Watson said he was feeling good.

After all, he says, it sure beats a day in the office.

“My average day of work is at least 10 hours a day,” he said. “This is my way to relax. I can come out, no matter how bad I feel, and take all my aggressions out on the road. It’s always forgiving.”