Be sure to plan to stay for the post race festivities. We have Bud Light, and Water. We have Subway sandwiches and we have a feast put on by Carrabbas Italian Grill, under the tent behind the Hamton Inn. Awards will be given out and you must be present to win
Bring your last minute questions and get a pep talk the evening before the race. The meeting will be held on the pool deck of the Hampton Inn at 6 PM.
A website is only as good as it’s graphics and photographs and when Judi Knight of New Tricks set out to redo the SRI TRI site she needed some great photos. She asked everyone she knew and the results were, well, not so good. Then Judi thought about Flickr and Jackpot! There she found the amazing work of Greg Reigler. Greg is a professional photographer, who shoots for PNJ and has some of his SRI TRI photos on-line there. He has a great breadth in his work, but his action shots of the triathletes in the 2005 SRI TRI were really phenomenal. After seeing these pictures we just had to have them.
Luckily for us, Greg agree to let us use his photos on the website and we are grateful. We wanted to use two of his shots, those of the bike and the run, on the site’s header, so we were really glad he gave us permission and we didn’t have to go back to the drawing board. Here are some more photos from the race and then be sure to check him out for Weddings. His beach wedding pictures are beautiful.
Brightroom is the official Race Photographer of the Santa Rosa Island Triathlon and will be taking individual shots of each triathlete. You can go to their site and give them your race number and they will notify you when the pictures are ready.
Over 40? Want to get in shape? Try a triathlon. Triathlons were once the province of the most elite athletes but now triathlons have become an event to the average athlete who is craving a new challenge. No longer do you have to do an Iron Man with it’s grueling distances. There are Sprint Triathlon’s like the SRI TRI at Pensacola Beach. A sprint Triathlon consists of a 400 to 600 yard swim, a 10 to 20 mile bike ride and a 2 – 4 mile run. That’s do-able right?
There are three reasons why you should do it. One, you’ll get super-toned and strong. Two, your esteem and confidence will soar! And three, the whole process is a fun way to spend your extra time.
Some first time timers are hesitant to consider triathlons because of their fear of the swim. But it needn’t be too overwhelming. In fact, a goal for indoor exercise in the winter months could be swim lessons and training. Check out the pools in your area. YMCAs and Universities often have great facilities. Some Universities, Georgia Tech for example, allow non-students who are members of the U S Masters Swim Club, to swim there at a nominal per swim charge. To become a US Master Swim member, simply go to their site and sign up for a modest fee. The Master’s Swimmers are a good resources as well for training as they have groups all over the country that conduct training sessions for adults.
The US Masters Swim has a lot of great tips for taking your act out of the pool. They just posted an excerpt of an article by Terry Laughlin’ from his new book, Outside the Box: A Program for Improvement, Satisfaction, and Success in Open Water. So don’t let the swim stop you. Dive on in, the water is great.
Jason and his wife Lisa have a blog called Running the Race. After the SRI Tri last year, Jason wrote about Lisa’s first Triathlon. This year, Lisa accomplished another sort of event, she had a baby. Congratulations, Lisa and Jason!
Jason wrote…..Last Saturday, October 4th 2008, Lisa accomplished something that no one else I know has done…finished a triathlon. It was a “Sprint Triathlon” which meant it was 1/3 mile swim, 18 mile bike ride, and a 3.1 mile run to finish it off. The triathlon was held at Pensacola Beach and it was an absolutely beautiful day for one. The only other time she did an “open” water swim the water was really rough, but on this day it was as calm as I have ever seen it. Lisa had been sick leading up the race and she still had a nasty cough the day of the race…but if you know Lisa you know that she wouldn’t let a cough keep her from meeting her goals. The swim was her hardest event. 1/3 of a mile does not really sound like it would be hard to swim. However, seeing how far they had to swim; there is no way I could have swam that far. I was getting worried about her though as I was waiting…..read more on their blog….
BY JULIE B. CONNERLEY Gulf Breeze News, 2005
Ann and Charlie Knight were honored in 2004 with a polished granite monument for their tireless efforts as founders of the highly successful Santa Rosa Island Triathlon begun in 1996. This year’s SRI-TRI is dedicated to Charlie Knight who lost a courageous three-year battle with cancer last year.
One of Pensacola Beach’s premier shoulder season events, the popular annual swim/bike/run Santa Rosa Island Triathlon (SRI-TRI) has officially been given the “go ahead” by SRIA general manager Buck Lee and Escambia County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Bob Clark. The event will be held September 24 beginning at 7:30 a.m.
“I met with both men late last week,” excitedly explained Ann Knight, Race Founder and Coordinator for the event now celebrating its 10th year. “We have their support 100%. They feel confident the beach will be ready to handle the race and the businesses will be ready to welcome the guests.”
Ann’s husband of 52 years, Charles Knight, who served as Event Coordinator for the past 9 years, passed away shortly after his 76 birthday on New Year’s Eve 2004. He fought a courageous three-year battle against melanoma cancer. Last year’s race was canceled due to Hurricane Ivan. This year’s race will be held in Charlie’s memory.
“At this same time last year we had more than 1330 reservations,” said Ann. “Right now we are behind, with only 630 registered so far, but I am hopeful we will have a good turnout and the beach will bounce back.”
The new host hotel for this year’s event is the Springhill Suites. After being closed for ten months, they were only open ten days before Hurricane Dennis slammed the area and closed them down again. The hotel has 75 rooms already booked for the SRI-TRI. They too are pleased that plans are proceeding to hold the race, although some changes in the routing of the run portion will have to be made due to construction concerns.
