See How They Run . . . Pedal . . . Run

Twelve-year-old Brian Newsham of Encinitas could barely wait for the start of the Los Angeles Spring Biathlon last month.

He was entering the event--a 2-mile run/9-mile bike ride/2-mile run--with his mom, 41-year-old Sherry Newsham. But he had more than pride riding on the outcome. The loser would be the winner’s slave for the day.

The 400 other entrants in that March biathlon had their own reasons for rising early on a Sunday to make the start time at Irwindale’s Santa Fe Dam Recreation Area. But many first-timers were simply savoring the chance to call themselves biathletes.

Biathlons are changing, and so is their image. Mention biathlon or triathlon (the three-sport version that adds swimming to running and cycling), and the uninitiated often think only of a gruel-a-thon like the famous Ironman in Hawaii--a 2.4-mile swim/112-mile bike ride/26.2-mile run.

But shorter-course biathlons are actually more common, said Mark Sisson, executive director of Triathlon Federation/USA, a Colorado-based organization that governs triathlons and other multisport events.

Shorter-course events like the Irwindale run/bike/run are booming, said Sisson and others, not just in quadriceps-conscious Southern California but nationwide as well.

“These shorter events have quadrupled in the past five years,” Sisson said. “The majority are run/bike/run events, but some are swim/runs. As more people have gotten involved, the distances have come down. A typical run/bike/run event is a 3-mile run/18-mile bike/3-mile run.”

The peak biathlon season is April to October, but it stretches beyond those months in Southern California.

In the next six weeks, at least four biathlons are scheduled around the Southland. Entry fees for biathlons are roughly double the usual $15 charged for 5-K and 10-K runs, because biathlons usually last longer. For the fee, entrants get a commemorative T-shirt, plus a chance to win door prizes and trips--and maybe even a trophy--at post-race awards ceremonies.

Like 5-Ks and 10-Ks, biathlons usually award trophies to the first three or more finishers in each age and gender category.

What’s behind the mini-biathlon boom?

The trend of cross-training, in which recreational athletes alternate sports to reduce injury risk and boredom, is one impetus. Runners, for instance, who decide to cycle on alternate days discover their favorite sport isn’t the only one on Earth. More runners are turning into biathletes than cyclists into biathletes, said Rob Hogan, a triathlete who organized the L.A. Spring Biathlon.

Some new biathletes are simply reformed couch potatoes.

A case in point is William Fletcher, 48, of Covina.

“Until a year ago, I did absolutely nothing athletic,” said Fletcher, a plant operator for the Metropolitan Water District. His son-in-law talked him into entering the Desert Princess Biathlon in Palm Springs. Since then, he has finished 14 biathlons, training about eight hours a week.

“I’ve also lost about 35 pounds and I placed eighth in my age category today,” Fletcher said after the Spring Biathlon.

Linda Meinhardt, 33, of Cerritos, said she had no choice but to enter the Spring Biathlon. “He made me,” she said, pointing to fiance Russ Carleton, 40, of Cerritos.

Jengi Martinez of Alta Loma, 14, wanted to discover the joy of running firsthand after listening to her aunt, a marathoner, extol its virtues.

Co-workers persuaded Chris Peeke, a 31-year-old San Dimas resident and former high school sprinter, to join them at the biathlon. “I like it,” Peeke said as he took in the post-race awards ceremony.

“It’s a challenge,” said Jack Mehlman, 68, a retired engineer from Encino who wanted to see whether he could cop first place in the Spring Biathlon’s cardiac division, as he had during his recent biathlon debut. (He took third.)

Mini-biathlons are also appealing because the training needed is a fraction of that required for longer events. A minimal training schedule for a race like the L.A. Spring Biathlon, suggested Hogan, would involve running about 12 miles a week and cycling about 30 miles. That kind of schedule, totaling about four or five hours a week, can be squeezed in between work and family responsibilities. And a rundown of entrants in the Irwindale event suggests people are doing just that.

“Who entered?” Hogan replied. “Two hospital administrators, a street superintendent, a doctor, a lawyer.”

Age ranges are wide, too, often from 13 to 70 or older. To appeal to an even wider range of participants, many mini-biathlons also include cardiac divisions. And in the L.A. Spring Biathlon, there was a division for women weighing 150 pounds or more and men weighing 200 or more.

At some biathlons, the focus is more on fun than finish times. Consider today’s California Beach Party Biathlon in Ventura, a 1-mile run/8-mile bike/1-mile run. The oval-shaped bike route is designed so spectators can cheer on participants as much as possible, said Rick Brush, a race organizer.

“The sport has developed into a lifestyle,” Hogan said. “About 40% of people are out here with serious hopes of winning in their age group. About 25% want to get involved in the sport. The other 35% just come for fun, health improvement and competition.”

Or to win wagers with their moms. Brian Newsham whizzed down the finish chute 13 seconds ahead of his mother, declining her suggestion they run in together.

“He passed me right at the end,” Sherry Newsham groaned after the race.

Last seen, Brian Newsham was grinning and muttering something about not having to do the dishes.

Biathlon Schedule

Here is a sampling of upcoming biathlons in Southern California:

* Bikesport Southern California Run-Bike-Run Championship, May 13, Zuma Beach, Malibu, 5-K run/25-K bike/5-K run. Information: (818) 880-4915.

* Desert Princess Spring Biathlon, May 26, Palm Springs, 5-K run/30-K bike/5-K run. Information: (619) 320-1341.

* Coors Light Biathlon Series, May 27, Orange County, 5-K run/30-K bike/5-K run. Information: (503) 655-4721.