FOUR tri-athletes from the Friendly Islands Triathlon Association (FIT) will compete in a Half Ironman event at Lake Taupo in New Zealand on Saturday, December 11.

The Kellogg's Nutri-Grain Taupo Half Ironman is a popular annual event this year attracting 1150 athletes from 11 countries to Lake Taupo, New Zealand.

The FIT team includes, 'Alo Fe'iloakitau, Kantaro Oishi and Gerhard Sanft and Marie Fonua. 'Alo and Taro have been training in Tonga, Gerhard in Australia and Marie in New Zealand. The team will meet at Taupo tomorrow, December 9, to prepare for three events, a 2km swim, a 90km bike ride and a 21km run.

'Alo, the secretary-treasurer of FIT said that the FIT athletes were entering in the individual category, "and my personal target, and I think the same with the others is to complete the three events within five and a half hours."

Some of the big names competing this year, include two professionals: Terenzo Bozzone and Keegan Williams, the fastest athletes during the 2010 New Zealand Ironman.

In the Women's Category, Cath Cheatley, an Olympian and Commonwealth Games cyclist, who was recently crowned the top female cyclist in the USA will compete.

There are four categories, individual males and females; mixed group and corporate group. A total of 756 individual entries have registered, 475 males and 281 females.