Mother Nature was leaking and that made the Splash and Dash event Tuesday night about as wet outside the pool as in the pool.

About 20 participants of various abilities, ages and backgrounds roughed the rain outside at Juniper Swim and Fitness Center in Bend for the first in a series of Splash and Dash events.

The race starts with a 400-yard freestyle swim, followed by a 2-mile trail run in Juniper Park and finishes with another 400-yard freestyle swim.

”I’m doing the dash,” said Katie Harrison, 18. ”It could be more of a splash,” she added after looking out onto the soggy trail run course while waiting for her team’s first-leg swimmer to finish her 10 laps in the pool. Harrison was a part of the only three-person team in the race.

First-leg swimmer Hillary Madson, 17, is a seasoned swimmer with 13 years on a team behind her. But the team’s last-leg swimmer is more of a rookie in the swimming department.

”I started the swim team right after cross country,” Emily McMahon, 15, said. ”I was really tired (from the cross country season) and would have to start track right after swimming, so I just needed a break.”

The trio placed second in the team category with a time of 28 minutes and 17.12 seconds, finishing Hannah Lodwick and Heidi Holly (28:10.55).

Bill Raitter of Bend won the overall race in 23:15.43. Raitter has won every Splash and Dash event since he first entered three years ago. Adam Havsman was second in 26:28.59 and Kirsten Carmiencke was third (26:54.14).

The soggy weather did not seem to scare away any participants, said Bob Bruce, race director and club swim coach with the Central Oregon Masters Aquatics.

”It’s an opportunity for people to come out and have some fun and a little bit of a workout,” said Bruce of the race he puts on as a fund-raiser for the club.

”There is tremendous variety,” he added, noting that among the racers who came out to play in the rain were collegiate swimmers such as Jessica Burley of Bend, accomplished runners such as Raitter, and triathlete Nick Norton, who will compete in the triathlon world championships next month.