Courtesy: Gulf Coast Tri

Ah, Spring Break tradition - Florida beaches, sunshine, parties, and sweaty, suntanned, hard-bodied, happy students, right? Absolutely, but at next weekend's 20th annual Gulf Coast Triathlon, it's time for the adults to play, and more than 2,000 of them are set to compete in this annual, early season, half- iron distance favorite.

Among the athletes competing are iron-distance professionals including Apopka, Florida's Alec Rukosuev (USA) (pictured) , Jamie Cleveland (USA), Brian Hausenbauer (USA), Travis Keane (USA), Peter Kotland (USA), and Eric Roy (CAN). Andrea Fisher (USA), Lucia Kuehner (GER) and Kim Lilejold (USA) will compete on the pro women's side. The total purse is $5,200. Rukosuev won in 2000 and 2001, Roy placed seventh in 2001, and Fisher took second in 2000.

Other notable athletes include David Bigony, who is blind, and Panama City Beach's fire chief, John Daly, who will compete in his 20th Gulf Coast Triathlon. The event has filled to capacity in each of the last four years.

"Athletes come here not just to race, but to experience the Gulf Coast weekend," said Shelley Bramblett, race director. "They know that our community is committed to triathlon - we deliver top quality volunteers, a fast, scenic race course, and our famous post-race party on Saturday night and Sunday brunch on the beach."

The 1.2-mile Gulf of Mexico swim has varied from calm to high surf, which gets athletes quickly charged for the pancake-flat, 56-mile cycle. The half-marathon run (13.1 miles) is an out-and- back, which takes athletes through St. Andrew's State Park's scenic white sand dunes and saw grasses. The weather forecast called for sunshine and temperatures in the 80's.

The race site is also home to Ironman Florida, held in November, which is what first brought Kuehner (pictured) to Panama City Beach. She finished fifth overall at the 2001 race. "It's such a relaxed environment that athletes could almost forget there is a race going on," she said. "The sunshine, beaches, water, and people are really great."

Kotland (pictured), who has raced Gulf Coast Triathlon and also took fourth place overall at Ironman Florida 2000, agreed. "I dealt with injuries last year, and that was tough. This will be my first big race of the season and it's a good course to help me find out where I am before this year's Ironman events. Besides," added Kotland, "I just like racing there.

Key sponsors including Dragon Sports Bicycle and Tri Shop (official swim and bike courses sponsor), Boardwalk Beach Resort (host site), Gatorade, Clif Bar, Buffalo Rock Pepsi, Baker's Breakfast Cookies, Peoples First Community Bank, Gulf Coast Medical Center, Bay Medical Center, and Nextel make the race that much more successful, said Bramblett.

Also adding to the 20-year success are the contributions Gulf Coast Triathlon makes to local charities, which she says are an important way to give back to the community that supports triathlon so well. So far this year, athletes and have raised more than $17,000 for the Panama City Marine Institute, Panama City Beach Cops-n-Kids, Boys and Girls Club, Friends of the St. Andrews State Park, and Florida Sheriff's Youth Ranch. The event, in conjunction with Applebee's restaurants, is raising an additional $5,000 to benefit the Panama City Swim Team and Jackson E. Jones Little League.

The Gulf Coast Triathlon weekend will also include free pre-race clinics with USA Triathlon-registered coach Lee Zohlman, of BodyZen Multi-Sport Coaching, at 3:30pm and 5:00pm, Friday, May 10, at the Boardwalk Beach Resort Howard Johnson's. Topics will include race preparation, special needs, course overview, and mental strategies. Clif Bar nutrition and Rudy Project sunglasses will also be raffled there. The race weekend is for kids, too - registration is still open for the IRONKIDS race, Sunday, May 12, to be held at the nearby Naval base.