In 2004, Mobile Baykeeper took over as the host of the Publix Grandman Triathlon. Since then the race has become an annual tradition, beloved by those who have participated, year after year. It is also a great short distance or “sprint” triathlon for first-timers. The Grandman is crucial because it raises money to protect the health and beauty of the Mobile Bay Watershed. Clean water is a fundamental element of healthy communities. As part of the Scenic 98 Coastal footprint, we want future generations to experience the beauty and natural wonder that surrounds us.

This year’s Grandman Triathlon included a group of friends who call themselves the Fairhope Triathlon Club. This triathlon has been a staple of the group’s fitness regimen for over ten years. These are not elite athletes. All are physicians except for one, Patrick McTaggart, who is the youngest of the group at age 50. The others, including Michael Pursley- 51, Ben Schrubbe- 60, Billy Sullivan- 64, and the only true elite athlete John Johnson, who ran track at Georgia Tech, are another four or five guys join in intermittently.

Each weekday morning throughout spring, summer, and fall, they gather at 5:30 AM to work out. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, they run anywhere from 3 to 10 miles depending on the season. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, they bike the 18.6 miles Grandman route. They do one practice swim a week or so before the Grandman Triathlon but it’s not a part of their regular workout program. A daily text thread lets them know who’s in for the next morning’s workout.

Patrick joined the group eight years ago. He’s always enjoyed running and was looking for a group that would keep each other accountable and encourage members to show up. He didn’t know Dr. Michael Pursley but knew of him and that he had a group of guys that ran together. So, at the Fairhope Christmas Parade, he introduced himself and asked to join the group. They have been fast friends ever since.

The Grandman is not the only event the Fairhope Triathlon Group participates in. Each year the friends run Birmingham’s Mercedes Marathon and pick among out-of-state events to participate in that sound interesting not only for the event itself but also for the city or town in which it is held. Back home, they also run the Holiday Half Marathon from Mullet Point to Pelican Point and back and The Spring Fever Chase 10K held each year around the Arts and Crafts Festival in Fairhope. It's as much a social group as a fitness group, and a cold beer tastes mighty good after a race.

As far as competition is concerned, the goal is to finish in the top fifty percent of their age group. For Patrick, so far so good. The race is centered around The Fairhope Municipal Pier Park. The Grandman Triathlon consists of a 600-yard swim beginning from a lower finger pier of the Fairhope Municipal Pier. The bike portion begins at the Rose Garden where participants change into bike gear and head up the steep hill for the 18.6-mile ride. Back at the Rose Garden, they start the last leg of the relay race with a 5K back up the hill. The runners complete the race back at the park with a loop around the Duck Pond and then finish at the new park area that runs south along the bayfront.

Patrick met his goal, finishing in the top fifty percent. For the swim, he says, “I just swim freestyle as long as I can, then turn on my back and backstroke to the finish.” Changing into bike gear, he begins his ride back up the hill. Transitioning from the bike portion of the race to the final 3.1-mile run, Patrick says, “All your blood is in your biking muscles and you got no legs” as you head back up the hill for the second time. “It’s brutal.”

I asked Patrick what is notable about the Grandman? “At every race, I’m amazed at the ages, shapes, fit, and non-fit participants. They are all out here getting it done. It’s the determination… 14-year-olds, and 80-year-olds… It’s the sense of accomplishment that is so satisfying. We use it so we don’t lose it!”