Athletes run to the water for the swim segment at the start of Sunset Beach Bar Triple Mini Triathlon. (Milton Pieters photo)
SIMPSON BAY--Athletes will be gathering at Maho Beach early this Sunday morning, March 30, for the annual Triple Mini Triathlon hosted by Sunset Beach Bar.
This short and fun event consists of three mini triathlons, each one including a 200 meter swim, 8km bike ride and 2Km run. The first mini triathlon starts at 7:00am with a swim, bike and run. Racers will have one hour to complete the event before starting the second triathlon at 8:00am, this one changing the sequence to run, swim and then bike.
The third and final race starts at 9:00am with a swim, followed by a run and finishing up with the bike.
The cycling portion of these three races will take place on the Airport Road between the Maho roundabout and the Pelicans Roundabout at the airport. Organisers and St. Maarten Police are therefore asking the general public to be vigilant and considerate of the bikers when driving in this area between 7:00am and 10:00am.
“This event usually attracts between 80 to 100 participants, popular not only with the top athletes but also for newcomers wanting to try out a triathlon for the first time. They can choose to do one, two, or all three races depending on how they feel,” noted Friendly Island Triathlon Association (FITA) board member Susy Piscione.
St. Martin's top triathlete, Gregory Pigeon, has won the event several times, however word is out that his domination will be challenged by one of his team mates, Gabriel Pertusot, from SXM Tri Académie so expect times to be very close.
“Gabriel is a faster runner, but Greg is faster on the bike, and they will both be about the same on the swim. It will be exciting to watch,” added Susy.
Gregory’s best times are under 25 minutes for each race. Interesting to note that his daughter Mia will also be participating again in a junior category. The three race times are added together and the shortest times win the day. The categories are Kids under 12, Teens, and adult age groups.
A new category of 60+ has been added for men and women as FITA has noticed an increasing number of athletes taking part in the events over the age of 60. The oldest competitor racing this Sunday is Tom de Luca (69) who comes down every year from the US to do the race.
Last year’s winner Amy Cox from Barbados will not be participating, leaving an open field in the women’s category.
Prize giving takes place at the Sand Bar. Sponsor Morgan Resort offers a certificate for a hotel stay as one of the raffle prizes.
Registration is still open and can be done online at www.trisportsxm.com/events. The entry fee is US$15 per person which includes breakfast after the event at Sunset Beach Bar.
