Women in the Bay Area - the numbers are moving up

Women's Commission member Cathy Morgan writes...

    There was an article in the San Francisco Chronicle about a local race series. It's a sprint event and will sell out next week for the June 16th event (900 people). My local tri club has a paid membership of over 400 athletes, probably half women. The local YMCA has a women's only tri club and the leader was thinking she may have to cap membership as there were so many women signing up (100 women for this year). Here is a blurb from the article and the link. As you can see, triathlon is alive and well (and full of women) in the Bay Area. 

The article is noted below
Bay Area triathlon series draws all kinds of athletes
Women, families join 'low-key' races
Friday, June 8, 200
Justino Aguila, Chronicle Staff Writer
<< Each event generally attracts between 700 and 1,000 athletes, the event's organizers said. They added that about 48 percent of participants are women, an unusually high number compared to similar events around the country.>> 

The link to the article is: 

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2001/06/08/CC206747.DTL

Bay Area triathlon series draws all kinds of athletes
Women, families join 'low-key' races
Friday, June 8, 200
Justino Aguila, Chronicle Staff Writer

Bradley Kennedy of Alameda knows well the pain of a triathlon. Recently, the 30-year-old completed the Iron Man California in San Diego. At his best, he swam like a fish. At his worst, he threw up during a run, wondering how he could possibly finish the race. But he did.

"It's very emotional," said Kennedy. "It can be horrible, but you pull yourself together and just keep saying you'll keep going."

Now that he has placed 900th out of 1,700 athletes in the Iron Man, Kennedy is ready to take on the 14th annual Tri for Fun, the Bay Area's only triathlon series. The annual Pleasanton race is split into four monthly triathlons running from June through September.

It attracts seasoned athletes as well as novices who find the 400-yard swim,

the 11-mile bike ride and the 3.1-mile run within reason. For the final challenge, Tri for Real, distances are increased to a 700-yard swim, an 18- mile bike ride and a 4-mile run.

Last year, more than 3,200 people attended the series, the biggest turnout in more than a dozen years. More participants are expected this year.

"It attracts a real cross-section of ages," said Irv Bloom, 74, of Danville,a retired gynecologist who has done the Tri for Fun nearly a dozen times. "It's a real good way to get introduced to a triathlon."

In its March issue, Triathlete Magazine editors queried their subscribers through an Internet vote to rate the best triathlons in North America. Tri for Fun made the list of about a dozen. Nationally, there are about 3,000 triathlons, magazine editors said.

Among many reasons Tri for Fun scored high was the way the staff treats participants, as well as the hefty size of the crowds, said Jay Prasuhn, Triathlete Magazine's senior editor, who wrote the article.

"It helps when an athlete feels like they're being recognized for their efforts," said Prasuhn, whose magazine has a circulation of 90,000.

Each event generally attracts between 700 and 1,000 athletes, the event's organizers said. They added that about 48 percent of participants are women, an unusually high number compared to similar events around the country.

"Historically, most triathlons are attended by men. Unless triathlons are for women, it's mostly men who dominate them," said Kandee Aiton, 45, who co- owns Tri for Fun with her husband, Mark Aiton, 49.

Women and novices are attracted to Tri for Fun because of how it's set up, Mark Aiton said. The series doesn't post individual times and encourages families and friends to join.

"We make it nonthreatening," he said. "And it appeals to women. It's not that they're not competitive, but the socialization of women is new in the last 20 years. Some women are still leery of getting in front of an audience. We're providing a venue where they feel comfortable."

Sally Haims, 31, of San Francisco said that was one reason she was attracted to Tri for Fun.

"It certainly affected my decision," said Haims, who works in public relations for the Huntington Hotel and Nob Hill Spa. "I was looking for something to stay in shape. After reading about the series and (realizing) it was similar to women's triathlons, I decided to go for it."

In the late 1980s, Mark Aiton owned an athletic shoe store in the Bay Area and also participated in triathlons. Now, however, the Aitons produce about 18 events through their company, On Your Mark Events Management, Consulting and Timing.

"I came to the conclusion that I enjoyed putting up events more than working the retail counter," Mark Aiton said.

Some of the events the two produce include the Bethel Island International Distance, Bear Valley Triathlon and the Aqua Challenge at Lake Del Valle in Livermore. They are also associated with keeping times for events like Run San Ramon and tomorrow's Run for the Ribbon in Tracy, a benefit for the Sutter Tracy Breast Cancer Project.

Tri for Fun is "low-key and real, but everyone still has to swim, bike and run. We don't allow cheating," Mark Aiton said. "It's just like as if you were doing the Iron Man."

Whereas Iron Man events in some cases take more than a dozen hours to complete, Tri for Fun is designed for people who simply want to try a triathlon for the first time, Mark Aiton said.

Kennedy said this year's Tri for Fun will be his second.

"They're short races," he said. "It's a great way to work out."

Check-in starts at 5:30 a.m. Races start at 7 a.m. All events are at Shadow Cliffs Regional Park, 2500 Stanley Blvd., Pleasanton. Individual events are $35 in advance or $40 on race day. Entry fees include T-shirt (different style shirt for each date), refreshments, snacks and raffle. (209) 795-7832, visit www.onyourmarkevents.com or e-mail info@onyourmarkevents.com.

E-mail Justino Aguila at jaguila@sfchronicle.com