The 37th Annual Memphis in May Triathlon and Sports Expo May 17-19
Celebrates Memphis’s Bicentennial at Edmund Orgill Park in Millington
The 37th Annual Memphis in May Triathlon, one of the oldest continuous running triathlon events in the United States, will celebrate Memphis’ 200th anniversary on May 17-19 with events held at Edmund Orgill Park in Millington, Tenn. The Sprint and Olympic Triathlons and Sports Expo will commemorate the traditions of the Bluff City during the post-race partys featuring music and local southern favorites served up by South Main Street’s City Block Salumeria, Flat Hat American Ale, McAllister’s Deli cookies and sweet tea, Prairie Farms Chocolate Milk and an Elvis impersonator shaking it up for each runner as they cross the finish line.
This year’s Amateur Challenge has a $5,000 prize purse to be paid to the top 15 male and female athletes who participate in both the sprint and Olympic triathlon events. The Challenge consists of the lowest total combined time. Produced by P.R. Event Management, proceeds will benefit Edmund Orgill Park improvements. Previous years’ proceeds have helped purchase a park bench and a wildlife-proof trash container for the park.
Race directors, Pam Routh and Wyndell Robertson, co-founders of P.R. Event Management, and veteran race directors who have been involved with the Memphis in May Triathlon since the late 1980s, expect this year’s event to draw more than 500 local, regional and national triathletes and fitness enthusiasts from across the Mid-South region. Participants will vie for finisher medals and trophies presented to the first, second and third place winners in each age category. The Amateur Challenge ceremony will be at noon on Sunday during the post-race party.
Open-Water Swim Clinics will be offered at Casper Lake on the Memphis in May Triathlon swim course giving athletes an opportunity to improve their performance before the races begin. Clinics will be offered by Jewish Community Center swim coach Danny Fadgen at 4 p.m. on Friday, May 18, and by YMCA swim coach Kelsey McDonald at noon on Saturday, May 19. A practice swim-the-course open to all participating event triathletes will follow the clinics both days.
Triathlon events kick off on Friday, May 18 from 3 to 7 p.m. with the Sports Expo, registration and packet pick up.
The MIM Sprint Triathlon begins at 8 a.m. on Saturday, May 18. A sprint triathlon is a short-distance triathlon ideal for competitors who are new to the sport because it requires less training. It consists of a 1/3-mile swim, a 12-mile bike ride and 3-mile run. Post-race party for athletes is from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Sports Expo and packet pickup for the Olympic Triathlon continues 9:30 a.m. until 2 p.m.
The 37th Annual Memphis in May Olympic Triathlon begins at 7 a.m. on Sunday, May 19. The triathlon includes swimming .93miles (1.5 K) in Casper Lake, biking 24.8 miles (40K) around Edmund Orgill Park and a 6.2-mile (10K) run. Post-race party for athletes and Amateur Challenge awards is from 9:30 a.m. until 2 p.m.
The Memphis In May Triathlon relies on volunteers for the weekend. “We invite community groups to help celebrate Memphis’ 200th birthday this year by volunteering to assist with registration, packet pick up, water stops and other race activities,” Routh said. “Groups have partnered with us in years past to include their organization for service projects. All volunteers will receive a T-shirt and wrist band for the southern hospitality tent so they can join in the soulful spirit of the triathlon’s bicentennial salute to our hometown.”
Community support for this year’s events comes from the Shelby County Conservation Board, Edmund Orgill Park, City of Millington, Millington Chamber of Commerce, Millington Police Department, the Millington Naval Air Station Moral, Welfare and Recreation Department and the Shelby County Sheriff Department.
Sponsors for the 37th Annual Memphis in May Triathlon and Sports Expo include: West Cancer Center; Dr. Tom Ratliff; Jimmy Reed Marx-Bensdorf Realtors; Crews Realty; Homer Skelton Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram of Millington; The Peddler Bike Shop; McAlister’s Deli Millington; Flat Hat American Ale; Prairie Farms Dairy; Renthrop Geater; Raceway Millington; Memphis Health & Fitness magazine, Blair Parker Design; Build Peak Compete Coaching; Blue Sky Couriers; Bike Law.
For information on sponsorships, to be a Sports Expo vendor or to volunteer for the event, visit pr-eventmanagement.net or contact Pam Routh at (901) 550-2114 or pamrunsraces@gmail.com.
