Courtesy: USAT

The USA Triathlon age group national championships for long course triathlon and long course duathlon will test athletes' endurance this weekend.

The USAT Age Group Long Course Triathlon Championships will be part of the DeGray Lake Triathlon Festival on Aug. 20-21 in Arkadelphia, Ark. The CATS Half Triathlon - which will serve as the long distance triathlon national championship - will be held on Saturday and will consist of a 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike and 13-mile run.

The long course nationals are also a qualifier for the 2006 ITU Long Course Triathlon World Championships in Canberra, Australia.

Sunday's DeGray Lake Sprint Triathlon - named one of the top 100 races in America by Inside Triathlon Magazine - will play host to the South Midwest Regional Sprint Championships.

"We are honored to be able to provide a high-profile event here in good ol' Arkansas," said race director Fred Phillips.

The DeGray Lake Triathlon Festival is in its eighth year and is close to many amenities and attractions in Hot Springs, Ark.

Curt Chesney (Boulder, Colo.) won the men's overall title at the 2004 CATS Half Triathlon, finishing in 3 hours, 57 minutes, 13 seconds. Mina Pizzini (Dallas, Texas) won the women's overall title in 4:41:59.

For more information, go to http://www.dltmultisport.com.

The USAT Age Group Long Course Duathlon Championships will run on Sunday as part of the Great Buckeye Duathlon in Waynesville, Ohio.

The course will consist of a 5.5-mile run, a 56-mile bike and a 13.1-mile run. Almost 100 people had signed up for the race as of Aug. 16.

The top three finishers in each age group will qualify for the 2006 ITU Long Course Duathlon World Championships. The site of the 2006 worlds has not been confirmed yet.

Mark Beversdorf (Wittenberg, Wis.) was the overall men's winner at the 2004 Great Buckeye Duathlon, finishing in 4:23:20 seconds. Sandra Fischer (Allison Park, Pa.) won the women's overall race in 4:53:12.

For more information, go to http://www.greatbuckeye.com.