Athletes will take off from Marine Park in Sunday’s first Sandy Hookers Triathlon. (Photo by Dustin Racioppi; click to enlarge)
By DUSTIN RACIOPPI
For some people, there’s nothing like a little half-mile swim, a 21-mile bike ride and a 5-mile run to start the day.
If you’re one of those people, Sunday is your day.
The Sandy Hookers Triathlon Club, the oldest and largest triathlon club in New Jersey, is coming to town to host the first Red Bank Triathlon.
More than 200 participants will launch from Marine Park and embark on a full morning of athletic rigors, beginning with a swim in the Navesink River, followed by a bicycle ride through Red Bank, Holmdel and Middletown, and ending with a run back through Red Bank and Middletown.
“Sounds pretty intense, huh?” said Jim Thomas, co-founder of the event.
A little bit. But Thomas says there are people who travel all over the country to find events like these. Now, they have Red Bank as an option. Thomas, who lives in town, has been wanting to get something like this in Red Bank for a while, he said.
“It’s a perfect venue and it offers so much,” he said. “This area, it’s just beautiful scenery. You’re seeing some of the most beautiful country in New Jersey.”
Proceeds from the event will go to Riverview Medical Center Foundation and KaBoom! fireworks.
Online registration is closed, but if you want to participate, you can from 4 to 6p Saturday or between 6 and 7a Sunday at Marine Park. The triathlon gets started at 8a.