TRIATHLON : Ventura Triathlon Draws Large Field

Ron O’Keefe ran into a problem preparing for the Ventura Triathlon. He was so busy organizing the race, he didn’t have time to train for it.

“I knew I would be too busy doing events this summer to train,” said O’Keefe, 40. “Now that it’s starting to sink in, it hurts.”

O’Keefe, who runs the Camarillo-based Tri-Club of Ventura County, expects more than 500 competitors from nine states to converge on Ventura State Beach on Saturday. The triathlon begins at 7:30 a.m. with a one-mile swim, followed by a 24-mile bike ride and a six-mile run.

“It’s really an excellent course for a race,” said O’Keefe, who has coordinated more than 100 support personnel for the event. “The run is on a paved trail that goes north from the state beach. You’re looking at the ocean as you run.”

Saturday’s competition is the final event in the three-race Gold Coast Series. The top male and female finishers in the Ventura County-based series will receive air fare and expenses to a national triathlon competition Sept. 27 in Hilton Head, S.C.

The Tri-Club, which has 120 members, will play host to a national competition Nov. 1 in Ventura. More than 150 triathletes are expected to compete.

Information: 805-388-3912.