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Born ready
By DEBORAH HIRSCH ST. PETERSBURG -- Running went smoothly, but then there were leg pains during the bike course. And after that, cramps while swimming the pool. Still, all of these body aches didn't stop one Azalea Middle School student from completing the Meek & Mighty Triathlon on Saturday. "At first I thought I wouldn't make it, but I did it," said Rashad Lang, 13, who placed seventh in his age group.
"It piggybacks along with the success of the St. Anthony's race," he said. "It's become kind of a signature event within the youth sports community here. We put on a safe race, a fair race, a fun race. It's just a great atmosphere, a great environment." Although it wasn't an Olympic distance course like those the professional and amateur racers completed, Meek & Mighty athletes still plowed through miles of running, biking and swimming. Participants 11 and older started out the competition running for 1 mile around a nearby baseball field, then cycled for 5.4 miles (or three laps on the bike course) and finished up with a 200-yard swim at North Shore Pool, at 901 North Shore Drive. Kids ages 7 to 10 ran 1 mile, biked 3.6 miles and swam 100 yards. The last leg of the race was the hardest for Jackson Christman, who placed fifth out of all the 7-year-olds, "because I could barely swim and because I was so tired."
With more than 300 youth competitors, the Meek & Mighty is the largest triathlon in the state that includes children. Two-thirds of the racers are under 18. Many compete for several years or go on to the adult amateur triathlon, Meckfessel said. "They keep coming back, so we must be doing something right," he said. From Fort Myers, Jonathan Nunez, 10, who at 21:44 was the fastest to go through his age group's course, said he would be up for the challenge of the longer course next year. Fifteen-year-old Kristan McIntosh from Orlando, who placed first in her age group at 28:42, said she definitely will compete again. She just has to decide whether to continue with the Meek & Mighty or join her dad in the St. Anthony race. But for now, she's humble about her triathlon success. "It was really surprising because I just came and I wanted to get a best time," McIntosh said. "It really could've been anyone's race." In a party after the race, about 75 volunteers raffled donated prizes, including a $1,500 bike, and announced the top five winners in each age category. More than 150 participants took home awards for their placement.
The St. Anthony's Triathlon started 19 years ago. The Meek & Mighty race was added in 1986 to make the races more of a family event and allow athletes to participate in a less strenuous competition, Meckfessel said. "This gave them the opportunity to do a triathlon without the pressure of a longer distance," he said. Meckfessel estimated that eight triathlons take place in the Tampa Bay area between spring and late fall. St. Anthony's is the biggest triathlon in Florida and the third largest in the country. And the winners areMALE
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