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Steamboat Springs — The Steamboat Pentathlon celebrates its 15th birthday this year.

Kit Rice, sports coordinator for the Steamboat Springs Parks, Open Space and Recreational Services Department, said she can hardly believe it.

"We are doing a special commemorative T-shirt," she said. "We are going a little bigger this year because it's the 15th anniversary."

In a community that holds plenty of endurance races and athletics events, the Steamboat Pentathlon is one of the most challenging.

It's a five-stage competition that starts with a 400-foot run up Howelsen Hill and a ski or snowboard trip down. The second stage is a 2.5-mile snowshoe race up Long John and through a meadow before returning to the transition area.

The third stage is a 4-mile cross-country ski event on a groomed course that uses a portion of the Hakan Spar and Bluffs loops. Skiers can classic or skate ski.

The fourth stage is a 12-mile mountain bike ride along the Yampa River. Helmets are mandatory, and drafting is not permitted. The final stage is a 5-mile run along the Yampa River Core Trail.

The distances are for the standard course, which is open to individuals and teams. The shorter course includes the above stages but is shorter distances, except for the Alpine skiing/snowboarding portion. Individuals and teams also can register for the short course.

Team divisions for the standard course include: male, female, coed, dynamic duo and youth. In the short-course division, adults and youths can register as teams. Individuals will be timed overall and divided into age divisions.

Registration costs $42 a person. The registration deadline is March 1, and forms can be faxed to the Parks and Recreation office at 870-0173 or dropped off at 245 Howelsen Parkway between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.

A mandatory pre-race meeting is at 6 p.m. March 3 at Olympian Hall. Packet pickup will follow the meeting.

The Steamboat Pentathlon begins at 10 a.m. March 4 at Howelsen Hill. Check-in is from 9:15 to 9:45 a.m. Lunch follows the race at the Howelsen Lodge, where the awards ceremony also will be held.