COEUR d'ALENE - Swimmers, cyclists and runners will gather at two local beaches this weekend for the Hayden Triathlon and the Steve Omi Memorial Open Water Swim.

At 7 a.m. today, racers will line up along Honeysuckle Beach and plunge into the cool waters of Hayden Lake.

The first Hayden Triathlon - a USA Triathlon-sanctioned event - covers a sprint distance of 15.6 miles altogether. Proceeds will benefit the Steve Omi Foundation, a nonprofit that supports local high school swimming programs.

About 300 people, representing all ages and abilities, will participate in the triathlon, according to race director Scott Ward.

"We will probably sell out. It's phenomenal," Ward said Friday. "The community has been very supportive."

Participants will circle clockwise around a half-mile, open-water lap, then hop on their bikes and pedal east toward Government Way. After 12 miles of two-wheeled racing, the competitors will leave their bikes behind and embark on a 3.1-mile running loop.

"The bike course is very flat, the run course is fairly flat," Ward said. "It's a great race for a novice athlete."

About 20 percent of the field will be first-timers, he added.

The run leg travels down Honeysuckle, turns north on Maple Street then takes a right at Hayden Avenue. The racers finish where they started, at Honeysuckle Beach.

Close to 100 volunteers will line the triathlon course today, said Tony Koch, secretary and treasurer of the Steve Omi Foundation.

"The volunteer support's been tremendous from our triathlon community," Koch said.

Spectators should be forewarned: there will be no parking at Honeysuckle Beach. Three parking areas have been secured for triathlon traffic: the city of Hayden gravel pit on Honeysuckle Road, the Scottish Rite Masonic Center lot on Strahorn Road and the LDS Church lot at Honeysuckle and Maple.

Just about 24 hours after the Hayden Triathlon wraps up, the 18th annual Steve Omi Memorial Open Water Swim will kick off at Sanders Beach in Coeur d'Alene.

Like the triathlon, the swim will benefit the Steve Omi Foundation and area swimming programs. It will also honor the memory of Steve Omi, a former Masters swimmer who lived in Coeur d'Alene and passed away from cancer in 1994.

Omi was 36 years old when he died. A group of his friends organized the first memorial swim, and the event has been a summer tradition ever since.

The one-mile swim starts at 9:15 a.m. Sunday, at 15th Street and E. Lakeshore Drive. Check-in begins at 8:15.

"It's a nice neighborhood-type swim," said Koch, who predicted between 150 and 200 participants.

Competitors will charge westward from Sanders Beach, rudder through a left turn and head back east, parallel to shore. One more left turn and then it's on to the finish line.

"It's a challenging swim," Koch said. "The great thing about that swim, we have a number of top swimmers in the area come over for the race."

The weekend weather forecast calls for warm conditions but possible rain showers. Today's high is 78 degrees with scattered showers, according to the National Weather Service.

Sunday's high is 86 degrees with mostly sunny skies.