Southwest Florida Triathlons are always fantastic due to the sun, the flat terrain and best of all to the waters of the Gulf. This January 7, 2012 marked the first Southwest Triathlon to be in beautiful Naples, Florida. We are sure there will be more as the years go by. The event got off to a nice start with more than 450 competitors taking the plunge into the not so warm Gulf waters off of beautiful Vanderbilt Beach. The main sponsor for this first Naples Florida triathlon was a group named HITS Triathlon Series. What is intriguing about this group’s mission is that they want to provide a Triathlon distance for everyone no matter what your level of competition is. They will assure you of a tough challenging course or will have one that fits your unique level of training, endurance and personal goals.
They have 11 other triathlons scheduled in other cities around the U.S. with the final event being their championship event in Palm Springs, California. Naples was chosen to be one of the Florida races due to its warm climate and its access to such a beautiful water setting. With more than 600 people registering for at least one race at this two day event definitely showed to the Naples’ community that being on the list of Florida triathlons is definitely a positive. More than half of the entrants were from out-of-state which shows that the weather conditions in southwest Florida definitely helps with such an event. Organizers of the event definitely believe next year’s race will probably be double the number.
What helps with the popularity of any of HITS triathlons is they make it a two day event so that they can provide the different types of levels for beginners, intermediate triathletes and to have a challenging one for the athletes hoping someday to compete for the Ironman.
Naples, Florida is the perfect place to live if you are wanting to compete in a Triathlon. With the water, the sun and the flat terrain you can train year round for each one of the Triathlon events. Or just plan on visiting on a Naples Florida vacation anytime of the year to help with your triathlon training. You and your family will find the weather is perfect; the beaches are gorgeous and the people friendly. You may find that you may never want to leave this paradise!
HBS ON THE GULF
THE NAPLES BEACH HOTEL AND GOLF CLUB RESORT
851 Gulf Shore Boulevard North
Naples, Florida 34102
(239)261-2222
