Central Florida Health and Wellness Magazine Health and Wellness Articles of the Villages
Related Articles
The St. Anthony’s Triathlon, the premiere swim/bike/run race, is back for its 39th year in downtown St. Petersburg and surrounding neighborhoods after a two-year hiatus because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Events for the race weekend, April 29-May 1, 2022, will include the Olympic, Sprint and Meek & Mighty triathlons.
Athletes can register for all events at:
https://runsignup.com/Race/FL/SaintPetersburg/StAnthonys. Volunteers can also register at this site.
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the summer 2021 resurgence of the virus caused the cancellation of the 2020 and 2021 Triathlons. As in all previous Triathlons, organizers are working to provide a safe environment for all participants, spectators, volunteers and sponsors.
“We recognize how disappointed our participants have been over the last two years when we had to cancel those races,” said St. Anthony’s Hospital President Scott Smith. “Our commitment is to the safety of all who come out to race and those who are there to cheer on our athletes. We want to stage a safe and exciting race for everyone. To do that, we encourage everyone to get vaccinated and continue to mask, wash hands and socially distance.”
Patrick McGee, Triathlon manager and race director, said that he is eager to welcome back athletes, fans and sponsors to the St. Petersburg’s downtown waterfront for the race weekend.
“Our main goal is to have an in-person race this year. But as it has been for the past two years, it all depends on how well the pandemic is under control,” McGee said. “With just two months to go before our race, vaccination rates are going up, COVID cases are going down and everyone is working to stay safe. If those trends continue, we will see everyone in person on race weekend.”
In addition to being a past regional championship race and the USAT Southeastern Club Regional Championship, the St. Anthony’s Triathlon has been named as one of the Top 10 Great Destination Triathlons in the United States by Complete Tri and as one of the “5 Bucket-List Olympic Distance Triathlons in North America” by Triathlon Magazine Canada.
Ranked as the fourth largest triathlon in the country by USAT, the three-day St. Anthony’s Triathlon Weekend includes:
• The Olympic-Distance Triathlon, set for Sunday, May 1, which is known for its talented professional field.
• The Sprint Triathlon, also on May 1, which features shorter distances than the Olympic-distance race along the same course.
• The Meek & Mighty Triathlon, on Saturday, April 30, a race for novice adults and children who are new to the sport of triathlon.
In addition to solo participation, there also are relay team options in the Olympic-distance and Sprint races. “All participants who deferred their registrations to 2022 need to claim their entry via RunSignUp,” McGee said.
The weekend includes the St. Anthony’s Triathlon Sports & Fitness Expo, a showcase of the latest equipment for multisport athletes, workshops for athletes to prepare for the races and information tables featuring various St. Anthony’s Hospital and BayCare services.
For more information about the events, visit SATriathlon.com.
Athletes and fans can be a part of the conversation on the St. Anthony’s Triathlon Facebook page at
Facebook.com/StAnthonysTriathlon by using the hashtag, #StAnthonysTri.