Giving fund raisers an “experience” as well as “shwag” for their efforts and money, is a trend increasing in popularity. Combining fundraising with an “experience” or “adventure” as well as promoting good health of the competitor as well as the recipients, has become the method by which many large races attract hundreds, even thousands of these “high value” participants, according to sports injury lawyer Doug Landau. Fundraising triathlons have enticed many runners to try to expand into areas like swimming, which they may not have learned to do very efficiently, to benefit particular charities, said Dr. Lori Mosca, preventive cardiology chief at New York-Presbyterian Hospital and an American Heart Association spokeswoman. “They’re really recruiting people to do these events,” she said. “It can be a recipe for disaster.”

Doctors offer these tips to anyone considering a triathlon, as reported on public radio:

• Get a checkup to make sure you don’t have hidden heart problems.
• Train adequately long before the event, including open-water swims – not just in pools.
• Acclimate yourself to the water temperature shortly before a race, and wear a wetsuit if it’s too cold.
• Make sure the race has medical staff and defibrillators on site.

And, according to TriathlonTrialLawyer Doug Landau, make sure you can complete the distance well before the date for the event, and have “walked the walk” as well as “talked the talk.”