This weekend, downtown St Petersburg was the focal point for the 27th annual St. Anthony’s Triathlon.  Saturday, it was the Meek and Mighty event, geared for children.  And Sunday was the main event, with a 1.5K swim, followed by a 40K bicycle ride and a 10K run.  Four thousand athletes were expected to participate! 

The St. Anthony’s Triathlon is considered to be one of the fastest such events in the United States, and it is, for many, the first one of the season.  As we watched for awhile from Bayshore Drive this morning, the energy was palpable and the enthusiasm was contagious.  I found myself thinking, “if I were a few years younger…”.  (Funny thing is, that’s the same thing I said when I met my wife!  So maybe there is hope for a triathlon in my future!)

Anyway, I couldn’t resist photographing the two cuties in the first photo, there to offer encouragement to their dad.  And the second photo was just a random shot of a group of riders who were just beginning the second leg of the event.  According to news reports, the winner of today’s race was 26 year old Cameron Dye, a relative unknown.  But not for long!  (For full size views of either photo, please click on the photograph…)