Anyone wishing to get in shape for the triathlon is welcome to join the Mere Mortals, a free training group that meets almost every Sunday helping first timers prepare for a triathlon event. To learn more about the Mere Mortals, contact Tom Henderson at 932.6953 or Paul Epstein at Running Wild, 435.9222.
Four Years ago, with no use of her legs and limited use of her arms due to cerebral palsy, Lindsey Ellis completed the SRI TRI.
More than 900 athletes are registered to compete in the 10th annual Santa Rosa Island Triathlon this Saturday beginning at 7:30 a.m. on Pensacola Beach. Among them, mostly seasoned amateurs, some world class professionals, and always a new slate of “first timers” including a very special young lady named Lindsey Ellis.
Anyone who participates in triathlons will fondly recall his or her first competition. For Lindsey, 18, this event will be especially memorable because she has cerebral palsy and could not fulfill this dream without the help of many others.
It is Lindsey’s competitive spirit and joy of life that set the wheels in motion after she was introduced to running by her aunt, Wendy Ellis, about five years ago. Ellis, 44, has been teaching physical education in the Escambia County school district for the past 20 years. She has been running competitively for the past nine years and invited Lindsey along one fateful day.
With no use of her legs, and limited use of her arms, Lindsey concentrates on using her abdominal muscles to keep her upper body in the proper position as her aunt pushes the wheelchair along. After that first race, Lindsey was hooked and asked her aunt when was the next race and could they do it faster next time!
Lindsey’s family lives in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, but whenever possible, aunt and niece have raced 5-k runs together. When Wendy was approaching 40, she set a goal of competing in her first triathlon by her birthday. She trained hard and that effort did not go unnoticed by Lindsey who decided she wanted to compete in a triathlon too!
Last year, Lindsey informed her aunt that she had written to Oprah Winfrey asking help to purchase the special equipment needed for them to participate in the event. That letter was an eye opener for Wendy.
“I had no idea how serious she was about wanting to do a triathlon,” said Ellis. “It was so inspiring to hear her determination that I immediately began looking for a source of funding to help us with the expenses.”
She found the financial resources through the BALANCE BAR Grants Program. Started in 1992, the Balance Bar company produces snack-type food bars based on the 40/30/30 nutrition philosophy for providing sustained energy and hunger management. Read the rest of this entry »
There is going to be a Triathlon Day at Running Wild which will include a clinic with sessions for each of the three disciplines. There will be lots of giveaways and you will be able to register for the SRI TRI right there on the spot. Everyone who registers that day will receive a 10% discount on all merchandise purchased that day. Mark you calendars for September 19, only a couple of weeks from race weekend.
The Past Dinner will be held over at the Bimini Beach Bar just north of the Portofino Boardwalk on the ground level of Hemingway’s at Quietwater beach on the Sound. The Hemmingays/Bamboo Willie’s company is hosting it. The prices can’t be beat, Adults eat for $6.00, Children under 12 are only $3.00. Plan to come out between 5 and 8 PM Friday bring the family! Stop over at the Hampton Inn and get your dinner ticket in front of the Expo while you go to Packet Pickup.
The SRI TRI is known for being a great race for beginning triathletes. The distances are manageable, the course is flat, the water is warm and welcoming. We tend to have a large number of newbies. There is a local training group, The Mere Mortals that gets a lot of people ready to do their first Tri. Tri Gulf Coast keeps their schedule for them. Check it out if you are in the panhandle.
To help our newcomers, we will have a meeting for them on Friday evening before the race, at 6:30, on the back deck of the at the Hampton Inn. Come meet us and get your questions answered.
Carrabba’s is preparing and serving up their amazing food for our post-race award party. It is not to be missed! They serve fresh, flavorful Italian dishes prepared from the finest ingredients sourced from around the world. The Santa Rosa Island Triathlon is proud to have their sponsorship and it really shows in the care they put into our event that their specialty is providing warm hospitality and authentic Italian dishes for special occasions. And this is one very special occasion! Thanks Carrabba’s!
Pensacola Beach is owned by Escambia County, Florida, and is under the direction of the Santa Rosa Island Authority (SRIA). They are the governing body on the Island and are an essential component in assuring that we have well organized, safe race. In addition to safety they provide funding as a Sponsor of the event.
Situated along eight miles of white sand beaches within the Gulf Islands National Seashore, Portofino Island offers the perfect balance of indulgence and natural beauty. Portofino’s protected shoreline offers endless opportunities for recreation and rejuvenation on, in, or around the waters of the Gulf of Mexico or the Santa Rosa Sound. Ask about special SRI TRI rates.
Gene Mitchell is a Pensacola Attorney, a friend of the race and long time sponsor of the Santa Rosa Island Triathlon.
Attorney, Joe Zarzaur is a sponsor of the Santa Rosa Island Triathlon. Zarzaur is an avid triathlete and recently finished the Ironman Brazil. He trains daily for various races and competitions and addresses his sports as aggressively as his real life passion – helping people fight for their rights.
The Subway, in Gulf Breeze, has sponsored the Santa Rosa Island Triathlon for ten years out of our fourteen year history. We sure enjoy their great contribution to feeding the athletes. Please visit them often for healthy sandwiches and salads.
Bikes Plus is Pensacola’s Cycling Source with three great stores to serve your every triathlon need! Bikes Plus has been in business for more than 25 years in the Pensacola, Florida area.
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