St. Petersburg Welcomes Professionals to Amateur Athletes from Around the World on April 28 - 30

News provided by

SMACK! Media

Apr 20, 2017, 03:00 ET

St. Petersburg, FL (PRWEB) April 20, 2017 -- ST. PETERSBURG, FL (April 20, 2017) – World Champions, Olympians, and a well-rounded roster of professional athletes from across the world comprise the field for the 34th Annual St. Anthony’s Triathlon that returns to St. Petersburg on Sunday, April 30th. Over 3,000 athletes from 41 states, the District of Columbia, and 8 countries participated in the 2016 events, and this year’s total participant count is looking to be even greater.

Final preparations are underway for the athletic competition that is considered to be one of the sport’s leading events in the U.S. From novice youth to age group amateurs to some of the best triathletes in the world, thousands of athletes of all ages and abilities will be in downtown St. Petersburg from April 28 – 30 to attend the two-day Sports and Fitness Expo and compete in one of three events: the Meek & Mighty Triathlon, Sprint Triathlon and the Olympic distance St. Anthony’s Triathlon.

The Olympic distance Triathlon and the Sprint Triathlon will be held Sunday, April 30, while the Meek & Mighty Triathlon will be Saturday, April 29. Approximately 40 professional stars of the sport, including 2015 and 2016 St. Anthony’s Triathlon winner Cameron Dye, who is hoping to land the three-peat at this year's race, will toe the starting line. Alicia Kaye, the 2015 women’s winner and 2016 runner-up finisher of St. Anthony’s, is also eyeing the top podium spot this year.

The list of female professional triathletes also includes: Ashley Clifford (Florida), Kaitlin Donner (Florida), Lauren Goss (Colorado), Ericka Hachmeister (New York), Heather Lendway (Minnesota), Rebecca Martz (West Virginia), and Jillian Petersen (Washington).

On the men’s field, professional triathletes include: Richard Border (Florida), Nicholas Chase (Florida), Robbie Deckard (Indiana), Brian Fleischmann (Colorado), Will Jurkowski (Colorado), Eric Limkemann (Virginia), Jackson Laundry (Canada), Lawrence Merrill (New York), Andrew Mueller (Indiana), Michael Poole (Florida), John Rasmussen (Canada), Tim Russell (Vermont), Rodolphe Von Berg (Colorado), Jason West (Colorado), Timothy Winslow (Colorado), Matthew Wisthoff (North Carolina), and Andrew Yoder (Pennsylvania).

Professionals will compete for a $56,000 prize purse. Because the event is a USAT Regional Championship event, registered USAT athletes will be able to qualify at the St. Anthony’s Triathlon for the 2017 Olympic-Distance National Championships in Omaha, Neb., to be held on Aug. 12, 2017. In order to qualify for the National Championships, competitors must finish in the top 33 percent or top five (whichever is greater) competitors per their respective age groups.

The 2017 St. Anthony’s Triathlon weekend events are as follows:

Friday, April 28- Saturday, April 29:
-Sports and Fitness Expo, Straub Park, 500 Beach Drive
-Friday: Noon – 6 p.m.
-Saturday: 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.
-Registration is available on site at the Expo.

Saturday, April 29:
-Meek & Mighty Triathlon, North Shore Pool, 901 North Shore Drive
Shorter distance race for youths ages 7-14 and novice adults
--7:30 a.m. start time.

Sunday, April 30:
-St. Anthony’s Triathlon, North Shore & Vinoy Parks
Olympic distance race (1.5K swim, 40K bike and 10K run.)
--6:50 a.m. start time.

-St. Anthony’s Sprint Race, North Shore & Vinoy Parks (750-meter swim, 20K bike, 5K run)
--Approx. 8:45 a.m. start time.

More information about USAT Regional Championship guidelines and rules can be found at: https://www.teamusa.org/usa-triathlon/events/regional-championships

For more information about the 2017 races, athletes, health and fitness expo and surrounding activities, visit the St. Anthony’s Triathlon’s Facebook page: Facebook.com/StAnthonysTriathlon.

*To attain a media credential to cover this year’s event, please contact Natasha LaBeaud Anzures at natasha(at)smackmedia(dot)com

--About St. Anthony’s Hospital--
St. Anthony’s Hospital is a 393-bed hospital founded in 1931 as a ministry of the Franciscan Sisters of Allegany and was the first faith-based hospital in Pinellas County. For more information on St. Anthony’s, call (727) 953-6993.

--About BayCare Health System--
BayCare is a leading not-for-profit health care system that connects individuals and families to a wide range of services at 14 hospitals and hundreds of other convenient locations throughout the Tampa Bay and central Florida regions. Inpatient and outpatient services include acute care, primary care, imaging, laboratory, behavioral health, home care, and wellness. Our mission is to improve the health of all we serve through community-owned, health care services that set the standard for high-quality, compassionate care.

Natasha LaBeaud Anzures [Please Contact for 2017 Event Media Credential], SMACK! Media, http://www.satriathlon.com, 916-220-0169, [email protected]