NMITF encourages TWTII racers

With the successful running of yesterday’s Try Wayne Tri II, a new crowd of triathletes got their first taste of the world of multisport, and the Northern Marianas Islands Triathlon Federation is eager to offer them another slice of the tri-pie in less than two weeks during the second event of the 2005 Enticer Series.

Seasoned veterans, first timers, and everyone in between are welcomed to join the NMITF on Saturday, Sept. 17, at Pau Pau Beach in Marpi to double the distances from the first race in August. At 8am the swimmers will take to the waters along Pau Pau Beach for the 400m shallow ocean swim before transitioning to the 8km bike ride and the 2km run.

The returning triathletes will get a chance to return to the competitive scene by challenging the 600m swim, 16km bike, and 4km run of the third round of Enticer fun a month later on the evening of Saturday, Oct. 15, as the rookies compete in their first Sprint race—a 600m shallow ocean swim, 16km bike ride, and a 4km run. The new racers can also opt to run with the big dogs in the Double Sprint Distance race, where Saipan’s top triathletes will vie for the lowest time in the 1,200m shallow ocean swim, 32km bike ride, and 8km run.

The races start later in the day with a go time of 4:30pm at Pau Pau to allow for an evening barbeque at the beach.

The final tune up before the race in Rota takes place three weeks later with a Mini-Sprint training tune up on Sunday, Nov. 5 at 6am. The training session is solely for Rota entrants and consists of a 200m swim, 4km bike, and a 1K run repeated three times. The first will be at a slow and relaxed pace, followed by a “comfortable and slightly more intense” second round, and the third set at race pace.

While some of the newest racers may not be able to see the light at the end of the tunnel, series director Sue Knecht said that anyone who follows the Enticer Series through to its completion will be able to participate and finish the 1.5km swim, 40km bike, and 10km run of the Olympic distance Rota race on Saturday, Nov. 19, so it’s not too late to start.

The Enticer/Sprint Series events are all adult races, and while entrants must be 14 years of age or older, those between the ages of 14-18 must have a signed parental consent.

The cost to participate in all of the Sprint/Enticer races is $5 for NMITF members and $10 for non-members. The cost of an annual membership is $25.

To pre-register for the races, send your intentions to sueknecht1@yahoo.com.