Stephanie Benefield, a stay-at-home mother in Miramar Beach started training — really training — in December for the first time since middle school.
She got a coach and started prepping for My First Tri, a triathalon scheduled for June 15 at Eglin Air Force Base. The relatively short event caters to beginners, featuring a 200-meter swim, 8-mile bike ride and 2.5-mile run.
“I was coming out of nothing to do this,” she said during a break from a workout Friday. “I already signed up.”
She and hundreds of other hopefuls found out Thursday that Eglin has canceled the 14th annual triathlon because of funding problems blamed on sequestration.
“Team Eglin has endured a significant impact to base support agencies, with no obligated funds to support this year’s event,” a news release from the 96th Force Support Squadron said.
The news release said the squadron was forced to choose between the My First Tri and the Gate-to-Gate Run, and decided to cancel the one with the “least impact” to their “patrons.”
The 2013 Gate-to-Gate Run at Eglin will be held as planned May 27. The 4.4- mile run and walk has drawn more than 1,900 competitors in the past.
My First Tri closes registration at 325 participants.
Ed Vieth, the fitness center director for the squadron, said registration for My First Tri opened “by accident” on Active.com on March 16 and was closed a week later.
During that time, 106 participants registered and paid.
“We are working with Active.com to get everybody’s refunds,” Vieth said. “It was a glitch in the system.”
Steven Keith of Results Event Timing in Fort Walton Beach has always provided timing for My First Tri. As a member of the event staff, he attends planning meetings and said both events are very labor-intensive for Eglin.
He said it was his understanding that a particular issue this year was how to pay for overtime to staff the event with sequestration and cutbacks pending.
“With the new security regulations, it’s made it rougher for them to put an event on base,” Keith said. “That’s put a lot of pressure on the race for the last several years.”
Local triathletes were upset with the cancellation.
“It was so beginner friendly,” said Pam Braseth, whose family owns Dragon Sports, which caters to triathletes. “From a safety factor it really was a nice venue.”
Daily News Staff Writer Wendy Victora can be reached at 850-315-4478 or wvictora@nwfdailynews.com. Follow her on Twitter @WendyVnwfdn.
