Los Angeles Triathlon

Greg Bennett will start the Los Angeles Triathlon on Sunday with three victories in the event, more than the rest of the men's field combined. He also has some making up to do. The Australia native ranks fourth in the season-long Race to the Toyota Cup points standings and is behind two other competitors in the race: American Cameron Dye, who ranks second, and Filip Ospaly of the Czech Republic, who ranks third. The professional field, which includes 17 men and 16 women, will compete for $40,000 in prize money during the race, which starts at 7:15 a.m. with a 0.9-mile swim at Venice Beach, followed by a 24-mile bike ride to downtown L.A. and a 6.2-mile run finishing at L.A. Live.

For Julie Swail Ertel, who will be among competitors in Sunday's Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Triathlon, it's not so much a case of what she gained by competing in the Beijing Olympics. It's more of a case of what she lost, which is several pounds and more than a week's worth of training. "Three days before I left I got the Chinese stomach bug," she explained on Thursday, after popping the last of her prescribed antibiotics. But what an incredible 17 days it was for the Orange Coast College fitness instructor, who lives in Irvine.

Triathletes and next-door neighbors Stephanie Swanson and Kebby Holden used to hate shopping for racing clothes. Too often they could only find smaller versions of men's clothing that might be dressed up with a dash of bright color. "Typically, for a lot of the industry, it's 'pink it and shrink it,' " Swanson said. Last year, the women decided to launch their own business, Soas Racing, to design and manufacture athletic tops and shorts for the growing number of women participating in triathlons, races that consist of swimming, cycling and running.

The city of Los Angeles paid $7 million to settle a lawsuit brought by a volunteer for the Los Angeles Triathlon, who was left a paraplegic by an accident during the event in 2007, his attorney said Monday. Steve Albala, who was 60 at the time of the accident, was on his motorcycle helping to officiate the bicycle portion of the triathlon. A traffic officer motioned for a vehicle to enter an intersection into the volunteer's path, causing the accident, Albala's attorney contended in the lawsuit.

Greg Bennett will start the Los Angeles Triathlon on Sunday with three victories in the event, more than the rest of the men's field combined. He also has some making up to do. The Australia native ranks fourth in the season-long Race to the Toyota Cup points standings and is behind two other competitors in the race: American Cameron Dye, who ranks second, and Filip Ospaly of the Czech Republic, who ranks third. The professional field, which includes 17 men and 16 women, will compete for $40,000 in prize money during the race, which starts at 7:15 a.m. with a 0.9-mile swim at Venice Beach, followed by a 24-mile bike ride to downtown L.A. and a 6.2-mile run finishing at L.A. Live.

Craig Walton will try to complete a double-double of sorts when he competes in the fourth Los Angeles Triathlon on Sunday. The 27-year-old Australian won the Mrs. T's Triathlon in Chicago for the second time in a row on Aug. 25 and is favored to win his second consecutive Los Angeles title. "I'm in good form at the moment and I feel good about my chances," Walton said. "I'm probably feeling more energetic before this race than I did before Chicago."

Triathletes and next-door neighbors Stephanie Swanson and Kebby Holden used to hate shopping for racing clothes. Too often they could only find smaller versions of men's clothing that might be dressed up with a dash of bright color. "Typically, for a lot of the industry, it's 'pink it and shrink it,' " Swanson said. Last year, the women decided to launch their own business, Soas Racing, to design and manufacture athletic tops and shorts for the growing number of women participating in triathlons, races that consist of swimming, cycling and running.

More than 3,300 athletes from 14 countries, 47 states and the District of Columbia are expected to compete today in the third Los Angeles Triathlon that begins at Venice Beach and ends at El Pueblo near Olvera Street. The Olympic-distance event, which consists of a 1.5-kilometer swim, a 40-kilometer bike ride and a 10-kilometer run, begins at 6:30 a.m. The inaugural sprint event, which consists of a swim of four-tenths of a mile, a 20-mile bike ride and a five-kilometer run, begins at 7:45.

Different year, same results. Greg Bennett and Emma Snowsill of Australia won the Los Angeles Triathlon for the second consecutive year Sunday morning, but another course mishap among the early leaders probably changed the outcome of the men's competition. Bennett finished the Olympic-distance race outside Staples Center in 1 hour 51 minutes 49 seconds, beating fellow Australian Craig Walton by six seconds.

The city of Los Angeles paid $7 million to settle a lawsuit brought by a volunteer for the Los Angeles Triathlon, who was left a paraplegic by an accident during the event in 2007, his attorney said Monday. Steve Albala, who was 60 at the time of the accident, was on his motorcycle helping to officiate the bicycle portion of the triathlon. A traffic officer motioned for a vehicle to enter an intersection into the volunteer's path, causing the accident, Albala's attorney contended in the lawsuit.

For Julie Swail Ertel, who will be among competitors in Sunday's Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Triathlon, it's not so much a case of what she gained by competing in the Beijing Olympics. It's more of a case of what she lost, which is several pounds and more than a week's worth of training. "Three days before I left I got the Chinese stomach bug," she explained on Thursday, after popping the last of her prescribed antibiotics. But what an incredible 17 days it was for the Orange Coast College fitness instructor, who lives in Irvine.

The triathlon season is year-round, with events every month. Here are some California triathlons happening in the next few months, from sprint to longer distances. Some may be sold out, but if you want to simply see what a triathlon is all about, there are plenty to check out. UCLA IronBruin Triathlon March 2 UCLA www.ironbruin.com Stanford Treeathlon March 2 Redwood City triathlon.stanford.edu/treeathlon Pasadena Triathlon March 8 Pasadena genericevents.

Different year, same results. Greg Bennett and Emma Snowsill of Australia won the Los Angeles Triathlon for the second consecutive year Sunday morning, but another course mishap among the early leaders probably changed the outcome of the men's competition. Bennett finished the Olympic-distance race outside Staples Center in 1 hour 51 minutes 49 seconds, beating fellow Australian Craig Walton by six seconds.

The triathlon season is year-round, with events every month. Here are some California triathlons happening in the next few months, from sprint to longer distances. Some may be sold out, but if you want to simply see what a triathlon is all about, there are plenty to check out. UCLA IronBruin Triathlon March 2 UCLA www.ironbruin.com Stanford Treeathlon March 2 Redwood City triathlon.stanford.edu/treeathlon Pasadena Triathlon March 8 Pasadena genericevents.

The wait was worth it for Craig Walton when it came to the third Los Angeles Triathlon on Sunday. The 26-year-old Australian was set to compete in last year's event, but suffered a broken bone in his lower right leg four days before the race when he was hit by a car while on a training ride on his bike. The injury prevented the 6-foot-2 1/2, 180-pound Walton from being in top racing shape for about six months.