GULFPORT, Miss., March 31, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- More than 2,200 athletes from 28 countries and 45 states were warmly welcomed to Coastal Mississippi this weekend ready for a true test of endurance. Olympians, multisport professionals, collegiate teams in addition to age group triathletes kicked off the season participating in one of nearly a dozen events that varied in distance. Ranging in age from 14 to 70+, the events brought athletes from all abilities and backgrounds utilizing picturesque Jones Park and the Gulfport Marina as its headquarters. Live music from Ground Zero, Morgan Freeman's Blues Club entertained all while an expo with vendors also offered product sampling, demos and discounts. Several food/coffee trucks kept athletes and supporters fueled throughout the weekend.
kAm|2J@C wF89 s] z62E:?8[ r:EJ @7 vF=7A@CE H9@ 4@F=5 36 D66? 9:89\7:G:?8 2E9=6E6D D92C6D 9:D E9@F89ED[ Q(92E 2? :?4C65:3=6 H66<6?5 7@C r@2DE2= |:DD:DD:AA:] %9:D C6>:?565 FD 6I24E=J H9J vF=7A@CE :D 2 56DE:?2E:@? F?=:<6 2?J @E96C] r{p$w t?5FC2?46 2C6 6I46AE:@?2= A2CE?6CD 2?5 @C82?:K6CD[ 2?5 2=@?8D:56 r@2DE2= |:DD:DD:AA: 2?5 ':D:E |:DD:DD:AA:[ H6 56=:G6C65 2? 6IA6C:6?46 H@CE9J @7 E96 @FEDE2?5:?8 2E9=6E6D H9@ 4@>A6E65 96C6] %96 DF?D9:?6[ E96 H2E6C7C@?E[ E96 6?6C8J — :E H2D 2== A6C764E] (6 9@A6 6G6CJ 2E9=6E6[ DFAA@CE6C[ 2?5 DA64E2E@C =62G6D H:E9 2 A:646 @7 vF=7A@CE :? E96:C 962CE[ 2?5 H6VC6 2=C625J =@@<:?8 7@CH2C5 E@ ?6IE J62CPQk^Am
kAm$6G6C2= A2CE?6CD AC@G:565 DFAA@CE 7@C E96 H66<6?5 :?4=F5:?8 %96 |:DD:DD:AA: pBF2C:F>[ 9@DE:?8 2 'x! tG6?E %9FCD52J 6G6?:?8 2?5 5:D4@F?ED 7@C 2== A2CE:4:A2?ED] vF=7A@CE r@42\r@=2 DFAA=:65 r@<6 7@C 2== 2E9=6E6D @? 4@FCD6 2?5 A@DE C246[ H9:=6 3C2?565 C646AE24=6D 7C@> (2DE6 !C@ &$p =:?65 E96 4@FCD6 2?5 G6?F6[ 6?DFC:?8 E96 2C62 H2D ;FDE 2D 362FE:7F= 2D :E H2D 7@F?5] |:E496== s:DEC:3FE:?8 H2D E96 @77:4:2= 366C DA@?D@C 2?5 @776C65 7C66 366C E@ E9@D6 @7 286]k^Am
