The USA Triathlon Nationals are finishing a two-year run in Milwaukee, and the organization hopes to return to the city soon.Milwaukees staunchest advocates couldnt have designed a nicer day for the Olympic Distance event on Aug. 8. The sky was postcard-worthy, and Lake Michigan had a sparkle as the earliest competitors crossed the finish line around 8:30 a.m.Emerson Kiefer had the fastest time of the day, knocking out the 1,500-meter swim, the 40-kilometer bike and 10-kilometer run in 1 hour 53 minutes and 14 seconds.Cheyenne Nixon was the first female to cross the line (2:08:02), but her time was eclipsed in a later group by Heather Lendway (2:06:09). Lendway, who lives in Minnesota, was sixth last year in Milwaukee.Focusing on the race didnt keep Nixon from taking in the beauty of the city while biking over the Hoan Bridge, swimming in Lake Michigan and running through Veterans Park.I love this venue, Nixon said. Its so beautiful being right on Lake Michigan.I feel like the community support has been great," she said. "Like out on the run course, so many people were cheering and that really helped get me through to the finish line.Emerson Kiefer appreciates seeing results of hard workThe 25-year-old Kiefer swam competitively at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, then joined the schools club triathlon team in his first year of graduate school.He has kept at it, with the same competitive edge he brought to the pool.It feels good to work hard, see results, he said. I love swimming for the same reason, but jumps in performance were so marginal. Youre fighting for half a second, a tenth of a second in a calendar year. So its nice seeing a faster performance improvement (in triathlons).Not surprisingly, Kiefer had the fastest performance in the water at 18 minutes, 45 seconds, but that wasnt his favorite part of the race.The bike, he said, was most special. The bridge was cool. Having some straightaways, just pounding on the pedals.Heather Lendway enjoys the camaraderie of triathlonsTriathlon is an individual sport, but there is still a lets-get-through-this-together vibe that keeps Lendway going at 42.Especially on the run, she said. When youre kind of feeling like youre out there alone, its nice to have someone, even if they just see your name on your jersey Its like, OK, someone is watching me, Ive got to keep moving. Dont stop.Lendway said that sense of community among triathletes goes beyond just the race itself. Every time I do a triathlon, I meet somebody new or make a friend," she said. This morning, someone needed a part to pump up their disc wheel. People share. People are nice. Somebody didnt have their bike, I was like I can get you a bike tomorrow. Its just friendly people. People are happy for each other and supportive.Milwaukee has been popular for the USA Triathlon Nationals, hosting from 2013-15, 2021-23 and again last year.The race will move to Des Moines, Iowa, for the next two years. But with Milwaukees lakeshore setting, it seems a safe assumption that it will return here soon.This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Lake Michigan setting sparkles as USA Triathlon Nationals end 2-year run