FORT LEE — A little sewage never hurt anyone.
Or at least that's what the athletes competing in the first Ironman U.S. Championship in New York and New Jersey say.
"We're tough in New Jersey," said first-time Ironman athlete Jim Parks, 42, of North Haledon, just before swimming in the Hudson River. "We can handle millions of gallons of chlorinated raw sewage."
The inaugural triathlon came close to losing its swimming leg. A sewer main break in Westchester County sent millions of gallons of raw sewage into the Hudson River, threatening to cancel it.
But after testing water from the river, environmental authorities told race organizers that it was safe for competitors to swim in the water today.
"I'd rather swim in nicer water but if they say 'it's a go,' then I'm trusting them," said Orion Mims of Harlem.
"It's New York City," added Chris Marta, 39, of Manhattan about swimming in the Hudson River. "I swam in Sag Harbor and that water tasted worse than the Hudson."
And Pedro Gomes, 28, of Portugal said that the news about the sewage spill didn't bother him at all.
"I've swam in much worse," he said. "The Hudson is the Hudson - you can't expect it to be clean."
One athlete, Sarah Todd, 29, of Long Island, did admit that the first leg of the race made her a little nervous.
"I'm worried we might be swimming in some gross water," she said just before the ferry picked her up to take her to the starting line.
But 58-year-old Rocky Riviera was ready to get in the water.
"I hear the currents in our favor," Riviera of Boulder, Colo. said. "So I'm excited to get a good swim in."
About 2,500 athletes from around the globe will be racing through the 140.6-mile course to the finish line.
The competition starts with a 2.4-mile swim, continues with 112-mile bike race and ends with a standard 26.2-mile marathon.