More than 500 people will surge into Onset's waters, ride the roads and run to the finish Saturday morning at the sixth annual Escape the Cape triathlon.

“It’s a really fun event for people who might be coming from a background of just running or swimming,” Richmond said. “But you don’t want to show up if you have never biked 10 miles before. It generally takes about three months of training to do something like this.”

The race is sprint style of triathlon. Compared with some longer, more elite triathlons, it makes the idea of participating in a triathlon less intimidating and more manageable for newcomers to the sport.

The race starts at Shell Point where athletes plunge into Onset Bay for a 1/3-mile, point-to-point swim to the Onset Pier. Athletes follow that with a 10-mile bike leg through Onset Village returning to the pier and finish with a 3.1-mile run along the East River, finishing in the park above the Onset band shell.

Richmond said the triathlon is conducted in waves, with each wave holding a certain number of people. Faster athletes are toward the front, while beginners are in the back, making it easier to safely manage the course.

Richmond said he and the rest of the team at Max Performance could not put on the race without help from the town and local volunteers.

“A ton of the town is unsung,” Richmond said. “They make sure everything is in tip-top shape.”

Wareham resident Tom Hannon said he is looking forward to the race, which will be his second Escape the Cape triathlon.

“I got hooked on the bug, and actually did a couple more last year,” Hannon said. “I am already signed up for Escape the Cape and three more this year.”

Hannon said participating in triathlons is a hobby that also doubles as a fitness regimen.

“I lost close to 70 lbs., at this point, from where I was [last year],” Hannon said. “And this past 5k, for the YMCA, I actually came in eighth of 160 people.”

Hannon said he and his wife, Linda Hannon, treasurer of the Onset Bay Association, are both participating in the triathlon, but that he is more involved in the sport than she is.

“My goal is to do an Iron Man in two years … when I turn 50,” Hannon said. “My wife thinks I’m a little crazy. I’ve gone over the edge.”