Triple Threat

Spring is quickly melting into summer in the Valley, and armchair sports fans are settling in, sticking their sweaty thighs to leather La-Z-Boys for the NBA and NHL playoffs and the return of the D-Backs. In contrast, the climb to hellish temperatures bodes ill for participatory sports enthusiasts, who look forward to sweat and sunburn. Such physically ambitious souls should be heartened by this weekend's inaugural Tempe International Triathlon, to be held at Tempe Town Lake on Sunday, May 5.

Details

Starts at 6 a.m. Sunday, May 5, Participants can register for the event until May 4. For fees and information, see www.3disciplines.com.

Tempe Town Lake

Related Content

• We Hate Los Angeles: Six Songs As the Coyotes Prep to Take on the Kings
  May 8, 2012
• Amar'e Stoudemire Joins Ex-Team (Phoenix Suns) on Sideline After Apparent Tantrum
  May 1, 2012
• Guess Where I'm Eating and Win a Prize
  April 27, 2012
• Garden State of Mind: The Nets Say "So Long" to New Jersey
  April 24, 2012
• Meet Tempe Rockers Neato: From Roommates to Bandmates
  April 20, 2012

More About

• Tempe
• National Basketball Association
• Triathlon
• Professional Hockey

Like this Story?

Sign up for the Events Newsletter: What's happening in town? From underground club nights to the biggest outdoor festivals, our top picks for the week's best events will always keep you in on the action.

Privacy Policy Cancel Continue

The international-distance triathlon consists of a 1,500-meter swim in Tempe Town Lake, a 40-kilometer bike race and a 10-kilometer run. To some, the first leg sounds appalling -- a dip in the brown muck that Tempe passes off as a lake? Organizer Jonathan Grinder, of Tucson Racing Inc., is quick to assure that the much-maligned mud puddle presents absolutely no health hazards to swimmers.

"The City of Tempe is one of the most stringent organizations I've dealt with," Grinder says. "If the water doesn't comply, the event doesn't happen." Grinder also explains that Tempe Town Lake has a clay bottom, which accounts for the brown pall over it.

The race course, which covers Rio Salado, Priest, Washington and Curry, is described by Grinder as a "fast course, challenging but user-friendly." There are minor hills to bike and, despite the early morning start, the heat could be as great a factor as the incline. Winners will finish the race in just under two hours, spending approximately 20 minutes swimming, an hour biking and 35 minutes running.

The organizers expect the triathlon's urban setting will attract national and international athletes in future years, and they hope the event evolves into "one of the Valley's must-do events." With sufficient sponsorship, the Tempe International Triathlon could host the 2004 Olympic trials, which should excite even metabolically challenged sports fans.