A few good volunteers needed for triathlon

To complete the Longboat Key Triathlon, you’ll need to swim a half-mile, then bike 20 miles, then run five miles. To complete the Longboat Key Duathlon, you’ll have to run two miles, bike 20 miles, then run another five miles.

But, even if your running shoes are collecting dust and your bicycle is rusty, you can still participate in the event.

The Longboat Key Chamber of Commerce is seeking volunteers to line Gulf of Mexico Drive, where the bicycle course is set, to help make the course safer by making motorists aware of cyclists during the race. 

Volunteering is as simple as calling the chamber at 383-2466 and will require just a couple of hours outside in the Key’s typically mild October weather. The chamber will ask Key condominium associations to help gather volunteers for the Sunday, Oct. 28 race.

Volunteers will receive a T-shirt for their efforts — and the satisfaction of knowing they’ve helped make the event better (and possibly bigger) than ever.

“We’re ahead of last year’s registration right now, which suggests that there could be more competitors,” said chamber President Tom Aposporos. Last year’s race drew 426 registered participants.

This year’s event will feature the same course and won’t result in traffic closures along Gulf of Mexico Drive. Competitors will be off the road earlier than last year, by about 10 a.m., Aposporos said.

The four prizes in this year’s triathlon and duathlon will be awarded in honor of the late Longboat Key Police Chief Al Hogle, whose support helped to make the race a reality.

The Centre Shops Fall Festival, scheduled for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. the same day, will immediately follow the race. The event will include an antique car show, food, wine, beer and antique vendors. The chamber and Centre Shops merchants have been working together since August to develop a synergy between the events.

“We’ll be recommending it as an event to attend following the triathlon,” Aposporos said.

Race to register
Register for the Longboat Key Triathlon and Duathlon at longboatkeytri.com. Registration fees vary but currently range from $115 for individual duathlon to $175 for a three-person triathlon relay team through Oct. 25. Rates will most likely increase as the race approaches.