USA TriathlonAquathlon Nationals Set for Sunday

More than 100 multisport athletes will swim and run their way toward national titles at the 2013 USA Triathlon Aquathlon National Championships at the Lake Logan Multisport Festival in Canton, N.C., on Sunday.

All competitors will complete a 1,500-meter swim followed by a 5-kilometer run centered at the Lake Logan Episcopal Center. Visit usatriathlon.org for more information on the event or the multisport discipline of aquathlon, which features running and swimming.

Two defending champions from last year's event in Mercer Island, Wash., Brent Demarest (18-19, Charleston, S.C.) and Shannon Scovel (18-19, Cary, N.C.) will race with aims of winning their age groups after earning victories in the 17 and under division last year.

The field also includes Marshall Wakat (70-74, Charleston, S.C.), who won a silver medal at the 2012 ITU Aquathlon World Championships in Auckland, New Zealand and a handful of medalists from the 2011 ITU Aquathlon World Championships in Beijing. 2011 gold medalist Demarest; silver medalists Bullet Bales (65-69, Glendale, Calif.), Erika Binger (40-44, Minneapolis, Minn.), and Pieter deHart (35-39, Lexington, Va.); and bronze medalists Jennifer deHart (35-39, Lexington, Va.), Andrew Farrell (40-44, Raleigh, N.C.) and Elaine Morison (50-54, Lafayette, Calif.) are all on the start list.

In addition to chasing national titles, athletes also will be competing for spots on Team USA for the 2013 ITU Aquathlon World Championships in London, England, on Sept. 11. The top 10 finishers in each age group, rolling down to 14th place, will be eligible for a Team USA berth. Team USA is comprised of amateur athletes who represent the United States at each ITU World Championship event. Click here for more on Team USA.

The Lake Logan Multisport Festival, which first hosted Aquathlon Nationals in 2009, also hosts Olympic-distance and Sprint triathlon events, as well as an aquabike race. The Festival also serves as host of the 2013 USA Triathlon Mid-Atlantic Sprint Triathlon Regional Championships. More information is available at gloryhoundevents.com.

Founded in 1982, USA Triathlon is proud to serve as the National Governing Body for triathlon - the fastest growing sport in the U.S. Olympic Movement - as well as duathlon, aquathlon, aquabike, winter triathlon, off-road triathlon and paratriathlon in the United States. USA Triathlon sanctions more than 4,300 races and connects with more than 630,000 members each year, making it the largest multisport organization in the world. In addition to its work with athletes, coaches, and race directors on the grassroots level, USA Triathlon provides leadership and support to elite athletes competing at international events, including International Triathlon Union (ITU) World Championships, Pan American Games and the Summer Olympic Games. USA Triathlon is a proud member of the ITU and the United States Olympic Committee (USOC).