Story courtesy of the Nevis Cycle and Triathlon Club

(Charlestown, Nevis)- They are coming from around the world to run, bicycle and swim in order to prepare for the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympics – and local organizers and Nevis are ready for them.

What it means is that the Nevis Cycle and Triathlon Club and the island of Nevis are preparing for the sixth annual Olympic Triathlon on Sunday, March 16. The action begins at 9:45 a.m. for the Elite competitors in downtown Charlestown, while the Age Group competition starts at 1:30 p.m. in downtown Charlestown.

The event – known as the Carino Health Spa Triathlon – features competition in running, biking and swimming.

This year is very special, as athletes are readying themselves for the Beijing Olympics. The Nevis Triathlon has been sanctioned by the world governing body, the International Triathlon Union, as a Continental Cup event. This means that male and female athletes competing will be able to gain valuable points directly applicable to their Olympic campaigns and puts Nevis on the world map of triathlons.

Triathlete Magazine has within the last month given an invaluable endorsement to the Federation’s most international annual sporting event.

Of the thousands of triathlons held around the world, Triathlete Magazine named the Nevis triathlon among its top five “Must-Do Races for 2008.”  The same magazine also published a story and photographs in its Feb. 2008 issue about the 2007 race as the centre page spread.

The race features a number of courses: an Olympic distance course, including a 1,500-meter swim, a 40-kilometer bike race and a 10-kilometer run.

The shorter Sprint distance course, covering exactly one-half the Olympic course, consists of a 750-meter swim, 20-kilometer bike and 5-kilometer run.

There will also be the Try-A-Tri course of 250mtr, 10km, 3km for beginner triathletes of all ages, plus a Junior triathlon for kids aged from 6 – 14.

The triathlon’s sponsor is Carino Health Spa, a division of the Norwegian company; Carino Nevis, Ltd. Carino is currently developing Hamilton Estate, a luxury villa/condominium resort complex with a state-of-the-art health spa on Nevis.

This race attracts athletes from all over the world, with international athletes who participated last year coming from Holland, France, Canada, Venezuela and the USA.  Regional athletes who competed represented Trinidad, Barbados, St. Martin, Tortola, St. Thomas, St. Croix and Puerto Rico.

For the third time, the event is sanctioned by the Organization of East Caribbean States (OECS), a group of nine Caribbean nations that promotes cooperation in defence, international diplomacy, and economic and sustainable development policies.

Reggie Douglas of Nevis is the current male OECS champion and Clare Morrall of Grenada the female champion.

Here’s how the triathlon will be held:

It starts with the swim, which will take place at Gallows Bay in Charlestown. There will be a beach start following a simple triangle format – two laps for the Olympic distance swimmers and one lap for the sprint.

Upon completion of the swim, competitors will run along the bay front for approximately 60 meters to the transition area where their bicycles will be stationed.

Upon leaving the transition area, the bikers will head north along the main island road, towards the airport and the turnaround point. The bicycle course is relatively flat but challenging, with a maximum elevation of 150 ft. Bikers will loop the course twice for the Olympic distance and once for the Sprint, before heading back to the transition area to prepare for the run to the finish.

The run course will be two laps for Olympic and one for Sprint. The run is flat, heading north from town out to the Four Seasons Resort Nevis, where they will turn around and head back to the finish line on the waterfront in Charlestown. Here the winners will be crowned as champions of the sixth annual Carino Health Spa Triathlon.

For more information on rates and reservations, call Carino Hamilton Estates on (869) 662 2250, Oualie Beach Hotel at (869) 469-9735 and Sea Spawn Guest House at (869) 469-5239.

For more information on the Nevis Triathlon visit www.neviscycleclub.com or call the Race Committee Chairman, Winston Crooke at 869-469-9682.