Lance Armstrong competes in triathlon

Lance Armstrong finishes the Power of Four Mountain Bike Race on Aspen Mountain on August 25, 2012 in Aspen, Colorado. AFP FILE PHOTO

ELLICOTT CITY—Lance Armstrong, branded a dope cheat and stripped of his seven Tour de France cycling titles, took part in a triathlon on Sunday in suburban Baltimore that raises money to fight cancer.

Organizers of the Revolution3 Half-Full Triathlon dropped USA Triathlon sanctions so Armstrong could compete in the event. He is banned from events that must follow World Anti-Doping Agency rules because of his cycling punishment.

“This was a race that was built and designed to race money for (the fight against) cancer, so it was an easy decision,” said Brock Yetso, president of the Ulman Cancer Fund for Young Adults.

Two triathletes dropped out as a result of the decision but 300 others said they wanted to compete, including 50 cancer survivors who joined Armstrong, himself a cancer conqueror, for the 70-mile swim-cycling-running event.

Armstrong completed the event in four hours and 16 minutes.

The triathlon raised money for the Ulman Cancer Foundation that was created by Doug Ulman, the chief executive of the Livestrong charity that has long been supported by Armstrong, who has steadfastly denied any wrongdoing.

Armstrong said in August that he would not fight US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) charges that he took part in a doping scheme during his run of Tour de France success, now voided, from 1999 through 2005.

USADA said the next day that Armstrong was banned for life and his results since 1998 would be voided. Armstrong has called USADA’s case against him a witch hunt while USADA says it has 10 witnesses of wrongdoing by Armstrong.