MCRD/ERR PARRIS ISLAND, S.C. -- The Depot is scheduled to hold its 7th annual Marine Corps Community Services-South Carolina Parris Island Triathlon March 18 at 9 a.m., starting at the Combat Pool.
The multi-event race, which is the first of 11 in a series of yearly triathlons that make up the Palmetto State Triathlon Series, will feature three events: a 500-meter swim, a 12-mile bike race and a 5K run.
Parris Island's triathlon is deemed to be one of the easiest courses in the series due to the geographically flat course and shortened distances for all events, said Bill Brown, athletic director for Parris Island Semper Fit Program.
While still an officially recorded race in the triathlon series, triathletes use this event as testing ground to see where they are in their training, said Brown.
The swimming portion will be the first event of the race. Athletes will swim 500 meters up and down a zigzag pattern of lanes set up in the pool. Competitors will enter the pool one-by-one every ten seconds and will be placed in order based on their estimated swimming speed, from the fastest to slowest swimmer.
Next up for the participants will be the bike course. The 12-mile-long course will take bikers from the pool along Wake Boulevard to the firing range, then along Yorktown Boulevard to the golf course and back down the remainder of Yorktown Boulevard to the indoor pool, where they will leave their bikes and prepare for the run.
The last leg of the race will be the 5K run. Runners will begin at the pool and head for the rifle ranges once more. At the turn-around point, the competitors will retrace steps back to the finish line at the pool.
Each participant will be individually timed, as starting times for each athlete can differ by as much as three hours.
Athletes have more to be concerned about than their performance in all three events; the time that each person spends in the changeover area between each leg of the triathlon also counts against their overall times. Taking too long between the events can cost participants the few seconds they need to win, said Brown.
There are many different classifications available for athletes of all ages and experience, but potential participants are reminded they may register in only one classification, said Brown.
Awards will be given for the best times by both genders in all age groups, as well as in the military, masters, novice, Athena and Clydesdale classifications.
For more information, stop by the Combat Fitness Center or visit www. setup@set-upinc.com.