Key West Triathlon to Test Athletes’ Endurance in Subtropical Setting

KEY WEST, Florida Keys — Athletes seeking a warm-weather event to test their physical and mental stamina can compete in the annual Key West Triathlon set for Saturday, Dec. 9, on the continental United States’ southernmost island. 

Also called “TRIKW,” the racing challenge is produced by MultiRace and presented by Mack Cycle. It includes swimming in Atlantic Ocean waters, biking a portion of the scenic Florida Keys Overseas Highway and running along Atlantic-side Smathers Beach. 

Competitors can choose the event’s Olympic-distance or sprint-distance triathlon, sprint duathlon or Olympic aquabike or aquathlon. Relay teams can compete in the triathlons and duathlon, with individual team members tackling different legs of the selected race.

The Olympic-distance triathlon features a 1.5k swim, 40k bicycle ride that includes a portion of the Overseas Highway and 10k run. Sprint-distance contenders are to complete a .75k swim, 20k bicycle ride and 5k run. Olympic aquabike entrants compete in a 1.5k swim and 40k bike ride, while the aquathlon features a 1.5k swim and 10k run.

The weekend schedule kicks off Thursday, Dec. 7, with an early race-packet pickup set for 5-8 p.m. at Charlie Mac’s, 404 Southard St.

Regular packet pickup is scheduled noon to 9 p.m. Friday at Higgs Beach on Atlantic Boulevard. Packets will not be available on race day. 

Friday’s events also include a vendor expo at Higgs Beach and two recommended pre-race clinics. 

Saturday’s action is to begin at 7 a.m., with wave starts at preset intervals. After the races, a 3 p.m. block party and 4 p.m. awards ceremony are planned at Charlie Mac’s. 

Awards await the top three finishers in varying age groups, as well as the top three overall male and female finishers and top three male and female masters for racers age 40 and above.  

The Key West Triathlon is sanctioned by USA Triathlon.

Sprint-distance entry fees are $115 per individual and $194 per relay team. Olympic-distance triathlon and aquabike entry fees are $165 per individual, while the aquathlon fee is $139. The Olympic-distance triathlon relay team fee is $245. 

Event information, course maps and registration: trikw.com

Key West visitor information: fla-keys.com/keywest or 1-800-LAST-KEY

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