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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (April 29, 2008) – St. Anthony’s Triathlon celebrated its 25th anniversary with a weekend full of events that welcomed more than 4,000 athletes and 130 relay teams from more than 48 states and 17 countries. Friday, April 25 kicked off the celebration with one of triathlon’s largest Sports & Fitness Expos with more than 40 vendors featured followed by a sold-out Meek & Mighty Triathlon on Saturday, April 26. The weekend ended when the top male and female professional champions crossed the finish line on Sunday, April 27. In its 25-year history, St. Anthony’s Triathlon has hosted some of the top champions from around the world. This year was no exception.
The first wave of the Olympic-distance race began when the professional male competitors entered the calm 74-degree waters of Tampa Bay at 6:50 a.m. Once completing the 1.5K (0.9-mile) swim, athletes transitioned into the 40K (24.8-mile) bike portion throughout downtown St. Petersburg and the final 10K (6.2-mile) run to the finish line where spectators lined both sides to cheer on athletes at the end of their almost 32-mile competition.
For a second year in a row, and only one week after qualifying for the U.S. Olympic team, Matt Reed of Boulder, Colo., won St. Anthony’s Triathlon championship title with a 1:46:34 finish—24 seconds behind his record breaking 2007 time of 1:46:10.
“I was on a high from my Olympic qualification, and I really wanted to defend my title,” said Reed, 33, a New Zealand native who won by 18 seconds against Andy Potts, 32. “The race was quite close. During the bike portion, Andy stuck to me like glue. He always brings his A game.”
Andy Potts of Colorado Springs, Colo. and Australian Greg Bennett, 36, rounded out the top three professional male. Andy Potts, the 2008 Ironman 70.3 World Champion, had a finish time of 1:46: 52, and Bennett, the 2005 St. Anthony’s champion, had a finish time of 1:47:43.
In the professional women’s division, Sarah Haskins, 27, dominated to win the championship title. Haskins, St. Anthony’s runner-up for the last two years, finished first in 1:59:24. “I finally did it,” said Haskins. “I kept a positive attitude all the way through. My goal was to break the record, but the course was difficult. I didn’t break the record, but I’m happy with my win.” Haskins, who began competing in triathlons only five years ago, lives and trains in Colorado Springs, Colo.
St. Anthony’s Triathlon, sponsored and produced by St. Anthony’s Health Care and presented by Sweetbay Supermarket, is one of the nation’s premier multisport events. Known for attracting high-caliber, world-class athletes to its scenic course along the waterfront of downtown St. Petersburg, St. Anthony’s Triathlon is held the last weekend of every April. Race results are available at SATriathlon.com.
St. Anthony’s Health Care is a 395-bed hospital founded in 1931 as a ministry of the Franciscan Sisters of Allegany and is the first and only faith-based hospital in Pinellas County. In 1997, St. Anthony’s Health Care became part of BayCare Health System, a joint operating agreement between the Tampa Bay area’s leading not-for-profit hospitals. St. Anthony’s Health Care has a rich history dedicated to improving the health of the community by providing high-quality, innovative and compassionate care. St. Anthony’s Health Care is comprised of the following health care facilities: St. Anthony’s Hospital, Tyrone Imaging Center and the Carillon Outpatient Center.
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