TRIATHLON OLIMPICO HALFCASTMAN

TRIATHLON OLIMPICO HALFCASTMAN is a 51.5 km Olympic-distance triathlon in Castiglione della Pescaia, a seaside town on the Tuscan coast of Italy, usually held in early October. It is a sea-and-town race, not a closed stadium-style event: athletes swim off the coast, ride inland, and then run through parts of the seafront, the city, and a public park. The bike leg is the part people seem to talk about most, as it climbs up toward Tirli and has been described as tough for the whole field. The swim can start nervously, and past reports mention choppy water, waves, occasional jellyfish, and athletes swimming farther than expected. Teams take it seriously, with groups of up to 13 athletes reported, but the race also carries a rough, slightly bittersweet feel: it is the kind of Olympic triathlon people remember in their legs, not just in their results.