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Now that the spring running season is in full bloom, triathlons can't be too far away. There's a newcomer to the Fairfield County triathlon calendar this year as the Sherwood Island Sprint Triathlon joins the field June 19. (Here's a full list of area triathlons in the region this year).
"It's a wonderful location at Sherwood Island,'' said Megan Kelly, who is assisting in producing the event with race sponsor Targetraining of Westport. "The beach is beautiful and the location is beautiful. It's not a multiloop course. It's run is all throughout the park, which is very nice for the athletes. They never have to leave Sherwood Island."
The race begins at 6:30 a.m. on Father's Day. The distance is a half-mile swim, a 13-mile bike ride and a 3.1-mile run. A portion of the proceeds will go to the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center's Pediatrics Department.
Kelly said the Westport triathlon has several advantages. It's early in the season, and the sprint distance isn't overly taxing for athletes. "When we were looking at the race calendar, there's a triathlon in the beginning of June in Ridgefield,'' Kelly said. "If you miss the boat for that one, you're out of luck for a little while. The nice thing about a sprint triathlon is if you wanted to, you could do one every weekend."
To prepare athletes for the race, Targetraining is offering a six-week training program beginning May 9. For additional information, email dom@ttwestport.com. You must be registered to race. Athletes can register for the training plan when you sign up for the race on Active.com.
The bike ride leaves Sherwood Island State Park and travels through some of Westport's most scenic areas, including Greens Farms Road, Beachside Avenue and Compo Road. It loops back along Hillspoint Road and riders roll return to Sherwood Island to start the running segment.
Complete race details are available on the Target Training website.
Do you plan to compete in a triathlon this year? Start the discussion below!
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