HAYDEN - The water was calm on Saturday morning, as placid as a pane of glass.

Not one breath of wind, not a single rolling wave. All was quiet at Honeysuckle Beach.

Quiet, that is, until about 7 a.m., when the first Hayden Triathlon competitors dove into Hayden Lake. Soon the water was boiling with wetsuit-clad swimmers, all stroking toward far-off buoys that marked the seaward boundary of a half-mile loop.

"Got beat up in the swim," said Joe Houser of Coeur d'Alene. "My own fault too ... not used to swimming with a bunch of people I guess."

His 12-mile bike ride, the second leg of the sprint triathlon, went a little easier.

"I loved the bike course," Houser said happily.

Nearly 300 racers participated in Saturday's race, the first Hayden Triathlon to benefit the Steve Omi Foundation. This year's event featured a new route and a whole new experience.

"It was a good course," said Heather Decker of Rathdrum. "Nice and flat. Nobody likes hills. Nice view, not too much traffic."

Brian Hadley of Coeur d'Alene, a Sandpoint High grad, was the first athlete across the line. The 36-year-old - who took fourth place at this year's Ford Ironman Coeur d'Alene - logged a time of 59:04.

Derek Garcia of Post Falls finished just two seconds behind.

"I kind of try to push (Garcia) on the bike, and he tries to push me on the swim," Hadley said. "Beautiful swim course. The run was cool; I didn't realize it went up and did the loop."

The 5k run headed west down Honeysuckle Avenue, turned north up Maple Street and veered back east on Hayden Avenue. The home stretch followed Chalet Road.

Gretchen Rose Wolf of Spokane was the top female finisher. After 15.6 miles of racing, she crossed the line at 1:10:04.

Competitors enjoyed the view, the weather and the spirited spectators. Previous Hayden Triathlons, it was said, were much hillier.

"I had a good race," said Greg Washington of Coeur d'Alene. "Water was awesome. (The course) works well for me. A lot flatter. I'm a bigger boy, so flat helps."