33rd Annual Superfrog Triathlon Honors Post-Sept. 11 Fallen NSW Forces

By Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Megan Anuci, Naval Special Warfare Command Public Affairs

CORONADO, Calif. (NNS) -- The 33rd annual Superfrog Triathlon was held Sept. 11 at Silver Strand State Beach where more than 500 athletes participated and honored the Naval Special Warfare (NSW) forces lost since the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.

The Superfrog Triathlon was established in 1978 by Philip "Moki" Martin, a decorated retired Navy SEAL officer. Martin's original inspiration for starting the event was to help SEALs train for the Ironman Triathlon, which is twice the distance of the Superfrog triathlon. Superfrog is a traditional swim-bike-run event that covers a course consisting of a two-lap 1.2 mile open ocean swim, a four-lap 56 mile bike course and a five-lap 13.1 mile run.

The event honored the fallen service members by lining the finish line area of the race with banners displaying photos and biographies SEAL and enabler shipmates lost. The banners raised more than $30,000 for the Navy SEAL Foundation.

"This year is special," said Martin. "In addition to our annual donation, we created these banners for each SEAL and we're offering these as a sponsorship to our racers and fans. This money is going straight to the [Navy SEAL] Foundation, and it's a great way to commemorate the 10th anniversary of Sept. 11 and our SEALs."

Jozsef Major, a Phoenix native, was the overall race winner finishing with a time of 3:58:48.

"Competing today was a great feeling," said Major. "The training has been hard, but to be able to win the Superfrog, especially on Sept. 11, was rewarding."

The Superfrog Triathlon has grown from a few SEAL competitors to a fleet of local, national and international triathlon stars vying for the race title. Although the event has grown over the years, it has maintained the masochistic tradition of routing half the run portion through the soft and uneven footing of San Diego beach sand. The soft sand ritual is a nod to Basic Underwater and Demolition/SEAL (BUD/S) students who train on the beaches of Coronado, running and crawling through the soft sand and surf on a daily basis.