Mermaids Easy to Spot Sunday

Sunday morning in Capitola, locals can find mermaids not only swimming off-shore, but also biking and running through town as the Mermaid Series comes to town for the first time. While there is no shortage of triathlons in the Santa Cruz area, the Mermaid Series stands out from the field as a women’s only event.

“We try to create an atmosphere that is very welcoming to women and a lot of our athletes are first-time triathletes,” said race official Marisol Godinez. “It’s about getting women out there and discovering that they can accomplish this. But some of them see that and say ‘Hey, I can win,’ and get competitive and train more. But for most of them, it’s about accomplishing something they never thought they could do.”

Previously held in Aptos, the triathlon, duathlon (a run-swim event) and relay feature close to 600 participants total for this year’s races. The action kicks off at 7:30 a.m. on Capitola Beach with the Olympic Distance race: a 1500m swim, 40K bike and 10K run. The racing continues at 8:00 a.m. with the first of the shorter sprint distance events and the duathlon.

Race organizers could not be more pleased how the move to Capitola has gone so far.

“It’s a new experience for us and the participants,” said Godinez. “Capitola has been very welcoming and helpful and we’re very excited.”

Part of what has Godinez excited is being able to organize the pre-race and post-race festivities right in the heart of Capitola Village. The location also makes for a more spectator friendly event as supporters can watch and cheer from several location throughout the Village and East Cliff Drive.

While the Mermaid Series attracts new triathletes, they are also on the lookout for the sport’s next generation. The Mini Mermaid run gives girls from ages 6 to 12 the chance to participate in the day in a low-key, fun atmosphere, and hopefully spark an interest in triathlon, running and physical activity in general.

“They come see the race, cheer on their moms and our hope is for them to be excited about it and be future triathlete and runners,” said Godinez.

Participants can pick-up their race packets Saturday at the Capitola Whole Foods from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Registration for all Sunday’s races is still open and additions to the fields are welcome.