THE fourth international Sprint and Olympic triathlon will be held in Paphos this weekend and registration closes on Wednesday.
Around 180 athletes from both Cyprus and abroad are due to compete, according to race director, Mike Hadjioannou, of Bikin’ Cyprus.
He told the Cyprus Mail: “We chose Paphos as the ideal location for triathlon events for years ago as it has beautiful sea, clement temperatures, good roads for cycling and a nice running path along the coast.” He added that the close proximity of a number of hotels also make it an ideal destination for visiting athletes.
Although competitor numbers are expected to be around the same as last year, more countries have signed up, said Hadjioannou, including Norway and Sweden.
The event will take place in Paphos on Sunday April 24, and includes the Olympic Distance and the Sprint category. The race venue will be the municipal baths (Mpania) in the heart of Paphos’ tourist area, and the set-up will be magnificent, he said. This is the only triathlon event to be held on the west of the island.
The race is organised by ‘Bikin’Cyprus Events’ under the auspices of the municipality of Paphos, and sponsored by the CTO. It is also supported by the Paphos regional board of tourism, the municipality of Yeroskipou and Thanos Hotels. The event is focused on Kato Paphos, said Hadjioannou, starting and finishing just before the harbour at the municipal baths.
The course has been tried and tested over the last three years and will be secured from traffic.
Contestants will participate in two categories: the Olympic Triathlon and Sprint. The Olympic triathlon comprises 1.5km swimming, 10km cycling and 40 km running, while the Sprint consists of 750m swimming, 20km and 5km running cycling.
Already signed up to compete are athletes from the UK, Russia, Poland, Sweden, Norway, Lebanon, Greece, and many Cypriots, said the race director. The participation fee is 45 and 35 euros respectively, depending on the class, and members of the Cyprus Triathlon Federation will receive a 5 euro reduction.
A number of relay groups are competing, consisting of three people; some are mixed- male and female. In such cases, one team member will swim, one will bike, and another will run. Several participants that have signed up in this category are, Russian, British and Lebanese.
Hadjioannou said that participation in Paphos Triathlon is open to everyone, even to those without their own bike, as they are available for rent.
Participants will be able to collect equipment from Almyra hotel this weekend. The Sprint will start at 8am, and the Olympic Triathlon at 8.30am.
The deadline for participation in the 4th Paphos Triathlon is Wednesday April 20.
info@cyclingcy.com (m) 97803070.
www.cyclingcy.com and Facebook.com/PafosTriathlon
