Week in Sports and Fall Events

TOP SPORTING EVENTS: AUGUST 23-28

Perhaps the most popular all-around fitness challenge on the South Coast is coming up this weekend. Area athletes have spent months training for the Santa Barbara Triathlon. The long-course event goes off Saturday morning and the sprint distance follows on Sunday.

It’s not too late to get in good enough shape to run or walk up to six miles this fall. The Cancer Center of Santa Barbara is offering a free six-week training program in preparation for the 19th annual Cancer Center Walk/Run, taking place on Sunday, October 16. The program prepares participants of all ability levels to enter the 5K or 10K and will meet weekly to practice the event course. There will be an orientation meeting on Monday, August 29, at 5:30 p.m. at Cancer Center Conference Room, 540 West Pueblo Street. For registration and more information about the training program, call the Cancer Center at (805) 898-2204.

UCSB hosts a trio of soccer games this weekend on Meredith Field at Harder Stadium. The Gaucho women, who opened the season at the UNLV Rebel Classic with a 1-1 tie against Idaho and a 1-0 victory over the host Rebels, will play Santa Clara on Friday night and Minnesota at 11:30 a.m. on Sunday. The Gaucho men will open the regular season Saturday night against Seattle.

Six teams are still in the running for the Bombardier Pacific Coast Open trophy at the Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club. Two of them will be eliminated in a pair of quarterfinal matches Sunday, August 28.

Tuesday, August 23

Running / swimming – Reef & Run Summer Series (1k swim, 1-mile swim, 2-mile run, 4-mile run), East Beach Bath House, 6:25 p.m. Continues every Tuesday through September 13. reefandrun.org .

Wednesday, August 24

Running / swimming – Nite Moves Summer Sunset Series (1k swim, 5k run), Leadbetter Beach, 6 p.m. Continues every Wednesday through August 31. runsantabarbara.com.

Thursday, August 25

Polo – Bombardier Pacific Coast Open at Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club: Mansour vs. Piaget, 10 a.m.; Grant’s Farm vs. ERG, 1 p.m.; Lucchese vs. Audi, 3 p.m.

Friday, August 26

College women’s soccer – Santa Clara at UCSB, 7 p.m.

Saturday, August 27

Santa Barbara Triathlon, long course (1-mile swim/34-mile bike/10-mile run), East Beach Bathhouse, 7 a.m. sbtriathlon.com.

College men’s soccer – Seattle at UCSB, 7 p.m.

Sunday, August 28

Santa Barbara Triathlon, sprint course (500-yard swim/6-mile bike/2-mile run), East Beach Bathhouse, 7 a.m. sbtriathlon.com.

College women’s soccer – Minnesota at UCSB, 11:30 a.m.

Polo – Bombardier Pacific Coast Open at Santa Barbara Polo & Racquet Club: Quarterfinals, 1 p.m.

RUNNING, WALKING, CYCLING

Sunday, September 4 – Pier to Peak Half Marathon, Stearns Wharf to La Cumbre Peak, 6:30 a.m. runsantabarbara.com.

Saturday-Sunday, September 17-18 – Avon Walk for Breast Cancer, Chase Palm Park to Carpinteria State Beach. avonwalk.org.

Sunday, September 25 – Carpinteria Triathlon (1.5K swim/40K bike/10K run or 0.5K swim/15K bike/5K run) Carpinteria State Beach, 7:30 a.m. carpinteriatriathlon.com.

Saturday, October 1 – Pacific Pride Foundation 10K AIDS Walk, Leadbetter Beach, 10 a.m. pacificpridefoundation.org.

Saturday, October 8 – Santa Barbara 5K Heart Walk, Chase Palm Park, 10 a.m. sbheartwalk.com.

Sunday, October 9 – Carpinteria Kiwanis Big Avocado 5K Run, Carpinteria Bluffs, 8 a.m. active.com.

Environmental Defense Center “Ride on the Wild Side” (100K, 30-mile, 10-mile bike rides), Leadbetter Beach, 7:30 a.m. edcnet.org.

Saturday, October 15 – Fall Cross Country Classic, 5 miles, Lake Los Carneros, 8 a.m.

Sunday, October 16 – Cancer Center 10K Run and 5K Walk/Run, Montecito Union School, 8 a.m. ccsb.org.

Saturday, October 22 – Santa Barbara Century bicycle ride, Leadbetter Beach, 7 a.m. For experienced riders. santabarbaracentury.org.

Saturday, November 5 – Alzheimers’s Association Memory Walk, Santa Barbara Zoo, 9 a.m. alz.org.

Walk Now for Autism Speaks, 2 miles, East Beach, 10 a.m. walknowforautismspeaks.org.

Saturday, November 12 – Select Staffing Santa Barbara International Marathon, Dos Pueblos High School to SBCC, 7:15 a.m. Half Marathon, Page Youth Center to SBCC, 7:45 a.m. sbimarathon.com.