Antigua has two upcoming dates on the sporting calendar for swimmers, runners and cyclists to take note. On Sunday, Nov. 15th at 2pm, an exciting mini-triathlon will be taking place. Starting at Fort James, this competitive event will encompass the three legs of a standard triathlon, but will be more accessible to athletes who may not have previously participated in this intensive sport.

The mini-triathlon will start at Fort James with a 375m swim. The cycling portion follows a 10km route and finishes up with a 4km run. The purpose of the mini- triathlon is to introduce young people to the sport and be a precursor to the main event which will be taking place on Sunday, Dec. 13th. A full triathlon will be staged this time, drawing both local and international athletes. This event will offer triathletes the option of an Olympic triathlon or a sprint version. More details will follow in an upcoming article.

Those interested in the Antigua and Barbuda Triathlon Association (ABTRI) should email abtri_lets@yahoo.com or contact Owen Clashing at 268-464-4754.

Check out recent news of Antiguan triathletes who won their categories at the recent Barbados National Triathlon and Caribbean Triathlon Union Championship.

The latest information for this weekend's Try-a-Tri:

Try - a - Tri
50m swim
4 km bike
1 km run
Sorry, we’re not encouraging teams for this category

Super Sprint
350 swim
10km bike
2.5km run
teams welcome – we have people already on the list who are looking for YOU to team up with so give us a call soonest!

Kiddies
25m swim
1km bike
400m run

Registration: 2pm Races
start: 3pm PROMPT
Entry Fees: $20 adults $10 children

Friends and families of participants are encouraged to stay and encourage the athletes, all the transition points are at Fort James and there will be refreshments on sale! Join us, bring your camera and cheer on your favourite athlete!

Try-a-Tri is a great way to get fitter; meet new friends or take up a new sport. ABTRI attend regional triathlons, why not come and join us. You don’t have to excel at any of the disciplines and everyone has to start somewhere.

For those who are not familiar with triathlons, it is an endurance sports event consisting of swimming, cycling and running over various distances. As a result, proficiency in swimming, cycling, or running alone is not sufficient to guarantee a triathlete a competitive time. Trained triathletes have learned to race each stage in a manner that preserves their energy and endurance for subsequent stages. In triathlons, these disciplines are placed back-to-back and a competitor's official time includes the time required to "transition" between each individual leg of the race, including any time necessary for changing clothes and shoes.