SARASOTA, Fla. – Due to the level of algae in the lake at Nathan Benderson Park following recent weather conditions, the Age Group Draft-Legal World Qualifier and the Age Group Open Sprint Triathlon at the Sarasota-Bradenton Triathlon Festival will be shifted from sprint triathlons (swim-bike-run format) to sprint duathlons (run-bike-run format).
 
The updated format for both races at Saturday's event will be a 2.5-kilometer run, followed by an 18-kilometer bike and finishing with a 5-kilometer run. The bike leg and the second run leg will cover the same course as originally planned, with the only change to the course being the first run leg. 
 
Affected by this change is the University of West Alabama women's triathlon team, who is competing in the Women's Collegiate Triathlon East Regional Qualifier, which is encompassed in the greater Sarasota-Bradenton Triathlon Festival. Chloe Bennett, McKenna De la Garza, Madeline Hernandez, Hannah Martin and Caitlyn Muncher will represent West Alabama at the event.
 
The UWA team will begin competition at 4 p.m. CDT. Despite the format change, the schedule and start times for all events will remain the same.
 
For coverage of the Women's Collegiate East Regional Qualifier follow @USATLive on Twitter. The official hashtag of the Sarasota-Bradenton Triathlon Festival is #SBTriFest.

Summaries of the Women's Collegiate East Regional Qualifier, will be posted to US Triathlon following the event.