Recreation: Fitness Challenge Triathlon is celebrating its 20th year

Seventeen years later, Bill Allen’s story remains the same.

He and Howard Eberly, his old rival, were having one heck of a race.

Until Allen got pushed.

“That’s the way I remember it,” Allen said, laughing. “He pushed me out of the way, so I got second. But he might have another version of it.”

Whatever the truth may be, this much is certain: Eberly’s victory in the third Fitness Challenge Triathlon, secured as he and Allen dived in the sand across the finish line, remains one of the event’s signature moments, likely even its most entertaining.

But that was long ago.

When the two reunite Sunday morning to compete in the 20th annual triathlon, Allen doesn’t expect either runner to provide a replay of the 1989 classic.

Not for first place, anyway.

“Neither one of us can run right now,” said Allen, a 46-year-old Miami resident. “His knees are shot and I’ve got a torn calf muscle. I don’t know if we’ll be racing this week. We might just be entered in the race.”

Just as before, though, the runners have perfect timing. That’s because this year’s Fitness Challenge — a unique race in which competitors begin with the run and end with the swim, reversing the sequence of events honored by most triathlons — will be as much a celebration as a competition.

A record 400 individual competitors are entered this year, with plenty of old-timers coming out of retirement to celebrate the past.

But time changes things.

When Leslie Aaron pulled her bike out of storage last month, the 43-year-old Naples resident couldn’t wait to get back on the streets. But first she had to have some work done, so she took her Kestrel racing cycle to the local bike shop. They asked where she got the throwback.

“It’s vintage now,” Aaron said.

Even more amazing, however, is that Aaron’s been gone so long. She hasn’t competed in the Fitness Challenge since 1990, three years after winning the inaugural event at age 24. She’ll return on the same set of wheels — or, at least, the same bike — that pushed her to the limit in her heyday.

Look out.

“I want to come in the top 10,” she said. “I’m too competitive to giggle my way through.”

Some things never change, which is what could be said for the race itself. The competitors still start and finish at the Naples Beach Club, weathering a 3.1-mile run, a 9.3-mile bike ride and, finally, a quarter-mile swim in the Gulf of Mexico. The race ends with a 20-yard sprint on the beach, where Eberly edged Allen.

Last year, it was deja vu.

Fort Myers surgeon Larry Black crossed the finish line ankle-to-ankle with Naples realtor Steven Gust, who was hit by a car during the second leg of the race yet somehow managed to make a run. He was beaten by 39/1000th of a second, certainly the closest finish since the ‘89 epic.

“Winning a race like that,” Black said, “doesn’t happen very often.”

The race sure does. Triathletes have been competing in the Fitness Challenge since Miami Vice was a TV series — not a big-screen blockbuster in the making — building the event into a staple of early June. This year will be especially memorable, though, simply because it’s a homecoming for so many alumni.

“It was always one of my favorite races,” Allen said. “I look forward to seeing some old friends.”

And telling them stories.

His version of them, anyway.

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Erika Erndl and Megan Quinty won national titles to lead top performances for the Naples YMCA Masters Swimming (CCY) team at Nationals in Coral Springs from May 11-14.

CCY finished with 137 points, placing 46 out of 134 teams from across the country.

Erndl, competing in the 25-29 age group, won the 50-yard butterfly in 26.55, and also was second in the 100 individual medley, 200 individual medley and 200 breaststroke, and the 50 and 100 freestyles.

Quinty, competing in the 30-34 age group, won the 200 individual medley in 2:20.19. She was third in the 200 free and fourth in the 500 free.

Coach Kevin Erndl, competing int he 25-29 age group, placed in five events: third in the 50 free, fourth in the 50 breaststroke and 50 butterfly, fifth in the 100 breaststroke, and ninth in the 100 individual medley.

Jay McGarity, also in the 25-29 age group, was third in the 500 free, sixth in the 200 individual medley, eighth in the 100 free, 11th in the 100 individual medley, and 16th in the 50 free.

Mick Moore, competing in the 35-39 age group, was fifth in the 1,000 free, sixth in the 500 free, 10th in the 200 individual medley, 18th in the 200 free, and 20th in the 100 free.

Naples YMCA Masters Swimming offers practices throughout the week for competitive, fitness and triathlete swimmers in the area. Contact McGarity at 591-8500.

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The 17th annual Caloosa Catch & Release Tournament will be held at South Seas Island Resort on Captiva Island from June 8-11.

Those interested in entering a team should fill out and immediately return an entry form at www.caloosacatchandrelease.com, or call 239-671-9347 for more information. The public is invited to attend a live, silent auction on Friday, June 9 at 6:30 p.m., where people can mingle with anglers, enjoy an open bar and dinner at South Seas while bidding on resort packages, boats, motors and trailers, golf packages, jewelry, art and more.

For tournament or auction information, call 239-671-9347, or to make room reservations, call 866-2HOOKME and ask for Caloosa rates or visit www.south-seas-resort.com.

The second leg of the Caloosa Tournament Series, The Back Country Classic, will be held in Naples on July 21-22. The largest inshore tournament in Collier County and part of the largest inshore series in Florida, anglers will compete for more than $15,000 in cash and prizes, with Youth and Lady divisions.

Snook, redfish and trout will be caught, photographed and cleanly released in order to qualify. All anglers receive two dinners at Catch 22 restaurant, plus bags that include custom fishing shirts, long-sleeve tournament T-shirts, hats and more. For more information, call 239-671-9347.