Training For A Marathon

Up for a Challenge? Take on the Gatlinburg Gateway Triathlon   by Jon Hoffman

Do you go to the gym faithfully? Are you serious about keeping in shape, even on your vacation? Are you up for a little adventure? Now’s your chance to accomplish what most others only ever dream about. The 3rd Annual Gatlinburg Gateway Triathlon, held in the foothills of the beautiful Smoky Mountains, takes place April 2, 2011.

Whether you’re looking to increase your experience or are entering an event of this type for the first time, the Gatlinburg Gateway Triathlon is the ideal training event. Its route through the sloping foothills of the Smokies makes courses available that are suitable for both novice- and expert-level athletes.

How the Event Unfolds

The first leg consists of swimming one-half mile (0.8 km) in the pool of the Gatlinburg Community Center. Once your heart is pumping, you’ll head outdoors and mount your bike for an exhilarating 20K ride that circles through the outskirts of town. Abandoning their wheels, riders become runners and complete the event via foot race along picturesque Ogle Road and cross the finish line back at the Gatlinburg Community Center.

Strenuous? Yes! Healthy? Certainly. But this race is also fun and – regardless of where you place – will fill you with a tremendous sense of accomplishment and pride. But athletes aren