Courtesy: USAT

An internationally important race in Brazil and a race with a different kind of importance in California headline the list of multi-sport events going on this weekend.

International Triathlon Union points and prestige will be on the line Sunday at the Pan American Regional Triathlon Championships in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Triathletes from North and South America will be competing, including a strong team from the United States.

Among those U.S. elite athletes who will be competing are Joe Umphenour (Belleview, Wash.; world No. 38), Andy Kelsey (Cupertino, Calif.; No. 65), Mark Fretta (Portland, Ore.; No. 89, Christoph O'Donnell (Cambridge, Mass.), Shawn Saathoff (Wilmington, Del.), Jessi Stensland (San Diego, Calif.; No. 72), Susie Gallucci (Hudson, Ohio; No. 162), Kelly Handel (Zionsville, Ind.; No. 192), and Gia White (Peoria, Ill.).

The race will be draft legal and Olympic distance. Last year's winners were Canada's Carol Montgomery and Argentina's Daniel Fontana.

For more information, go to www.triathlon.org.

In California, some of Hollywood's most physically fit personalities will compete for a good cause on Sunday at the 16th Annual Nautica Malibu Triathlon, at Zuma Beach in Malibu, Calif.

Returning competitors include Ingo Rademacher (General Hospital), Ian Ziering (Beverly Hills 90210), Jose Solano (Baywatch) and Andy Lauer (Caroline in the City). Newcomer Lenny Krazelburg (Olympic Swimmer) will join the race this year. Proceeds from the Nautica Malibu Triathlon will benefit the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF).

The Nautica Malibu Triathlon, the USA Triathlon Southwest Regional Club Championship, features a half-mile Pacific Ocean swim, an 18-mile bike ride along the Pacific Coast Highway and ends with a 4-mile scenic run to Point Dume and back. The race takes place at beautiful Zuma Beach, providing spectacular views for competitors and spectators. Racers have the option to compete individually or as part of a relay team.

Sponsors for the event include Nature Valley(r), Men's Health and Arrowhead(r). For more information or to register for the Nautica Malibu Triathlon please visit the web site at www.nauticamalibutri.com or contact the information line at (818) 707-8867. For more information on EGPAF please visit the web site at www.pedaids.org or call (310) 314-1459.

On Saturday, many West Coast-based pro triathletes will be doing the $15,000 Seagate Triathlon at Pacific Grove. U.S. pros doing the Olympic distance race include Erik Burgan (Carlsbad, Calif.), Kerry Classen (Bend, Ore.), Brian Lavelle (San Jose, Calif.), Victor Plata (San Luis Obispo, Calif.), Becky Gibbs (San Jose, Calif.), Gina Kehr (Redwood City, Calif.) and Beth Zinkand (Davis, Calif.).

The international competition includes Australia's Craig Alexander, Canada's Heather Fuhr and New Zealand's Evelyn Williamson.

For more information, go to www.tricalifornia.com.

The weekend also boasts a new Ironman event in Madison, Wis. More than 1,800 athletes are expected to start the Sunday race, which is one of only four sanctioned Ironman events in the continental United States. Athletes have up to 17 hours to complete the event, which features a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike and a complete marathon before finishing on Martin Luther King Boulevard.

For more information, go to www.ironmanwisconsin.com.