The Musselman triathlon went on as scheduled in Seneca County Sunday morning. But, the mood was somber after an athlete died while competing the day before. Police said 38-year-old Michael Coyle, hit the back of a parked car while taking part in bike portion of the “mini mussel” race in Varick Saturday. They said the car had run out of gas on the road. It’s the first major incident in the triathlon’s ten-year history. Officials with USA Triathlon said organizers have to go through extensive preparations to meet national safety standards for a sanctioned event. The race director tells us two doctors and an ambulance got to the scene right after the accident happened.
