Bowdoin's aspiring triathletes will have a chance to compete in the annual College-sponsored PolarBear Triathlon on May 3.
Some may remember the triathlon by its original name, IronBear. The event underwent a name change this fall, after organizers received a "cease and desist" letter from the owners of IronMan for copyright infringement.
Will Thomas '03, an organizer of the event through Tri-Maine, explained that last year, a high-profile athlete participated in the race. "They caught wind of us," he said of IronMan.
Though a community-wide signup was held last Friday morning in Brunswick and Portland, a separate registration was held for Bowdoin students on Wednesday in Smith Union. Spots in the general registration sold out in less than 45 minutes.
"In the past, we've tried to do simultaneous general and student signups," said Thomas. "It's really a lot to handle in one day."
Bowdoin students also received a discounted price when they registered for the event. "When I started the race as a student here, I didn't have any money," noted Thomas.
50 students had signed up for the event as of Thursday night.
The triathlon consists of a quarter-mile swim, 12-mile bike ride, and 3.1-mile run. The event also features a duathlon, which replaces the swim with another running event.
Unlike other races, said Thomas, "The college age group is by far the most competitive in this race."