At the Meadowmont Harris Teeter, a few yards away from the route of the fourth annual Chapel Hill Ramblin' Rose women's triathlon, buckets in which bouquets and baby's breath had basked hours before suddenly sat empty.

Meanwhile, family and friends waited at the finish line just outside the UNC Wellness Center to greet their conquering heroes with wide smiles, wild cheers and colorful blooms.

Jim Jetter and his daughter Dee arrived in time to put the rose petals to the mettle exhibited by girlfriend Lisa Croucher.

"Well, it's the Ramblin' Rose," Jetter explained, "so I brought ramblin' roses."

Steve Lackey, publisher of the sponsoring Endurance Magazine, said the level of support for the all-women's field of participants was staggering.

"Usually, you see about one-and-a-half spectators per participant in events like these," he said. "We're seeing four or five supporters out here for each participant."

Multiply that times 650 participants, and that amounts to a lot of vase time.

The Chapel Hill race was the last event of a sold-out, three-city Endurance tour that includes Charlotte and Winston-Salem. In 2009, more than 2,000 women from 28 different states, ranging in ages from 8 to 73, signed up to become Ramblin' Rose triathletes, said organizers.

Participants engaged in a 250-yard swim in a pool, a nine-mile bike and a two-mile run to the finish line. This shorter sprint distances were designed to attract participation by women of all ages and abilities.

Women On The Run

Launched in 2006 with 400 participants at the inaugural Chapel Hill Ramblin' Rose race, the event was later expanded into a series with additional competitions in Winston-Salem and Charlotte.

Ramblin' Rose events benefit local Girls on the Run chapters in the Triangle, Triad and Greater Charlotte areas of North Carolina

"We're extremely grateful to be a part of this," Girls on the Run of the Triangle executive director Kelly Hurter said. "I think it's just great that our missions are so aligned with each other. Girls on the Run is all about empowering young girls to grow into exactly the kind of women that we see out here today."

Chapel Hill's Leslie Morgan was the overall winner in Sunday's event after blistering the course in 46:25, nearly 3 minutes ahead of the field. Raleigh's Jennifer Marks (49:15) took second and Heather Piezer (49:29) of Apex third.

Liz Drogin (49:58) was fourth and Andrea Nelson (50:02) of Arlington, Va., in fifth. Rounding out the top 10 were Kathy Jooss (50:08) in sixth, followed Nichol MacDonald (50:15), Angelina Stevens (51:39), Stacy Bufalini (51:51) and Mary Robbins (52:18).

"Team Younts" (51:52) finished first in the relay standings, with "Because We Can" (57:44) second and "Lacy Ladies" (1:01:02) in third.

Others used the race as a benchmark or merely as part of their training regimen.

"It's just a great course," said 12-place finisher Nicole Robertson. "I practice on it every day ... but I haven't done this race before. I did do the Pinehurst (triathlon) yesterday, though, so this is my recovery race."

Margaret Anderson, who finished 22nd, was simply happy with better elements than during her last Ramblin' Rose in 2007.

"Last time I did this one, it was hailing out," Anderson said. "So today felt a lot better."

Shelby Walters credited her pool work for her 30th place finish.

"I've done the half (Ironman) at White Lake," Walters said. "I like swimming and everything else, I have to work at."

First Timers

Hundreds of competitors could claim firsts of their own, regardless of standings.

"Even after all of these years with the field growing, about 55 percent of the entry field is entering their very first triathlon of any kind," Lackey said. "Often, it's their first event of any kind. What's happening is that next year, they'll come back and bring a friend ... or three friends."

Endurance event operations director Thys Wind said he was happy with the event size.

"We capped out the entries at 650, and it'll be 650 in the years ahead too," Wind said. "Plus, we sold 100 charity slots. We're very pleased with how it's gone."

For Tina Merhoff and Jane Conway of Salisbury, and Rhett Newton of Winston-Salem, Sunday's event was the culmination of three triathlons in three months, which were the three friends' first efforts at multi-sports, ever.

"Winston-Salem in August was our very first," said Merhoff, a pediatric dentist. "In September we went to Charlotte, and this is our third. Rhett had never even swam (in competition), and she did the swim in five minutes today."

Lackey said the allure of multisport participation is being fostered by more and more coverage in the media.

"I think there's just an excitement about triathlons that was created by (coverage) of events like the Ironman in Hawaii," he said.

Ramblin' 101

UNC Wellness Center Lifestyle Enhancement Director Kathy DeBlasio said popular training programs like those through her facility help offset the fear of training and participating in such races.

"We did a six-week training program," DeBlasio explained, "and about eight women completed that. We held a clinic on triathlon transitions yesterday with Monette Williams through Triangle Multisport, and we had a lot of women here for that. Also, Sage Rountree also held a Ramblin' Rose 101 clinic on Oct. 4, and that gave the down and dirty on how to participate in a triathlon."

Williams said the Ramblin' Rose's popularity shows that women are just getting more confident about competitions.

"People do this and then talk friends into doing it, or maybe they just had a baby and want to try it," Williams said. "We've got two women whose daughters are doing this, and they didn't want to let their daughters do it alone, so they're out here too."

Endurance event coordinator Amy Charney said one key the success is the creation of an overall race and post-race experience for everyone involved.

"We really like this to be a family festival for both the participants and the spectators," Charney said. "We want people to stick around and enjoy the atmosphere, like the (inflatable) bounce attraction for the kids, because I think as we get more and more involved, the post race becomes as important as the race."

Future Tests Ahead

While the outdoor triathlon season is winding down, the UNC Wellness Center will simply move the multi-sport experience indoors, hosting an indoor triathlon on Nov. 8, with a 15-minute swim, a 15-minute stationary bike and a 15-minute treadmill, all for distance finished, DeBlasio said. Nov. 13, 14, 15, the Center will host a three-day clinic. "That's test intensive," she said, "with O2 (levels tests), swim analysis, working with coaches on triathlon development and strength and nutrition for multisports."

Girls on the Run of the Triangle will finish up their young girls' current season with a goal race on Dec. 5.

"The goal race for our participants in Girls on the Run this season is the New Balance Reindeer Romp 5K in Cary at the WakeMed Soccer Park," Hurter said. The eighth annual Girls on the Run 5K & Fun Run is scheduled for April 17, 2010.

Next up for Endurance will be the 2010 Chapel Hill 10-miler next April, followed by expansion of their Ramblin' Rose series with two new races: Rock Hill, S.C., and Raleigh next year, Lackey said.

Raleigh's Ramblin Rose will be in May, and then Chapel Hill's again next October.

Husbands and boyfriends: check your calendars. Don't be left empty handed or caught raiding the neighbor's rose garden on race day.