The St. Anthony's Triathlon is a powerhouse of a race (and it's not bad to look at either).
Named one of the Top 10 Great Destination Triathlons in the United States, the St. Anthony's Triathlon was also announced as the 2018 USAT Regional Championship
From Physical Therapist to Race Director
As a child, Susan enjoyed riding BMX bikes, which turned into a passion for biking. As her love for the sport grew, she ended up trying triathlons and has been involved with the sport for the past 30 years. That passion happened to turn into a new career path, as well.
What Susan described as a " right place, right time" situation, she and another coworker were asked to be the Race Director and Assistant Race Director for the St. Anthony's Triathlon.
Susan and her coworker left their careers as physical therapists and, from that serendipitous moment on, have been working with BayCare Health System as the Race Directors for the St. Anthony's Triathlon.
So, What Makes This Race So Special?
The event was recently named one of the Top 10 Great Destination Triathlons in the United States by Compete Tri and as one of the 5 Bucket-List Olympic Distance Triathlons in North America by Triathlon Magazine Canada.
Held in downtown St. Petersburg, Florida, the race take places in a historic, metropolitan area with shops, restaurants, unique buildings, and stately residential neighborhoods. According to Susan, the real standout part of this race is the beautiful waterfront of downtown St. Petersburg.
Known as a destination event, the premier race attracts a wide range of professional and amateur athletes including Olympic gold medalists, Ironman World Champions, and in some years, celebrities.
This year's pro attendees are already stacking up with a strong roster. For the women, some of the notable names include the past 3 race winners, Lauren Goss, Alicia Kaye, and 6-time winner Sarah Haskins. The men's roster includes Cameron Dye and Rudy Von Berg.
The 35th annual St. Anthony’s Triathlon will take place on April 29, 2018 with approximately 3,000 athlete participants competing over the race weekend. In its 35th year, this race rivals many of the iconic West Coast races as one of the oldest established, continuous races in the country. Because it is such an early season race, it is known for having a strong field year-in and year-out.
The St. Anthony’s Triathlon is also making some exciting changes to the event by extending the Sports and Fitness Expo from a two-day to three-day event. For kids and beginners, the Meek & Mighty Triathlon takes place on April 28, and the main race, for both Olympic and Sprint distance races, is on April 29. The playing field is pretty evenly spread, too, with participants from ages 6 – 90. One of the female athletes just recently celebrated her 90th birthday, what an inspiration.
The Heart Of It All
Behind every race is a dedicated team of volunteers and St. Anthony's Triathlon is no different. Since the run of the triathlon in 1983, volunteers have been a critical part of putting on a successful and fun race weekend. The crew behind this race brings in an incredible amount of expertise and makes the race look so smooth and organized. Something that doesn't go unnoticed by the athletes at the event, who are all given the VIP treatment, regardless of age or experience.
Another Title For St. Anthony's Triathlon
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HFP Racing
Founded in 1988, HFP Racing has been growing the reach of triathlon by serving families in the multisport community for more than 25 years. The Fit Family Series is America’s longest running multisport series, and features seven summer weekend events that offer a Kidz Triathlon & Duathlon on Saturday followed by a mini, sprint & Olympic distance triathlon and duathlon on Sunday.
