About 900 athletes are expected to compete in Sunday's Honolulu Triathlon, an event that includes a swim off Ala Moana Beach Park.

It will be the first major swimming sporting event in the area since the March 24 rupture of a city sewer main in Waikiki that spilled more than 48 million gallons of raw sewage into the Ala Wai Canal.

"We would like the athletes to know the water is clear, it's clean," said race director Bill Burke. "Me and my staff have been in contact with the City and County, and the state Department of Health. The bacteria levels are way below where they need to be to do this event. There will be a triathlon on Sunday."

About 250 fewer athletes have entered this year's Honolulu Triathlon, a decline Burke attributed to the "stigma about the water."

Burke, who is also the race director for the New York City Triathlon, said he has overcome perceptions of dirty water before.

"We put 3,200 athletes in the Hudson River," Burke said of the New York event. "We're not going to put any athlete in unsafe conditions."

The Honolulu Triathlon has been held for the past three years, and features a new course this year to alleviate traffic concerns in East Honolulu.

The previous course went from Kapi'olani Park to Hawai'i Kai and back. This year's course has a 1.5-kilometer swim at Ala Moana, a 40-kilometer bicycle leg near Aloha Stadium and back, and a 10-kilometer run through Kaka'ako. The event finishes at Magic Island Park.

Faster finishing times are expected on the new course.

"This is predominantly a flat, fast course now," Burke said. "The hills that these athletes raced on Diamond Head before, those are gone. Not only with the bike, but with the run as well."

The elite men start at 5:45 a.m. at Ala Moana Park, followed by the elite women and age-group athletes. The first finisher is expected at 7:30 a.m.

Thirty-five elite athletes — 20 men and 10 women — are expected to compete. The men's and women's winners will each earn $3,000.

"Probably the most difficult thing about the course is the wind," Burke said. "It's pretty windy on sections on Nimitz Highway, and it's very windy on Lagoon Drive near the airport."

Honolulu City Council members Charles Djou and Todd Apo will compete as a team, Burke said. Apo is scheduled to do the swim and bike legs, and Djou the run, Burke said.

"I think it's good to show the world that Waikiki and O'ahu is safe," said Djou, who represents the Waikiki area. "I think it's important Todd and I get out there."

"I think it shows great support for the event to have these gentlemen entered in the race," Burke said.

NOTES

The Honolulu Kids Triathlon will be held tomorrow, starting at 8 a.m. at Ala Moana Beach.

In 2004, the Honolulu Triathlon hosted the Olympic trials. In 2005, the Honolulu Triathlon was the only International Triathlon Union World Cup event in the United States. This year, the competition is one of four ITU points races in the U.S. ITU is the world-governing body for triathlons, and is the only recognized organization by the International Olympic Committee, according to the ITU Web site. Triathlon has been an Olympic sport since the 2000 Sydney Games.