For most visitors to the Caribbean, the recent leaden gray skies would be a disappointment. But for those involved with the St. Croix Half Ironman Triathlon, overcast conditions would be more than welcome come Sunday.
But even if the sun doesn’t make a full-fledged appearance on race day it will still be steamy hot, as temperatures are forecast to be in the upper 80s.
"I have a feeling these are race conditions," said triathlon director Tom Guthrie, as race preparations swirled around him on a partly cloudy Thursday in Christiansted. "I think we’ll have people over-taxing themselves."
The ever-present heat combined with this year’s increased distances – a 56-mile bike ride and 13-mile run as opposed to last year’s 33 miles and seven miles respectively – means that the approximately 800 competitors will flirt with dehydration and electrolyte imbalance. And that’s where race medical director Kim Rice comes into play. The race also features a 1.24 mile swim.
With six physicians, 50 medical technicians and about 300 intravenous bags filled with an electrolyte mixture, Rice said she is "fully prepared."
"The IVs are for dehydration, to replace fluid," Rice said. "They give immediate replenishment where drinking takes around 45 minutes."
This year’s event, the 13th installment of the St. Croix triathlon, will be the largest yet with about 700 age-group racers and 40 pros. Last year’s shorter triathlon attracted about 350 competitors.
To top it off, there will be approximately 100 entrants for a shorter sprint triathlon that takes place during the big event.
One of the reasons for the spike in entrants is that the race is now a half-ironman distance and is affiliated with Ironman Inc., the organization that puts on races that feature a two-mile plus swim, 100-mile plus ride and a marathon-distance run. The big draw for those doing the St. Croix Half Ironman are the qualifying slots for the biggest race of them all: the Hawaii Ironman Triathlon, the sport's revered world championship.
