Local triathlete Bill Whitman ran two races recently and finished strongly in both.

On Dec. 3 and 4, he entered the HITS Triathlon in Palm Springs. This inaugural event featured five distances, including a 100-meter swim, a 3-mile bike and 1-mile run. Whitman finished second in his age group (45-49) and sixth overall in the sprint triathlon.

On Sunday, Whitman participated in Hemet’s Tinsel Triathlon. With 980 participants, he finished seventh overall and first in his age group.