Get those feet moving! Hemet’s Tinsel Triathlon is right around the corner

Cyclists pedal their way through Domenigoni Parkway in Hemet during last year's Tinsel Triathlon. (photo courtesy of Connie Hall)

Athletes young and old, stretch those legs, it’s time to work off that turkey and what better time than now–Hemet’s annual triathlon is coming up.

Registration for the 24^th annual city of Hemet Tinsel Triathlon is now open for those looking to get a head start on the competitive Dec. 13 race.

The race is open to athletes of all ages, including families who wish to only participate in the run. The triathlon takes place in and around Hemet’s West Valley High School.

The triathlon will begin with a 5-kilometer run throughout the city, then continue with a 12-mile bike ride on the Domenigoni Parkway and end with a 150-meter swim in the high school’s heated Olympic-sized swimming pool.

The triathlon is sponsored by United Way of Central County United and United Communities Network, a nonprofit organization, which supports youth and senior citizen programs and activities for the cities of Hemet, San Jacinto, Menifee Valley and surrounding areas.

Race Director Connie Hall said this year’s race will be exciting, especially for the more professional athletes, because of the chip timing athletes will be using.

Participants using chip timing, run with a computer chip attached to their running shoe.  The chip registers an athlete’s start the race and as they move across the finishing line, the chip registers the finished race time. Chip timing allows for better accuracy when athletes finish a race.

Hemet's Tinsel Triathlon is among the largest triathlons in the nation. (Courtesy photo)

“We anticipate more athletes this year, especially with the chip timing,” she said. “Last year we had over 1,200 participants. But we grow every year so it’s going to be exciting to see just how many will be participating this year.”

The athletic event is the largest fundraisers for Central County United Way within the valley area, converging about 4,000 people to the city, Hall said.

“All of the city’s businesses are utilized during the triathlon,” she said. “Hotels, restaurants… everything. We’re very proud of our event. It’s good for the athletes, it’s good for families and it’s good for city.”

Registration opens at 7 a.m. the day of the event with the triathlon beginning at 9 a.m. Participants will receive a long-sleeved shirt and participation medal. Helmets will be required during the bike ride.

Athletes interested can register early by filling out an event registration form available online at www.tinseltriathlon.com or www.active.com.

Yazmin Alvarez can be reached at yazmin.alvarez@swrnn.com. You can follow her@swrnngov on Twitter!

Tags: Central County United Way, chip timing, Connie Hall, hemet, Lake Elsinore, Menifee, Murrieta, San Jacinto, SWRNN, Temecula, Tinsel Trialthlon, United Communites Network, west valley high school, wildomar, Yazmin Alvarez

This entry was posted on Saturday, November 28th, 2009 at 1:20 pm and is filed under Health, Lifestyle, Local News, News, Sports . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.