Puerto de Sagunto's Pantalán hosts regional school triathlon championship
Puerto de Sagunto (coastal district of Sagunto) hosts the first Pantalán Triathlon this Sunday, 19 July — a regional school championship with mixed relay teams bringing together 26 squads and around 104 young triathletes from across the Valencian Community.
The event, organised by the Huracán Puerto Sagunto Triathlon School together with the Valencian Community Triathlon Federation and the City Council, starts at 8.30am around the Pantalán pier. The course combines a 300-metre open-water swim, a 5-kilometre bike leg past the old Alto Horno (blast furnace) and a final 1-kilometre run along the seafront promenade. Mixed teams of two girls and two boys compete in youth, cadet, junior and inclusive categories.
The Alto Horno lining the cycling route is a remnant of the former Altos Hornos del Mediterráneo steelworks, which shut down in October 1984. Just three weeks before this event, the Valencian Community's team was crowned Spain's school triathlon champion in the regional-team category in Tudela — a result that has raised expectations for the local squads.
The City Council will close traffic from 7.30am on Travesía Mediterráneo, Avenida Altos Hornos and Avenida Sindicalista Juan Torres Casado, and ban parking from 6am. Sports councillor Javier Timón highlighted the grassroots and inclusive nature of the event. According to El Periódico de Aquí, with additional details from Wikipedia and the Valencian Community Triathlon Federation (Federació de Triatló CV).