MCRD/ERR PARRIS ISLAND, S.C. -- The first race of the 2004 Palmetto State Triathlon series was held aboard the Depot Saturday.
More than 250 civilian and military contestants participated in the rigorous event, swimming 500 meters in the combat pool, biking 13 miles on a mapped course around the streets of Parris Island and running an additional five kilometers to the finish line.
The competitors withstood the heat of the Saturday morning sun along with the aggravating bites of the Parris Island sand flies throughout each event.
Some participants entered the triathlon with intentions of just finishing the race while others had different reasons.
Tim Jacobson, a home inspector from Columbia, competed in the triathlon with about seven other runners with the Leukemia Society. "This was just a warm-up," said Jacobson, "There's another triathlon we'll be running in next month.
"I did well on the swimming portion, but I have a lot to improve on in the biking and running and the transitions between events," Jacobson laughed.
Kelly Spears and husband Michael, a Marine stationed on MCAS Beaufort, said they trained in Japan by running and swimming routinely. "We ran the triathlon to see how well we could do," Michael Spears said.
The couple said they both performed better than they had expected to in the events.