Count Bedford’s Barth Getto as one participant happy to get away from modern competition for a day.

The 46-year-old regularly competes in triathlons. But on Saturday, June 28, he was convinced by friends at the Goffstown YMCA to run the 29th annual Goffstown Gallop.

“(The Gallop) is kind of laid back. It’s not as crazy as some of the big races,” said Getto, who finished 55th among more than 170 runners. “It was definitely more fun. When you do these triathlons, people are crazy. You know, they come with $5,000 bikes and these pointed helmets. This is more of a social thing ... It’s all about heart.”

Another Bedford resident, 38- year-old Jason Porter, placed second behind last-year’s runner-up, Sean Colligan of Goffstown. Though Colligan is 20 years his junior, Porter, at 28 minutes, 31.428 seconds, finished 18 seconds off the pace.

Like Getto and Porter, dozens of runners traveled from across New Hampshire and even other states to participate in the Gallop. “It’s a family event. A lot of people that come here come year after year after year,” said Dave French, the Goffstown Parks and Recreation director who organizes the Gallop each year. “That’s a testimony to the atmosphere of the race. It’s an old-fashioned race. We don’t do computer chips, we hand out tongue depressors (at the finish line). We’re one of the oldest races in New Hampshire ... More than anything else, it’s a tradition.”

Bow’s Margaret Burns and Pembroke’s Joanne Welch have been running mates for eight years.

They’re currently preparing for a half marathon in Quebec in August.

“It’s a good training run,” said Welch of the Gallop. “It’s a nice distance for a Saturday morning. It’s a good tempo run.”

“It’s more of a community event,” said Burns. “It’s kind of competitive, and if you want to go for a run, it’s better to do it with other people rather than by yourself.” No one traveled farther to participate than French’s daughter, Heather.

The 24-year-old, who served as the race’s starter from childhood through high school, returned from her home in Florida to run the race for the first time. “My dad is getting close to retirement, and I just wanted to run it for him because who knows when his last Goffstown Gallop will be,” she said, adding that training in Florida is much different than running in New Hampshire. “I was training in 95-degree weather and 100-percent humidity,” she added. “I’m not used to running with all the hills, but it was a really gratifying feeling when I crossed the finish line.”