EG Women Represent At Block Island Triathlon

Four East Greenwich women competed in the Block Island Triathlon on Saturday, July 30, and each of them placed in their respective age groups.

Krista Jarrell was the fifth woman to finish the race overall and took first place honors in the 45-49 age group. Julie Oh finished first in the 50-54 age group. Jo Abella finished third in the 45-49 age group and Nicole Somvanshi finished third in the 40-44 age group.

"This was my third year doing the Block Island Triathlon," Jo Abella wrote via email. "I love it because it's part of a girls' weekend that I do. The weather was perfect this year."

For Abella and her friends, the Block Island Tri has become a tradition of sorts, where they come for the entire weekend. Not everyone does the tri, but they all support each other.

There were 358 participants in the BI Triathlon this year. It's known as a "sprint-distance" triathlon, but one with a twist: the 4-mile run takes place on the beach in the sand. There's a quarter-mile open-water swim off the state beach. The bike ride is 12 miles of the rolling terrain Block Island is famous for.

Even experienced competitors can be thrown by the beach run.

"You don't know what the tide will be like ... the beach run can be tricky," wrote Abella. "I run it barefoot but I don't train barefoot so afterwards your legs and feet are more sore."

We may have missed other EG residents who participated. Let us know if you or someone you know took part!