Each time Joe Company passed a speed limit sign at Innsbrook on Saturday, he refused to obey.

On most days, ignoring the ‘Relax — 23 MPH’ signs would be forbidden. But for Company, it meant praise for a personal achievement.

“I’m like, ‘No, man. I’m not going to relax,’ ” quipped Company.

The 36-year-old Columbia resident cruised to his third straight victory during the Ultramax Series Quartermax Challenge at the resort on Saturday.

He crossed the finish line in 1:59:41, beating the nearest competitor by over five minutes.

“Once you win it, you want to come back and defend,” asserted Company.

Company dominated the biking portion of the race, averaging 27 miles per hour. He is currently in command of the Ultramax 2010 Series leaderboard.

“Each of the last three years I’ve gone about 30 seconds quicker,” said Company. “This was my best time on the bike. I had two goals coming in this race — one was to win and the other bike quicker than last year.”

He conquered both.

Innsbrook played host to a pair of challenges on Saturday. Company competed in the Quartermax, a longer race which featured a 1,000-yard swim, 28-mile bike ride and six-mile run. The Octomax was a shorter race that included a 500-yard swim, 18-mile bike ride and three-mile run.

“This is a great course,” said Company. “It kind of suits a strong biker, because it’s a long bike ride. It’s a challenging run and beautiful swim.”

The triathlon veteran says the event sets a precedent for other races.

“It’s seriously one of the best athlete-supported races that I’ve done,” said Company. “You can’t get any better than what you have here.”

This year’s Quartermax runner-up was Jonathan Shearer, who finished in 2:04:58. The top female finisher was Jackie Pearce, crossing the finish line in 2:18:41.

Kimberly Earnest and husband Brad are regulars at Ultramax events and are especially fond of Innsbrook. 

After dominating the female class of the Octomax race last June, Kimberly decided to step into a higher realm of competition.

“I decided to push myself a little harder,” said Kimberly. “There’s some really tough competition there. I was a little bit undertrained, because it was really hot.”

She finished 28th overall and was the third female to cross the line during the Quartermax.

Brad, who took fourth in the Octomax challenge, was waiting for his wife at the water station near the halfway point of the running portion on Saturday.

“A lot of butterflies,” said Brad about the anticipation of waiting for Kimberly to cross the finish line.

He says he prefers the shorter races, but both he and Kimberly have developed an appreciation for the terrain at Innsbrook.

“We love Innsbrook,” said Earnest. “It’s a beautiful resort. We’re big fans of Ultramax with Mark Livesay. We’ve been racing his races for the last eight years. It’s a great venue that keeps us coming back.”

They, along with scores of Columbia Multisport Club members, make the journey to Aspen Lake each summer.

Another Columbia triathlete prevailed in the Octomax race, as 18-year-old Drew Greaves took top honors. An avid swimmer, he used the first leg of the race to push himself to a 1:14:49 finish. 

Greaves recently returned to the sport after a five-month recovery from hip surgery.

“(The course) is really hilly getting started,” said Greaves. “ ... The run is a killer. It’s gravel pretty much up-and-down the whole way.”

Fifty-year-old competitor Rob Thames placed second, exactly three minutes behind Greaves.

Cross country junkie Callum Shayer came racing in at third. He was surprised to see Greaves had already conquered the course, as the two have become accustomed to individual battles on the triathlon circuit.

“We compete in all the major races in Missouri,” said Shayer. “Swimming is my weakness, so this week I put in over 10 hours in the pool trying to catch Drew.”

Saturday’s event was the second of the season for Innsbrook, which hosted an Adventure Max team triathlon in early March.

Last weekend’s race drew nearly 600 triathletes to Warren County to tackle the hills and the heat.

“(The heat) was a very added challenge,” said Earnest. “It added three minutes to my time this year. Even the swim was hot this year.”