Kids race clock, each other

Caleb Keith, 12, knew he had to get a good start during the swimming section of the Capital City Kids Triathlon on Saturday at Mills Park.

Caleb, of Carson City, needed a lead because he knew that Monica Herrera, 12, of Reno, was a stronger runner than he was. The two were competing in the 11-12 age division of the triathlon.

After swimming 200 meters and biking 2.6 miles, it came down to the 1.3-mile run from the Carson City Recreation Center to the Pony Express Pavilion and back.

Heading into the run, Caleb had the lead.

"I saw her coming, and I told myself, 'You got to speed the heck up,'" he said. "That's why I knew I had to beat her in the swim, because she can run."

Just after they passed the pavilion, Caleb began to cramp up and slowed down. Monica gained ground until the pair was running a tie coming into the final turn.

"I just outran Caleb at the end. I had to catch him," Monica said.

After being the first girl to cross last year, Monica said her goal was a little harder this year.

"I wanted to win it. I wanted to be the first, not just the first girl," Monica said.

In the 9-10 age division, a little luck and a lot of practice helped Tyler Tallon, 10, of Carson City, cross the line first.

Tallon was in second after the swim, but took the lead during the biking after the leader took a wrong turn. Then he lost the lead to Nathan Hayes, 10, of Reno, but soon after Nathan's chain slipped off.

"Nathan could have beat me, but his chain broke, and he just didn't catch back up," Tyler said.

In the 7-8 division, Harry Meyer, 8, of Carson City, used experience to take first place after gaining the lead in the transition from the swim to the biking.

In the 4-6 age group, Gabe Kenney, 6, of Carson City, finished first after a strong bike ride.

"My mom helped me run because I had no idea where I was going. That blue tent is like five miles away," Gabe said. "Once you get off your bike, you are so out of breath."

The triathlon, in its fourth year, featured 105 kids ages 4-14 swimming, biking and running against each other and the clock.

"It's a great family event and it just continues to grow, which is what we want," said Kurt Meyer, Carson Aquatic Center operations manager.

The distances of the race components were altered based on the age groups. The 4-6 age group swam 25 yards, biked .4 miles and ran .4 miles. The 7-8 age group swam 50 meters, biked .4 miles and ran .4 miles. The 9-10 age group swam 100 meters, biked 1.3 miles and ran .4 miles. The 11-12 and 13-14 age groups swam 200 meters, biked 2.6 miles and ran 1.3 miles.

• Contact reporter Jarid Shipley at jshipley@nevadaappeal.com or 881-1217.