MCB HAWAII -- Service members aboard Marine Corps Base Hawaii and members of the local community kicked water, pushed pedals and pounded the pavement during the Headquarters Battalion Sprint Triathlon May 8.
Athletes participated in a 500-meter swim, 11.1-mile bike race and a 3.1-mile foot race around the base for the challenge to see what they were made of in the Commanding Officer’s Fitness Series event.
The morning started at Marine Corps Air Station’s Hangar 101, where 270 participants dove into Kaneohe Bay in a mad dash to get their swim on.
With safety boats keeping a watchful eye on the water, participants stroked their way around the orange markers and back to the starting point, where they were hosed off by members from Aircraft Rescue Firefighting Unit and headed for the bicycle staging area.
Athletes donned cycling gear and grabbed their rides, moving swiftly, not sparing any time to start peddling as they raced each other and the clock.
Marine Corps Community Services provided electronic anklets for the event, which kept track of individual swim, bike, run and overall times during the race.
“This type of event helps with community relations for the base and promotes physical fitness for everyone,” said Tina Lui, MCCS varsity sports coordinator.
As cyclists filtered back to the hanger, they quickly laced their running shoes, got a drink of water and took to their last leg of the event.
All the while, family members and friends cheered for their athletes from the bleachers and staging area.
Running their 3.1-mile loop, participants drenched in sweat, slowly started trickling across the finish line where they were welcomed by cheering fans, cold beverages and sliced fruit.
“It’s a great venue being on base, and it’s a treat to be able to get onto the base and be here,” said John Akana, participant.
Akana said he’s no stranger to triathlons, participating in similar events since 1983. His advice for success is to get there early and know the course.
Akana was the overall winner of the triathlon. He crossed the finish line with an overall time of 57:48. He had a swim time of 6:52, a bike time of 26:54 and a run time of 22:34.
He said he was confident about his ability to compete in the event and all he wanted to was try and go as hard as his body would let him.
The overall female winner in the event was Maggs Morris with an overall time of 1:00:55, with a swim time of 8:19, a bike time of 28:45 and a run time of 22:34.
Once the last runner crossed the finish line, an awards ceremony was held for the first through third place winners in their respectable age groups. An award was also given out for the best relay team in the event. The relay teams had three people, with one individual participating in the swimming, cycling and running event. The race results can be viewed at http://www.pseresults.com.
The next race in the Commanding Officer’s Fitness Series is the 5K Runaway Run on July 4.