For athletes who like to

Read the following passage and mark the letter A, B, C, or D on your answer sheet to indicate the correct word or phrase that best fits each of the numbered blanks from 23 to 27.

Swim, Cycle, and Run

For athletes who like to (23) _____ a variety of endurance sports in a single race, triathlons are a great fit. These competitions (24) _____ running,  cycling,  and  swimming  into  one   race, and they take place one after the other in a single continuous timed race.  Athletes  who participate must be in top physical form and have the skills needed to complete each portion of  the race.

Training for triathlons means the athletes have to become proficient not only in the sport required in each stage, but they also have to become familiar with what (25) _____ from one to the  other does to their bodies. Many inexperienced triathletes are surprised to (26) _____ hard it can be   to switch from swimming to cycling to running, and how tired their muscles can suddenly feel,

One thing all triathletes can agree (27) _____is that no one ever told them that running a triathlon would be easy.

(23)....................

• A. compete
• B. compete in
• C. contest
• D. take part