The 17th Uni President Triathlon was held for two days starting on July 5th at Sun Moon Lake. The number of attendees this year reached 4,744 participants, breaking previous participation records. County Magistrate Lee Ching-Shieh along with: Sports Affairs Council of the Executive Yuan Director Dai Shiah-Ling and Deputy Director Chen Shien-Tsong, Sun Moon Lake National Area Administration Director General Tseng Guo-Ji, and Uni President Dream Factory General Manager Lee Honh-Bin fired the starting gun signaling the start of the event. A magnificent view was observed as swimmers from across the island entered the water in groups.   Magistrate Lee expressed in his speech that Sun Moon Lake is the ideal location for holding the triathlon, as the Uni President Triathlon has been held there since its 15th occurrence when participants first broke one thousand. Participation increased exponentially as the 3rd year registrants, at Sun Moon Lake, numbered well over 4,700. It can be said that Sun Moon Lake is not only an ideal location to vacation, but that it is also suited quite well for holding aquatic sporting events. The magistrate further invited all swimmers to visit the various Nantou tourist attractions after the triathlon.   The triathlon events were held on the 5th and the 6th. The half marathon and relay race events for swimming, riding and running were held on the 5th. Contestants were gathered at the Chung-Shing parking lot before 7 a.m. and delve into the water at Chaowu Pier at the sound of the gun at 8 a.m. The length of the swimming course was 750 meters, at the end of which contestants return to land and hop on their bicycles for a 28 kilometer ride. Lastly, a challenging 5-kilometer run marks the completion of the race. The great number of participants in this year's triathlon made for a marvelous spectacle, as many spectators cheered the competitors on.   Traffic was regulated at Sun Moon Lake starting at 8 a.m. in preparation for the riding event running clockwise along the road around the lake. The full marathon was held on the 6th, with the entire course being 51.5 kilometers long. In the spirit of environmental conservation and to raise the overall quality of the event, sponsors replaced packaged meals for contestants with vouchers for them to use freely among the various Sun Moon Lake vendors. The goal was to not only raise sales for Sun Moon Lake stores but also significantly reduce food and container waste associated with packaged meals.