That truly was the case for the top male and female finisher at Sunday's seventh annual Philadelphia Insurance Triathlon. "This is the closest I've been to a home course," said Potts, a Hershey, Pa., native who spent much of his youth living in Princeton. "It's very special to me to win here." The 34-year-old Potts, the hottest competitor on the top professional triathlon series, set a course record with a time of 1 hour, 46 minutes, 5 seconds in a race that included a .9-mile swim, a 24.8-mile bike ride, and a 6.2-mile run. "I really wanted to perform well with so many friends and family here," said Potts, who collected the $10,000 winner's share of the $40,000 purse and also extended his lead in the Toyota Cup points series. Wassner, a 35-year-old from New York, won the women's race for the fourth time but broke two hours for the first time, crossing the finish line in 1:59:36. Wassner's family ties played an even larger role in her victory as she competed along with her twin sister, Laurel, who finished third in 2:00.07, and drew inspiration from the sight of her younger sister, Sarah, among the crowd at a crucial portion of the race. "She wasn't even supposed to be here," Rebeccah said of Sarah. "Once I saw her, I was like, 'That's it. I'm doing this.' " Wassner has been hampered by a hip injury this season and wasn't sure she could complete the running portion of Sunday's race. She told her twin as much on the bus ride to the start of the event. "I told Laurel, 'Maybe I'll just do the swim and bike,' " Wassner said. Laurel Wassner didn't believe a word of it. "I saw it in her eyes yesterday," Laurel said. "It hit me: She's going to win tomorrow. She has an iron will." Rebeccah Wassner said her hip was bothering her during the running portion of the race but that she pushed through after seeing her younger sister in the crowd. "That was the point when I said to myself, 'This is what I do,' " said Wassner, who also won $10,000 for finishing first. Potts said he had about 10 or 12 family and friends in attendance, including the mother of his best friend in second grade in Hershey. "I recognized her voice," said Potts, who lives in Colorado Springs, Colo. Potts, a former all-American swimmer at the University of Michigan, was in first place after swimming across the Schuylkill. Cameron Dye, a 27-year-old from Boulder, Colo., who is No. 2 in the Toyota Cup points race, took over the lead during the bike portion, which included a ride across Falls Bridge and up Lemon Hill, but was slowed by a mechanical problem with his bike. "It wasn't a flat tire, but it's never good to have to stop and get off your bike, especially when you are in the lead," Dye said. In second at the start of the run, Potts surged in front and pulled away from a group that included second-place finisher Matt Reed (1:46:47) and third-place finisher Greg Bennett (1:48:48). Dye was fourth in 1:48:23. "I didn't get off good in the swim, but I was happy with the bike and run," said Reed, a 35-year-old who, like Dye, lives in Boulder. "I was happy to finish second. Andy is having such a strong season. He's the man to beat right now."Potts and Wassner are winners of 2011 Philadelphia Triathlon
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