Weekend warriors - amateur athletics; includes related article on athletic shoes

Black Enterprise, April, 1992 by Oliver Gibbons

In fact, before Bo burst onto the scene, Nike was using triathlon star Joanne Ernst to promote its line of footwear, which combined added cushion for running along with extra stability, but was designed for other sports like basketball.

The standard triathlon consists of a 1,500-meter swim, followed by 40 kilometers of bicycling and concludes with a 10-kilometer run. Many triathlons, however, are sprints--shorter races that allow more recreational athletes to take part.

More Blacks Are Becoming Triathletes

Both Gales and Meggoe planned their vacations around Jamaica's first sprint triathlon, an 18.5-mile race held in Negril in 1991. It was produced by Trimasters, the world's only African-American/Hispanic international triathlon clun. Tri-Masters also helped produces Jamaica's second triathlon, held this past January, along with sponsors Air Jamaica, the Jamaica Tourist Board and the Negril Triathlon Committee.

Meggoe was the only black woman among 80 paticipants in 1991, a trend she hopes will change in the near future. "I'd like to see more active females get involved," she says. "It's a lot of fun. You can't let the males have all the fun."

The training and race conditions of the tiny resort town of Negril, located on the west coast of Jamaica, made it an ideal location for a triathlon.

The athletes, may of whom brought their families, trained at the facilities at Swept Away Hotel, one of Jamaica's newest all-inclusive resorts. Across the street from hotel overlooking the beach is a 10-acre fitness center, complete with aerobics instructors, racquetball courts, lighted tennis courts and the latest in Nautilus equipment.

In addition to the training complex, the island's pleasant weather and seemingly endless beaches made Negrill an ideal place to hold the race.

The weather on the Sunday morning of the race was typical: clear skies with a temperature hovering near 80 degrees, as competitors lines up along the beach preparing to dive into the ocean.

Shortly after the gun start, only heads could be seen bobbing up and down in the clear blue waters of the Caribbean Sea. Guided by colorful sailboats, the swimmers completed the half-mile course and headed for the coastline, their bicycles waiting to be mounted. The swimmers-turned-cyclist madly pedaled the 15 miles down the island's main road, which overlooks the beuatiful coastline of white sand beaches.

Traffic on the windy road was rerouted throughout the race. Observers cheered the triathletes on, as a flood of workers form Negril's resort hotels handed out water to the runners as they embarked on the final three miles of the race. Unlike many other sports, long-distance running, swimming and cycling--individually and collectively--offer participants of all levels a chance to compete with some of the best athletes in those sports in the world.

"We can rub shoulders with the big guys," says Gales. "If you're an avid basketball fan, you can't just get on the court with Michael Jordan," he adds.

"These yuppies and buppies have a disposable income, but they also have the competitive edge," says Oliver Martin Jr., a former Olympic cyclist and U.S. National Cycling coach. "They want to test themselves," says Martin.