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Triathletes compete in Tucson's Inaugural Super Sprint

Triathletes aged 12+ kicked off the Spring season
Posted at 10:16 AM, Mar 03, 2019
and last updated 2019-03-03 19:36:43-05

TUCSON, Ariz. — "We can bring more friends and family together all while getting active, " said Triathlon Coordinator Michael Whetton.

For the first time in Tucson, athletes 12 years and older competed in the Super Sprint Triathlon.

Hosted by the Parks & Recreation department, triathletes began training well before the event ever began.

"I usually run everyday, sometimes for two miles sometimes more, " said Clayton Teague, who was running in his first short distance triathlon. He adds, "The swimming is the one thing I'm worried about, but I've gone swimming a couple of times and I think I'm ready for it."

The triathlon consisted of a 350 yard swim, 6-miles bicycle ride, and a 1.5-mile run. For Whetton the experience was a new opportunity to showcase the scenery of southern Arizona.

"We have some of the most beautiful parks, I really want to show people how hard our department works to maintain them," Whetton explained.

While this years race was non competitive, that didn't stop pro triathlete Brandon Scheel from finishing in 32 minutes and 36 seconds. He says the secret to success is spending time outside and staying positive.

"Mind is definitely 90% of it, if you believe in yourself, you'll go a lot farther than if you start getting down," Scheel said. He adds, " Keeping a positive attitude is much more important than any training will be."