St. Anthony’s Triathlon Announced as 2018 USAT Regional Championship

February 16, 2018

Triathlon Extends Sports & Fitness Expo to a Three-Day Event and Locates All Events at Vinoy Park

ST. PETERSBURG, FL, (FEBRUARY 16, 2018) – USA Triathlon (USAT) has selected St. Anthony’s Triathlon as a 2018 Regional Championship Race. The 35th annual St. Anthony’s Triathlon will take place on April 29, 2018 with approximately 3,000 athlete participants competing over the race weekend.

As a USAT Regional Championship site, registered USAT athletes can qualify from the St. Anthony’s Triathlon for the 2018 Olympic-Distance National Championships in Cleveland, Ohio, to be held on August 11, 2018. In order to qualify for the National Championships, competitors must finish in the top 33 percent or top five (whichever is greater) competitors per their respective age groups. In addition, this year’s St. Anthony’s Triathlon will also serve as the USAT Southeastern Regional Championship.

“We are proud to have been selected again as a USAT Regional Championship race,” said Susan Daniels, race director for St. Anthony’s Triathlon. “This event hosts some of the best athletes in the world, and we are honored to offer triathletes the opportunity to qualify for the USAT National Championship on our St. Petersburg course.”

The St. Anthony’s Triathlon is also making some exciting changes to the event by extending the Sports and Fitness Expo from a two-day to three-day event and holding all Triathlon events in one park instead of two. The Sports and Fitness Expo will take place from April 27-29 St. Petersburg’s waterfront Vinoy Park. “Extending our sports and fitness expo gives our competitors more opportunities to check out the latest race gear and moving to one location, makes it more convenient for them,” said Daniels.

For kids and novice adults, the Meek & Mighty Triathlon occurs on April 28, and the main Triathlon, for both Olympic and Sprint distance races, runs on April 29.

Registration to compete in any of the St. Anthony’s Triathlon events is open and can be found at www.SATriathlon.com.

More information about USAT Regional Championship guidelines and rules can be found at: https://www.teamusa.org/usa-triathlon/events/regional-championships

The St. Anthony’s Triathlon attracts professional and amateur competitors from around the world. Professionals will compete for a $56,000 prize purse. The event was recently named one of the top 10 Great Destination Triathlons in the United States by Compete Tri and as one of the "5 Bucket-List Olympic Distance Triathlons in North America" by Triathlon Magazine Canada. Known as a destination event, the premier race event attracts a wide range of professional and amateur athletes including Olympic gold medalists, Ironman World Champions, and in some years, celebrities.

For more information about the 2018 races, athletes, health and fitness expo and surrounding activities, visit https://SATriathlon.com/ or the St. Anthony’s Triathlon’s Facebook page: Facebook.com/StAnthonysTriathlon. Be part of the conversation using the hashtag, #StAnthonysTri.

About St. Anthony’s Hospital
St. Anthony’s Hospital is a 393-bed hospital founded in 1931 as a ministry of the Franciscan Sisters of Allegany and was the first faith-based hospital in Pinellas County. For more information on St. Anthony’s, call (727) 953-6993.

About BayCare Health System
BayCare is a leading not-for-profit health care system that connects individuals and families to a wide range of services at 14 hospitals and hundreds of other convenient locations throughout the Tampa Bay and central Florida regions. Inpatient and outpatient services include acute care, primary care, imaging, laboratory, behavioral health, home care, and wellness. Our mission is to improve the health of all we serve through community-owned, health care services that set the standard for high-quality, compassionate care.

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