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Triathletes Race In Ruskin

Tribune file photo by VICTOR JUNCO (2005)

The triathlon will consist of a 1,500-meter swim in the Tampa Bay, a 24.8-mile bike ride and a by a 10-kilometer run.

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By JOHN CEBALLOS

The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 23, 2008

RUSKIN - A few weeks before the opening ceremony half a world away in Beijing, a small sample of the summer Olympics will come to South Shore.

On Saturday, Ruskin will host the first Pirates Cove Triathlon at E.G. Simmons Park, 2401 19th Ave. N.W.

"We're calling it Pirates Cove as a reference to Gasparilla and the event being held in the Tampa Bay area," said Scott Langen, the event director. "We're very excited about bringing our event to that area."

To keep up the pirate them and help infuse the event with a bit of South Shore flair, Langen enlisted the participation of Ye Royal Krewe of Charlotte de Berry.

The all-female krewe was founded in 2000 and has about 70 members.

"We're going to be volunteering at the watering stations, helping out the athletes," said Lisa McCorkle, commodore of the krewe. "We're also going to have some of our krewe in costume to help keep up the pirate theme."

The Ruskin race is the second in a scheduled series of Olympic-distance triathlons called the International Distance Classic organized by Exclusive Sports Marketing, a company based in Boca Raton.

The first IDC race took place June 8 on South Beach in Miami Beach. Langen said the site of the third race in the series is yet to be determined, but will most likely take place on the state's east coast. A fourth race may be added before the end of the year.

The triathlon will consist of a 1,500-meter swim in the Tampa Bay followed by a 24.8-mile bike ride and capped off by a 10-kilometer run. Its first appearance on the Olympic level was during the 2000 games at Sydney.

Results will be split into categories related to the participants' age, weight and gender. Langen said about 90 athletes were registered to run the race as of July 15, but he expects that to climb to about 200 by the day of the event.

The IDC series has also organized a series of duathlons, which take place concurrently to the triathlons. The Ruskin event is no exception - the duathlon will begin with a 10k run, followed by a 24.8-mile bike ride and end with a 5k run.

"We're going to have people coming in from all over Florida to compete in this triathlon," Langen said.

"This is our first year, but we're hoping this is an event we can continue doing for years to come and we want to keep the Tampa area involved."

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Pirates Cove Triathlon

WHERE: E.G. Simmons Park, 2401 19th Ave. N.W., Ruskin

WHEN: 7 a.m. Saturday

COST: $80 for triathlon or duathlon

INFORMATION: (561) 241-3801 or www.endurancenation.com

Reporter John Ceballos can be reached at (813) 865-1555 or jceballos@tampatrib.com.

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