kAm~? uC:52J[ p>6C:42VD %C:2E9=@? rFA 5C6H D@>6 @7 E96 DA@CEVD 3:886DE ?2>6D :?4=F5:?8 vH6? y@C86?D6?[ tC:42 w2H=6J[ s2CC $>:E9 2?5 q=2<6 qF==2C5] x? E9:D 5C27E\=682= 6G6?E[ H@>6? DE2CE65 E96 52J 2?5 4FCC6?E }rpp EC: 492>A:@?[ z6==J (6EE6=2?5 >2?2865 E@ 9@=5 @77 a_`e ~=J>A:4 r92>A:@?[ vH6? y@C86?D6? H:E9 2 H:??:?8 E:>6 @7 dhibd] yFDE 52JD 7@==@H:?8 9:D (@C=5 %C:2E9=@? rFA w2:<@F C246[ r2?252VD |2E9:D q62F=:6F D9@H65 FA 7:E 2=@?8D:56 D6G6C2= @E96C &$p %C:2E9=@? V!C@;64E !@5:F>V E62>>2E6D] w6 =65 E96 CF? A@CE:@? 2?5 4=2:>65 7:CDE 2E da >:?FE6D[ ca D64@?5D] %96 &$p %C:2E9=@? r@==68:2E6 rFA }2E:@?2= r92>A:@?D9:A 76>2=6 C246 7@==@H65 =2E6C E92E >@C?:?8 H:E9 sF<6VD |2J2 #6:==J W`i_eiabX 2?5 (:?82E6VD xD224 {2>AC649E Wdgi_aX E2<:?8 9@>6 E:E=6D] %92E 6G6?:?8[ 2??@F?46CD D9@H42D65 >@C6 E92? g_ F?:G6CD:E:6D 7C@> 2C@F?5 E96 &]$] 7@C 2 @A6?:?8 A2C256 E9C@F89 E96 G6?F6 H:E9 =:G6 >FD:4 2?5 82>6 ?:89E E@ 7@==@H] r@==686 EC: E62>D DA@CE65 4@DEF>6D 2?5 E62> 7=28D 7=6H 9:89 H:E9 6?6C8J E92E 4@F=5 36 76=E 7@C 9@FCD]k^Am
kAm$2EFC52J 3C@F89E E96 &$p %C:2E9=@?VD r@==68:2E6 r=F3 ~=J>A:4\5:DE2?46 r92>A:@?D9:A 2?5 E96 &$p %C:2E9=@? |:I65 #6=2J r@==68:2E6 r92>A:@?D9:A] t5@2C5@ vF:D6AA6 {6@?6 H@? >6?VD ~=J>A:4 5:G:D:@?[ z2D6J |256D6? 7@C E96 76>2=6 5:G:D:@? 2?5 z2: {6H:D 64=:AD65 E:E=6 7@C E96 ?@?\3:?2CJ 5:G:D:@?] %96 &?:G6CD:EJ @7 "F66?D r92C=@EE6 4=2:>65 E96 @G6C2== ?2E:@?2= E:E=6 2?5 46=63C2E65 E96:C H:? H:E9 E62>>2E6D 2E E96 7:?:D9 =:?6] p? 6I4:E:?8 =:G6DEC62> @7 E96 |:I65 #6=2J H2D AC6D6?E65 G:2 E96 r{p$w t?5FC2?46 *@F%F36 492??6= 9:89=:89E:?8 2== E96 24E:@?] $A64:2= E92?<D E@ 4@>>6?E2E@CD DF49 2D ~=J>A:2?[ y2CC@5 $9@6>2<6C[ x#~}|p} f_]b r92>A:@?[ p=:4:2 z2J6 2?5 EC:2E9=@? 8C62E[ z6G:? |24<:??@?]k^Am
kAm$F?52JVD H62E96C D2H 9:89 H:?5 4@?5:E:@?D 4@FA=65 H:E9 2 D>2== 4C27E 25G:D@CJ D@ E96 DH:> H2D 42?46==65 7@C 2== 6G6?ED E@ 6?DFC6 2E9=6E6 D276EJ] $4965F=65 EC:2E9=@?D 492?865 E@ 2 3:<6\CF? 6G6?E @C 5F2E9=@? 2?5 H6C6 7@==@H65 3J 2H2C5 46C6>@?:6D] }6H EC:2E9=6E6D A2CE:4:A2E:?8 :? r{p$wVD QuC@> +6C@ E@ %C:Q AC@8C2> >6E AC:@C E@ E96 DE2CE E@ =62C? E:AD 7@C 2? 6G6? >@C6 6?;@J23=6 7:CDE C246]k^Am
More from this section
kAmr{p$w t?5FC2?46 r~~[ p?5C6 {2A2C D2JD[ QuC@> @FC :?:E:2= D:E6 G:D:E[ H6 <?6H H6 925 7@F?5 D@>6E9:?8 ECF=J DA64:2= :? r@2DE2= |:DD:DD:AA: 2?5 =@@< 7@CH2C5 E@ >@C6 8C@HE9 2?5 4@==23@C2E:@? 8@:?8 7@CH2C5]Qk^Am
