Each of the triathletes had a different reason why they woke up early Sunday and dove into Lake Michigan to begin the arduous race.

For Anne Statton, it was the babies she hopes won't be born with HIV.

For Justin Holata, it was the fitness and health goals he has achieved.

For Greg Martis, it was remembering a friend's son who was killed in Iraq.

They were among the 10,000 athletes who swam, biked and ran in the 29th annual Life Time Chicago Triathlon.

Though the water was choppy and the wind blew in powerful gusts, no major injuries were reported, according to race organizers.

Running in the sprint, or the shorter triathlon, was Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who placed ninth of out 80 in his age group. He finished the race in 1 hour and 36 minutes and left the lakefront quietly.

Also adding an air of celebrity was Ryan Sutter, the winner of the first season of the reality television show "The Bachelorette" and a firefighter in Colorado. Waiting for him at the finish line was Trista, the wife he met on the show.

And there were the regular folks, like Statton.

The 47-year-old executive director of the Pediatric AIDS Chicago Prevention Initiative and her team raised $6,000 for the organization, which aims to reduce the transmission of pediatric AIDS.

Also on Statton's mind was her friend Ann Dunmore, a Chicago HIV/AIDS activist who died last year of complications from HIV, Statton said.

"She was the person who stood up, spoke her mind and was a really strong voice for women in HIV," Statton said.

Lansing firefighter Holata, 31, lost nearly 100 pounds training for last year's triathlon. This year, he focused on breaking his personal record. He knocked off about 40 minutes from his time this year, Holata said.

"It's so nice to have that accomplishment of finishing the race and beating your own time," Holata said. "It's tough to get started. But once you've started and set a goal, it's worth it."

Finishing with Martis, of Glen Ellyn, was Bill Rizzo, of Wheaton. Both wore shirts proclaiming they were part of "Team Jonathan," in honor of Marine Lance Cpl. Jonathan Collins, who was killed in Iraq in 2004.

"He kept me on the bike," said Martis, 48. "If he could handle 130 degrees (in Iraq), I can sure finish this bike ride."

And for Sarah Haskins, the international-distance triathlon was an opportunity to showcase her skills. The 2008 Olympian won a third straight women's title by more than two minutes, finishing in 2:05:05.

In the men's competition, Matt Chrabot took the title, finishing at 1:50:23.

Sara McLarty, also a professional triathlete, took to the course Sunday despite a family tragedy. Her father, Brent, was killed Wednesday in Florida when a van hit him while biking.

When she crossed the finish line, eighth among the professional female athletes, her competitors rushed to her, gathered in a circle and hugged — tears streamed down many of their faces.

McLarty said she struggled to decide whether to compete.

"It was actually easy in the end to catch a later flight after we had a beautiful memorial on Saturday morning and come out here and live my life. My dad lived 62 years; every day to the max," McLarty told reporters, her voice breaking. "He didn't wait for life to happen. He went out and did it."

The Orlando Sentinel contributed.

bschlikerman@tribune.com