By Josh Williams
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
MANHATTAN — Some 450 hardy competitors will be swimming, biking and running this Sunday less for glory than to help the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society meet a crucial fundraising target.
The event, the Nautica New York City Triathlon, will feature a 1.5K swim in the murky waters of the Hudson River, followed by a 40K bicycle ride to the Bronx and back, capped off with a 10K run in Central Park.
The 450 triathletes are competing as individuals, but are all members of the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team in Training Program, which has already raised $1.15 million and hopes to total out at $1.3 million.
They have been training for 20 weeks to prepare for the grueling race, and the experience tends to concentrate the mind wonderfully, said Tyler Burke, Team in Training's Campaign Manager.
"You find that over that time period you can do a tremendous amount of fundraising if you put your mind to it," Burke said. "When you race not only for yourself but to raise money for charity, you are emotionally invested."
A total of 3,200 triathletes are expected to participate.
The race will kick off with the swim event on the Hudson River near 98th Street, where marshals will be on hand to direct spectators. The bike event will be observable in Riverside Park from 84th to 90th Streets, and the best places to watch the foot race will be around 72nd Street between Riverside Drive and the West entrance to Central Park.
According to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's New York City Chapter, the training regimen consists of about 10 hours of workouts a week, amassed over 20 weeks under the watchful eye of a professional coach for each event.
Seventy-five percent of the money raised goes to the Society and 25 percent goes to cover the participants' costs, which include such items as wet suits, entry fees, coaching, and pool time.
"We have an incredibly high success rate for those that finish the race," said Burke, who competes in triathlons himself. "We devote ourselves towards helping the athlete finish."
