Mérida prepares for triathlon, shortens Sunday biciruta

Courtesy: Mérida Triathlon

Mérida, Yucatán — More than 1,750 competitors began to arrive Thursday for the 2018 Mérida Triathlon.

The event stretches from the Paseo de Montejo to the beach in Progreso. Other events will have to yield for the triathletes.

Saturday’s monthly Nocturnal Biciruta has been canceled, and the weekly Sunday Biciruta will extend only from La Ermita to Calle 49, just short of the Paseo.

The Paseo de Montejo and Prolongación Montejo will be closed to traffic from 5 a.m. to noon on Sunday to accommodate the event.

Streets in Progreso will also likely be blocked off, as they were last time when drivers and businesses found themselves blindsided.

Winning triathletes are invited to finals in Australia next September.

Some 740 Yucatecan athletes will participate in this competition, reports the organizing committee.

Hosting the competition adds over 100 million pesos to the economy, said the state Secretariat of Tourism.

The Mérida Triathlon includes 1.5 kilometers of swimming, 37 kilometers of cycling and 10,000 meters of running in five categories.

Triathlons began in the United States in the 1970s, and grew rapidly. Countries such as Australia and New Zealand attach great importance to its practice.

About 2 million triathletes compete in events every weekend around the world. The inclusion of the triathlon in the official Olympic program became a reality in the 2000 Sydney games.

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