DES MOINES, Iowa – Rasmus Hennis of Denmark and Laura Bennett of America won their divisions in the inaugural Hy-Vee Triathlon Sunday in Des Moines.

The event attracted 97 athletes – 53 men and 44 women – from around the world, each competing for part of the $700,000 purse, the largest in the sports history.

The winner in the men’s and women’s category each took home $200,000 and a Hummer H3.

Henning finished in 1:50:04 to win the men’s division, 30 seconds ahead of second-place finisher, Bevan Docherty, of New Zealand.

Bennett, of Boulder, Colo., finished in 2:04:33 to win the women’s division.

She pulled away from Annabel Luxford of Australia in the final lap of the running event to claim the title. Luxford finished in 2:04:47.

The highest finishing American man was Jarrod Shoemaker, of Sudbury, Mass., who finished eighth with a time of 1:51:43.

Temperatures in the 90s with winds gusting at 25 mph, created tough conditions for the athletes, with at least a dozen dropping out of the race.

American Sarah Haskins, of Colorado Springs, Colo., finished fourth. She said she considered dropping out twice – during the bike phase and in the first lap of the run.

“It was just will,” she said. “I just kept telling myself to keep pushing and the crowd really helped.”