A most unique support group

has surfaced in Fayette County.

A group of local athletes preparing

for this weekend's Tri-Peachtree city triathlon has been training

together for several months in an effort to help each other get ready

for one of the most grueling events any of them will ever participate

in. They share a common goal and a common thread - all of them call

Providence United Methodist Church their home church.

About 10 people from the church

have signed up to compete, according to Jim Ellison, senior minister at

Providence UMC. He decided to jump in when his trainer suggested it, although

he is not what one would consider an extreme athlete.

"I ran one marathon,"

he said. "That was plenty."

The group meets every week

to run, bike and swim together. It is important for all of the group to

include all phases of the competition, Ellison said, especially the transition

from biking to running. Two of the 10 have previous triathlon experience,

he added.

They will start together, but

they will not finish that way. The members of this group range from "very

good" to "not as good," Ellison said, and they will spread

out fairly soon after the start.

As for Ellison's own strategy?

"I'm going to start slow, then taper off," he laughed.

Ellison, a Fayette native and

McIntosh High graduate, founded Providence in 1995 with eight families.

There are more than 400 families at the church now, he said. He just came

off a one-year sabbatical.

Regardless of their finish

times, the Providence triathlon support group plans to celebrate its participation

with a cookout Saturday night.

The first annual Tri-Peachtree

City triathlon is scheduled to start Saturday at 7 a.m. at Drake Field,

next to City Hall, and consists of a half-mile swim in Lake Peachtree,

a 12-mile bike ride through the city and a 3.8-mile run. The event ends

at Drake Field.

Awards will be given to the

top three male and female finishers overall as well as the top three in

each age group and the top three masters finishers. Organizers for the

event will follow all USAT rules during the competition.

For complete information, visit

www.tri-ptc.com.

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