Team triathlon – three times the fun?

There’s a lot of sport on Rarotonga.
Last Saturday, for example, several age grades of rugby league took place, netballers had their second round of the season, golfers and lawn bowlers played hard, the sailing club raced in Muri lagoon, and somewhere outrigger canoeists paddled and surfers caught waves. Meanwhile during the week we had squash, touch rugby, a duathlon and Hash House Harriers.
So Rarotonga is an energetic place, but on Saturday the greatest output of energy per person was probably at Tikioki where the Cook Islands Triathlon Association held the annual team tri event.
It’s a relay with teams of three from places like businesses, clubs, government departments and families. Competitors swim 500 metres, bike eight kilometres and run two kilometres and then hand over to the next person, although this year for the first time there was an individual-disciplines category in which one person swims, cycles or runs three times.
Twenty six teams signed on to take part and with heaps of supporters and officials there was a real party atmosphere at the Beach Cargo venue.
The gun athletes were no doubt training for the Cook Islands games in April, the international triathlon in May and the Pacific mini games in September and there were plenty of prizes and spot prizes in various divisions, but for many people the thrill of completing the course made the effort worth while.
A bit of exercise, a drink or two and a lot of socialising – that’s competition in a tropical island paradise for you.
For results check out Cook Islands News – it should be updated on Wednesday.