The area’s most dedicated and fun-loving athletes will flock to downtown Long Beach this Sunday as the competitors ready their wetsuits, bikes and running shoes for the 10th Annual Long Beach Triathlon, hosted by Pacific Sports and benefits the Comprehensive AIDS Resource and Education (CARE) Program at St. Mary Medical Center.

Called “the most scenic race on the Pacific Coast,” this “sprint triathlon” is roughly half the distance of an Olympic triathlon – the tri-athletes will begin with a ½ mile swim inside the breakwall, continue with an 11-mile bike ride that will take them from one end of Shoreline Drive to the other and across Queensbay Bridge for a scenic look at the Queen Mary.  They will complete two laps of the bike circuit before lacing up their Nikes and finishing with a three-mile run through the Downtown Marina and back to the intersection of Shoreline and Ocean.

“This will be the event’s 10th anniversary, and we are very excited; we have come a long way since I started this event in memory of my brother, and that feels good,” said founder Karen Kachigan.

The event will begin at 7:00am on Sunday morning.  To sign up to participate in the triathlon, click here.  Registration costs $135 per individual and $185 per relay team.  Competitors under 18 can join for $50.

Volunteers are still needed for setup and other helpful duties.  If interested, contact Carlos Ruiz at (562) 624-4936.