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Active Richmond

Editor's note: Two weeks we began the new feature, "Active Richmond." This column will highlight some of the things going on in Richmond that you might not know about. Of course everyone knows you can go for a run or a bike ride around town, but this column will steer clear of those things. Active Richmond will publish every other Thursday .

Patrick DeBono loves three things – he loves to laugh, he loves his wife and he loves trying new endurance sports events. With his entry in the off-road sport class in the National Duathlon Festival being held in Richmond on April 26, he thinks he's hit the trifecta.

"For an Average Joe like me, I said 'How many opportunities do you get to be a part of a national championship festival?'" DeBono said with an easy laugh. "I'm looking forward to the fun of it."

DeBono and his wife, Bridget , who live in Chester, are relative newcomers to Richmond, having moved here from Rome, N.Y., in 2005. After co-running the Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10k, they discovered how training for endurance events enhanced their relationship.

"Bridget whipped me by six minutes in that first Ukrop's Monument Avenue 10k," chuckles DeBono. "And I swore that she'd never beat me again, and she hasn't."

That experience led them to try other events like the James River Scramble, local mountain bike races and the NTELOS 8k where they discovered that they thoroughly enjoy being together for running and biking events. Now as members of the Richmond Triathlon Club, they are competing in triathlons, a move which has made them a family in training.

"And the family that trains together is in pain together," jokes DeBono. "No, we really enjoy training together. It's one more way we can spend time with each other."

The DeBonos first glimpse of duathlon came in October when they volunteered together at the transition zone of the McDonald's ITU Duathlon World Championships. Both were impressed with the quality of the athletes and thought they'd like to enter the USAT National Duathlon Championships. But given that they had a previous commitment for April 27, the day of the on-road duathlon championships, Patrick decided that the off-road sport class appealed to him most of all.

"It's shorter and I don't want to kill myself because I am an Average Joe," he said.

DeBono's off-road sport race promises to be an excellent weekend warrior workout. It commences with a run out of the start line/transition zone off Second Street for 3.1 miles on the Kanawa Canal Walk, then he'll jump on his trusty Diamondback mountain bike and pedal a six-mile course that loops out the Belle Isle trails and portions of the Buttermilk Trail before a final 1.6-mile run, also on the canal walk.

Bridget, who is not as proficient at mountain biking, has opted to cheer him on from her post as a volunteer. All in all, it will be yet another interesting family outing for the DeBonos.

Off-road events schedule

Saturday, April 26

7:30 a.m. - Off-Road Youth Age Group Races

Ages 7-8, 9-10, 11-12 (1k run, 4k bike, 1k run)

8:30 a.m. - Off-Road Junior Age Group Races

Ages 13-15, 16-19 (5k run, 10k bike, 2.5k run)

Sport Race (5k run, 10k bike, 2.5k run)

10:30 am -- Off-Road Championships

(10k run, 30k bike, 5k run)

On-road events schedule

Sunday, April 27

7 a.m. - Age Group Races

(10k run, 40k bike, 5k run)

9 a.m. - Elite Races

(10k run, 40k bike, 5k run) - Draft Legal

11:30 a.m. - Youth Nationals

(ages 7-8, 9-10 and 11-12) (1k run, 5k bike, 1k run)

Noon - Junior Nationals

(13-15 and 16-19) (5k run, 20k bike, 2.5k run) - Draft Legal

1 p.m. - Sport Race

(5k run, 20k bike, 2.5k run)

National Duathlon Festival note: In addition to Saturday's off-road events, traditional on-road duathletes will be signing up for Sunday's events, which have no qualifying requirements. This is a great chance for anyone to try duathlon for the first time and possibly win a national championship in their age group.

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