THEODOSIA, Mo. – Theodosia teen Reuben Perlee has earned a spot on Team USA to compete in the 2024 World Multisport Championship in Townsville, Australia in August 2024.
The event takes place Aug. 15-25, 2024, and includes 19 world championship races for age groups, elites, juniors and paratriathletes. Events include long-distance triathlon, long-distance aquabike, aquathon, cross-triathlon, cross-duathlon and, Reuben’s favorite, the duathlon.
“The Multisport World Championships is one of the most successful events in our calendar, and it has proven to be a perfect combination of sport and great triathlon destination for athletes but also for their friends and families, and we are absolutely excited to bring that event to Australia, that has such a great history of hosting World Triathlon events at the best level,” World Triathlon President Marisol Casado said in an interview with World Triathlon.
Perlee, 17, raced in two events during the Draft-Legal Sprint Triathlon National Championships Festival in Irving, Texas last month. He competed in the super sprint, which is not currently featured in the World Championships, and the sprint duathlon.
Sprint duathlons consist of a combined 5k run, 20k bike and an additional 3.3k run to finish it off. The youthful racer competed in the 15-19-year-old division and finished with an impressive time of 1:12:08, placing first.
Perlee told The Heartlander it was just two-and-a-half years ago when some men from church told him he should take up running. Soon after, Perlee purchased a watch to time himself.
In 2021, the runner signed up for the Bass Pro Shops 5k race, where he met World Championship racer Toby Dogwiler – who encouraged him to compete for a spot in Australia. This year Perlee continued his journey while competing in the Bass Pro Shops half marathon.
Today, Perlee is building his skills with a vigorous 28-week training block consisting of six 25-mile runs per week.
“Right now I am doing a building phase, so most of the runs are easy. In a couple of months I’ll start implementing interval training and speed training. I’m going to be building up to 50 miles a week by the end of the summer. As far as biking is concerned, right now I am biking 75 miles per week and increasing five to 10 miles a week.”
At the same time, the homeschooler has started his own photography business and plans to take scuba diving and wildlife pictures during his time in Australia.
“It’s something really cool. I’m glad I have the opportunity to do this. I’m the youngest one in the duathlon competing over there.”
The World Multisports Championship event will be broadcast on the World Triathlon Youtube channel.
