Triathletes Flock to Fort Desoto for Top Gun Triathlon

It’s 6:39 in the morning, July 28^th, at Fort Desoto. The sun is climbing over the serene waters, and the sky is relatively clear. Kayakers paddle around large, triangular buoys. It is a serene morning, with lots of open water and open beach.

Well, except for the 1400 people crowded around the start line. The crowd, which consists of racers and spectators, chatters excitedly. There is excitement in the air, a level of anxiety from the racers. Officials stand by, watching the crowd, getting ready to start the race.

The race orator speaks into his microphone, and the mob grows quiet. He reminds everyone to check their timing chips – the anklets worn by each racer to keep the times straight. Then he plays the Star Spangled Banner over the amplification system.

All swim caps come off. At the end of the anthem, the crowd cheers and applauds. The buzz in the air increases – the racers are eager to hit the water.

The officials coordinate different waves – based on age and sex – to avoid sending thousands of people into the water all at once. The effort takes nearly an hour from the first wave to the last wave. It is quite the spectacle, watching all of the swimmers begin their test of endurance.

The people have gathered at Fort Desoto for the annual Top Gun Triathlon, one of Florida’s premier triathlon races. Top competitors often travel from all over the country for this competition due to the excellent weather and beautiful scenery. Not to mention an incredible race.

Triathlon is an endurance sport consisting of three disciplines: a swim, a bike (often called the ‘ride’), and a run. The Top Gun is a 400-meter swim, 10-mile ride, and 5-kilometer run, which qualifies it as a sprint triathlon, the shortest in the sport. This makes the race very open to amateurs and first-timers, who often make up a significant percentage of the racers.

Contestants range widely in commitment and their goals for the race. Some race to complete, some race to win (I personally race and try not to pass out). The oldest contestant was 82 years-old and finished with a time of one hour and 33 minutes. Not too shabby.

The male and female winners timed in at 47 minutes and 42 seconds, and 57 minutes and 51 seconds, respectively. With scorching times like that, they might’ve been literally flying.

It was, in total, a very successful race. There were no timing errors, no serious injuries. It’s a fun event to experience. Triathlons are like Lay’s potato chips; it’s hard to experience just one.

P.S. – this author finished in 241^st place out of approximately 1400 racers.