The University of Utah chapter of the American Medical Student Association will be holding the annual 4th Street Clinic Triathlon Saturday beginning at 11 a.m. in the plaza just north of the Huntsman Center on the University of Utah campus.
Individuals or teams may participate in this sprint-length triathlon which will be composed of a 5K (3.1 mile) run, an 8-mile mountain bike ride and a 300-yard swim. New this year, the triathlon will be held in reverse order: The 5K run will be first, followed by the biking and ending with the swim. This order eliminates the need for heats, allowing all contenders to begin at the same time, said Carissa Sorenson, one of the University of Utah students heading up the event.
The event is held as a fund-raiser for the 4th Street Homeless Clinic, 404 S. 400 West in Salt Lake City, which is operated by volunteer physicians and University of Utah medical students. Both event fees and non-participant donations will be given to the Clinic following the event.
Jennifer Hyvonen, 4th Street Clinic special projects coordinator, said care coordination is one of the clinic's greatest needs. The clinic is designed to see to their clients' basic needs but for more complex services, such as psychological, behavioral and substance abuse concerns, patients must be referred to a community network.
"The (funds raised through the triathlon) could go towards providing that service," she said. "Our clientele don't have a lot of resources to pay."
The cost to participate is $40 for individual, $50 for the team triathlon and $25 for the 5K Walk/Run. Participants can sign up the day of the race. For more information, visit umed.med.utah.edu/Triathlon/index.html.
E-mail: twalquist@desnews.com