Local athletes to give ‘Wayne’ a tri

A little more than three months have passed since Olivier Marceau and Jamie Whitmore took the tape in the 16th Annual Tagaman Triathlon through the archway at the American Memorial Park and aside from the CNMI’s team training for the 2005 Palau South Pacific Mini Games, the local multisport scene has been pretty quiet.

All of that is about to change as the organizers of the Try Wayne Tri are planning to sashay their event to the shores of Saipan with the Try Wayne Tri II.

The first race of its kind in the CNMI will break the summer doldrums on Monday, Sept. 5, at 7:30am as participants of varying degrees of physical fitness are welcome to join in the casual concert of coordination.

The race entails a 1.2-kilometer swim around the semi-submerged World War II-era tanks in the Saipan lagoon, a 20-km bike to the seaport in Puerto Rico and back, and a 5km run to the Japanese tank at Quartermaster Road, but don’t be fooled by the distances as the event is not focused on high speeds and low times.

The first Try Wayne Tri was July 2004 in Raleigh, North Carolina as a result of a group of athletes pitching in to give their friend Wayne Bramlett a hand in training for a triathlon. The format was basically Bramlett against a relay team in a sprint race, and while both sides claimed victory, there is a decidedly different purpose for the Saipan event.

“It’s not about winning it’s about getting out there, training, being sporty, and looking fabulous while doing it. There’s no way I’ll win, but I’ll be laughing all the way. This, most importantly, is the point of the TWTII—coming across the finish line with a grin. Being sporty isn’t about winning for me—it’s about having fun at sports when you haven’t considered being sporty before,” he said.

Individuals not sure about the challenge will not have to face the triathlon alone, as the TWTII is open to relay teams and athletes interested only in the bike and run portions as well.

Bramlett began working on the idea of carrying over the fun from Carolina to challenge what he termed as some of his non-triathlete friends here on island a couple of weeks ago. Since then, the buzz created over the internet has grown from a handful of people to nearly a quarter of Tagaman event.

“I’m just stunned by the response to the TWTII. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would have more than three people doing the race,” said Bramlett.

In the spirit of open participation, the TWTII seeks out a spirited group of spectators to come to the course with noise makers in hand ready to cheer on the participants by banging on pots and pans with spoons at the finish line.

“At 34 I had never run a step in my life. Since, I’ve done seven half Ironman races. Having done the Tagaman, I must say it was one of the best-supported races of the 60 plus I’ve ever done. We have a lot to learn about showing up for a race. Let’s teach them about making noise for athletes. Think about Tagaman and XTERRA with all that cacophony,” said Bramlett.

Following the race, there will be male and female awards friendliness—Mr. and Ms. Congeniality, Costume, and talent. All of which will be awarded by committee. Aside from the prizes, one of the most attractive facets of the TWTII is the absence of an entry fee. There will be a commemorative T-shirt on sale for $10, and it would be best to reserve one as soon as possible.

Since the outpouring of interest has overwhelmed Bramlett, he is not actively looking for volunteers to serve as timers and pre-race supporters.

For more info about the TWTII or to sign up as a volunteer for the Labor Day event, contact Bramlett via email at huengo@att.net or by calling 235-8583.