‘Why stop now?’

Completing one triathlon is already a great accomplishment, but not many can say they completed 22.

That is the number of Ironman Lake Placid events Jeff Gura, of Ponte Vedra, Florida (, and Rich Donnelly, of Tuxedo Park, New York, have finished. They plan to finish number 23 during the 23rd Ironman Lake Placid this weekend.

“I say yes because you have to start with that mentality,” Gura said. “You just gotta do it.”

“I’m just going to do the best I can,” Donnelly said. “I’m going to give it a go. That’s what I’ve done for 20-something years, 24, 23, whatever it is.”

The two have competed in multiple triathlons outside of Ironman Lake Placid. Gura has finished 32 total Ironmans, while Rich is not too far behind with 26. Lake Placid’s continues to remain their favorite.

“This area is just magical,” Gura said. “I think part of it is the Olympic spirit, the people that come here, both athletes and spectators, and the people that support the community.”

“It’s led to a lot of friendships,” Donnelly said. “A lot of people we’ve met year after year after year, face after face, most of them are still here… well a lot of them are not … well there’s two of us at least,” Donnelly added, pointing to himself and Gura while laughing.

Two of their closest friends, Brian Delaney and Andrew Fried, were alongside Gura and Donnelly as the longest active participants in Ironman Lake Placid. They called themselves the “Legends of the Oval.” Ironically, none of them knew they did every race together until a few years ago.

“We did the race 20 years together, and we finally met up,” Gura said.

“We keep in touch with each other year-round,” Donnelly said.

However, the Legends of the Oval are cut down to half this year. Delaney has not participated in the last few Ironmans, dedicating most of his time to running his bike shop in Lake Placid: “High Peaks Cyclery,”

Fried is sitting this one out after undergoing back surgery a month ago. Gura and Donnelly are both keeping him in their minds as they race.

“I told him I’d give him a high five virtually,” Gura said. “I know you’re with us in spirit – I know Andrew can’t be here, so I’m going to get to the finish line for Andrew.”

“Hopefully he will be up here next year,” Donnelly added. “I’m sure he will be, and we’ll be back together again.”

Rich plans to undergo his own back surgery next week, but that won’t stop him from finishing a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride, and 26-mile run.

“Once I get in the water, I think I’ll start near the back just to have some space by myself,” Donnelly said. “And enjoy it. That’s what he comes up here to do.”

One person who has enjoyed it with them from the sidelines since Ironman Lake Placid began in 1999 is Rich’s wife, Jean Donnelly. For every race she has been working as a finish line catcher, getting ready to physically catch exhausted competitors and help carry them off the run track as they finish. Each year she has done it she has witnessed a great accomplishment from her husband.

“It’s pretty hard to believe,” Jean Donnelly said. “It’s a sport that takes its toll on the body – just the idea that my husband and a couple of other guys have been able to do this every year for the past 23 years is kind of remarkable.”

And they don’t plan to stop any time soon.

“I’ve just kind of come up here, and it’s like you want to come back next year?” Gura said. “Oh yeah! I love it here! Let’s come back next year.”

“Why not just continue the streak,” Rich Donnelly said.