Impressive field to race at the St. Anthony’s Triathlon

Featuring a number of world champions and past title winners, the St. Anthony’s Triathlon boasts one of its strongest fields for the 2012 competition, scheduled for Sunday, April 29 in St. Petersburg, Fla. The international-distance race (1.5K swim, 40K bike and 10K run) is the second event of the 2012 global 5150 Triathlon Series, offering athletes coveted points toward 5150 U.S. Championship qualification.

St. Anthony’s 2011 men’s and women’s winners, Filip Ospaly and Sarah Haskins, will be back to defend their titles.

Challenging Ospaly this year is a men’s field featuring several top athletes, including Greg Bennett, 2011 Hy-Vee 5150 Champion and Olympian; Cameron Dye, the 2010 St. Anthony’s champion who finished first this year at the Rev 3 Triathlon in Costa Rica; and Timothy O’Donnell, who this year has finished first in the 70.3 in San Juan and Texas.

Haskins will be going for her fourth consecutive St. Anthony’s Triathlon title. She’ll be challenged by a strong group that includes Mirinda Carfrae, 2010 Ironman World Champion; Annabel Luxford, who finished second earlier this month to Haskins in the Nautica South Beach Triathlon in Miami Beach; and Mary Beth Ellis, who finished first in the 2011 Ironman Austria and 2011 Ironman Regensburg (Germany).

Known for its scenic course along the downtown St. Petersburg waterfront, St. Anthony’s Triathlon also has been named one of 10 USA Triathlon Regional Championship events for 2012. The regional events qualify the top 33 percent per age group for the USA Triathlon Age Group National Championship. The 2012 Age Group National Championship is scheduled take place in Burlington, Vt., on Aug. 18.

St. Anthony’s Triathlon attracts approximately 3,500 individuals and 125 relay teams each year from more than 45 states and nearly 20 countries. The race weekend will also include an extensive event expo April 27-28 and the Meek & Mighty Triathlon on April 28, a shorter-distance race for youth ages 7-14 and novice adults. Athletes will compete for a professional prize purse totaling $65,000 in addition to $10,000 in prizes for the top male and female competitors in the Elite Amateur division.

Total Prize Purse = $65,000

$59,000 PRIZE PURSE DISTRIBUTION
1st Place – $10,000
2nd Place – $6,000
3rd Place – $4,500
4th Place – $3,500
5th Place – $2,500
6th Place – $1,000
7th Place – $750
8th Place – $600
9th Place – $400
10th Place – $250

$6,000 in Premes
$1000 Fastest Swim
$1000 Fastest Bike
$1000 Fastest Run

Visit www.SATriathlon.com for an up-to-date list of participants and other details.

The 5150 series is an International distance triathlon consisting of: 1.5K swim, 40K bike and 10K run. It is the largest international distance triathlon series in the world and the first non-drafting international race series of its kind, offering a competitive platform for professional and age-group athletes. The 2012 event schedule offers 10 domestic events as well as eight international races. The Hy-Vee Triathlon will play host the 5150 U.S. Championship on Sept. 2 in Des Moines, Iowa, offering professional athletes the opportunity to compete for $1 million in prize money.