Annual triathlon set for April 28 at Bringle Lake

CHRISTUS St. Michael Health System will host the annual Four States Triathlon at 8 a.m. April 28 at Bringle Lake. The hospital holds the triathlon in an effort to promote health and fitness.

“The Four States Triathlon, for 19 years, had been one of the premier sprint triathlons in the four states area,” said Mike Riley, St. Michael Health & Fitness center manager. “Unfortunately, for two years in a row, the Four States Triathlon fell victim to local flooding and race course (road) damage. As a result, race organizers had no other choice than to cancel the event.”

In early 2018, members of TEAM Texarkana began to search for another race venue. After multiple meetings with Texarkana, Texas, city leaders, permission was granted to look at hosting the triathlon at Bringle Lake, the ideal outdoor venue for sports and recreation, located across from University Avenue and Texas A&M– Texarkana.

Bringle Lake, a freshwater lake, was once the city of Texarkana’s primary water source. Today it serves as a recreation area with two parks, walking/ jogging/ mountain bike trails and a golf course on its shores. The lake is open to fishing, canoeing and kayaking as well.

The race course is similar in distance as the previous year’s course, consisting of a 600-yard swim, a 14-mile bike (mostly flat, loop course) and a 3-mile run; each team will have one swimmer, one bicyclist, and one runner competing in one sport. As in past years, the Four States hosts a great post-race feed, music and door prizes.

Although the purpose of the triathlon is to encourage healthy living and active lifestyles, individuals and families can also enjoy food and entertainment. However, it is not only intended for advanced runners.

“This is a racer-friendly course also designed for beginners,” said Riley. “To our loyal triathlete base, we are excited to welcome you back. To those new to triathlon, there is no better place to experience your first triathlon than in Texarkana, USA.”

Anyone interested in participating can register through the CHRISTUS St. Michael Health & Fitness Center website. Registration is $75 with an additional $4.50 sign up fee. The entry fee increases April 21 to $90 with an additional $5.40 sign up fee.