Seafair triathlon's popularity soaring

Mark Davies has competed in dozens of triathlon since 1996. He's been an Iron Man competitor in Brazil, New Zealand, Canada and across the United States. But there's something about the Benaroya Research Institute Triathlon at Seafair that makes the event one of his all-time favorites.

Maybe it's the local charm that makes Sunday's race stand out. Or maybe it's that Davies, 35, is one of the top elite competitors, winning in 2003 and never placing lower than fifth in the event's five-year history.

Sunday at 7 a.m., Davies starts his quest for his second title in the Northwest's largest coed sprint triathlon.

The half-mile swim starts on the north shore of Seward Park and takes competitors on a triangular course through Andrews Bay. The 12-mile bike route leads participants out of Seward Park, onto the I-90 express lanes, to a turnaround located just past Mercer Island. The 3.1-mile run takes the athletes on a clockwise tour of Seward Park's lower loop.

This is the first year the event is USA Triathlon sanctioned, counting toward the two sanctioned events athletes must compete in to be included in the 2006 national rankings.

"My weakest event is swimming," said Davies, who placed fifth in 1:04:42 last year. "I always lose a few minutes there, and it's tough to make it up."

To prepare for the other legs he hopes will keep him in the top 10, Davies has been cycling from his Seattle home to his Bellevue construction job and going on hour-long runs two or three times per week.

Thursday afternoon, more than 2,000 participants had registered, making it the largest triathlon in Seafair history. More than 300 children had signed up for the PCC Natural Markets Kids Triathlon -- a number that more than triples the number of 2003 participants.

Dave Messenheimer, who took second last year in 1:01:35, was among the 24 athletes registered in the elite division. Defending champion Steve Nicholls (1:00:54) had not registered as of Friday afternoon.

"But we have several athletes that register the day of the event," Seafair public relations director Dan Wartelle said.

For first-time competitors, Seattle Triathlon Club vice president Casey Selfridge led a Wednesday night running group out of Road Runner Sports near Green Lake, where he works as a running specialist.

The goal when training for a triathlon is to push yourself outside your comfort zone, he said. A couple of months of prep time is essential, as is increasing distances on practice courses so competitors are comfortable with race distances.

"It is also important to get comfortable swimming in the open water," said Selfridge, who competed in the Seafair triathlon last year. "It takes some time to get used to seeing more than just a swimming pool underneath you as well as being able to swim in a straight line."

The event benefits Type 1 (juvenile) diabetes research at the Benaroya Research Institute, and is expected to raise nearly $15,000, Wartelle said.

"Triathlons are becoming more popular in the community, and the Seafair tri is a great one for beginners," Selfridge said. "It's a local event with tons of support."