kAmr{p$w t?5FC2?46® :D 2? :??@G2E:G6 6?5FC2?46 6G6?E 4@>A2?J =65 3J 2E9=6E6D H:E9 2 A2DD:@? E@ AC@G:56 6I46AE:@?2= C246 6IA6C:6?46D 2E :4@?:4 G6?F6D 24C@DD E96 &]$] (6 6>3C246 :?4=FD:@? 2?5 H6=4@>6 2E9=6E6D @7 2== 286D 2?5 23:=:E:6D[ 7C@> 6=:E6 AC@76DD:@?2=D E@ 7:CDE\E:>6 A2CE:4:A2?ED] %96 A@AF=2C r{p$w t?5FC2?46 sp*%~}p :D 96=5 2E E96 s2JE@?2 x?E6C?2E:@?2= $A665H2J™[ 9@>6 @7 Q%96 vC62E p>6C:42? #246™Q\ E96 s2JE@?2 d__ 2?5 92D 366? 762EFC65 @? k6>m}qrk^6>m 2?5 k6>mu@I $A@CED `^ak^6>m] t249 u63CF2CJ[ E96 s2JE@?2 q6249 w2=7 |2C2E9@? U2>Aj dz E2<6D 2E9=6E6D @? 2 D46?:4 E@FC @7 s2JE@?2 2?5 :ED ?F>6C@FD =2?5>2C<D 2?5 2EEC24E:@?D] x? 255:E:@?[ AC6G:@FD r{p$w t?5FC2?46 |:2>: 6G6?ED 92G6 5C2H? 2 564@C2E65 AC@ 7:6=5[ 4@==68:2E6 2E9=6E6D 7C@> 5@K6?D @7 AC6DE:8:@FD F?:G6CD:E:6D 2?5 H66<6?5 H2CC:@CD 7@C 2 492==6?8:?8 4@FCD6 2E E96 9:DE@C:4 w@>6DE625\|:2>: $A665H2J®] }6H E@ E96 D6C:6D :D r{p$w t?5FC2?46 r@2DE2= |:DD:DD:AA:] k^Am
k5:G 4=2DDlQ!#}0x>365565pDD6E#676C6?46Q :5lQs:GpDD6E!=246w@=56CaQmkAmk2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^>>2]AC?6HDH:C6]4@>^>65:2^ahcfa_c^r=2D90&$p0s2JE@?20a_ad0a]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQmk^2mk^Amk^5:Gm
kA :5lQ!&#{Qmk:>8 E:E=6lQr:D:@?Q H:5E9lQ`aQ 96:89ElQ`aQ 2=ElQr:D:@?Q DC4lQ9EEADi^^6586]AC?6HDH:C6]4@>^4^:>8^72G:4@?]A?8nD?lu{abgcfU2>AjD5la_ae\_b\b`Q ^m ':6H @C:8:?2= 4@?E6?E E@ 5@H?=@25 >F=E:>65:2ik2 :5lQ!#}&#{Q C6=lQ?@7@==@HQ 9C67lQ9EEADi^^HHH]AC?6HDH:C6]4@>^?6HD\C6=62D6D^4=2D9\6?5FC2?46\4@2DE2=\>:DD:DD:AA:\46=63C2E6D\DF446DD\:?\:ED\:?2F8FC2=\6G6?E\H66<6?5\b_afb_ccf]9E>=Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<Qm9EEADi^^HHH]AC?6HDH:C6]4@>^?6HD\C6=62D6D^4=2D9\6?5FC2?46\4@2DE2=\>:DD:DD:AA:\46=63C2E6D\DF446DD\:?\:ED\:?2F8FC2=\6G6?E\H66<6?5\b_afb_ccf]9E>=k^2mk^Am
kAm$~&#rt r=2D9 &$p[ {{rk^Am
kAmk:>8 2=ElQQ DC4lQ9EEADi^^CE]AC?6HDH:C6]4@>^CE]8:7n}6HDxE6>x5lu{abgcfU2>Aj%C2?D>:DD:@?0x5la_ae_bb``c__!#0}t($0&$!#00000u{abgcfU2>Ajs2E6x5la_ae_bb`Q DEJ=6lQ3@C56Ci_AIj H:5E9i`AIj 96:89Ei`AIjQ ^mk^Am
