Elite athletes from far and wide will flock to the waters and shores of Eagle Lake this weekend for Warren County’s most grueling endurance challenge.

Nearly 200 people from 10 states have registered for the Gator Bait Triathlon Saturday morning. The Olympic-distance triathlon starts with a 1.5-kilometer swim in the lake, then segues into a 40-kilometer bike race before finishing with a 10-kilometer run.

It’s one of only a handful of triathlons contested at that distance in Mississippi, which has made it popular among high-level competitors and those training for the even more grueling Ironman distance, race director Mathew Mixon said.

The Ironman distance is a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike race and a full 26.2-mile marathon.

“We were pretty happy with that,” Mixon said of the early registration numbers. “With it being Olympic distance, it’s not something that just anybody can do. It’s really people that are looking for races. It’s a very, very challenging race, so it’s geared more to the high-end athlete.”

There is no raceday registration for the Gator Bait. Athletes who pre-registered can pick up their race packets from 5 to 8 p.m. today at the Courtyard Marriott on Underwood Drive near the Outlets of Vicksburg, or from 5:45 to 6:30 a.m. Saturday at Messina Landing at Eagle Lake.

The triathlon begins at 7 a.m. at Messina Landing.

In addition to the triathlon, there will also be an open water swim covering seven different distances and a running-biking duathlon. The duathlon is a 5K run and a 10K run sandwiched around a 40K bike race.

The addition of the triathlon in 2011 has helped the Gator Bait explode in popularity. The first Gator Bait in 2009 was solely an open water swimming event that attracted about 35 swimmers — mostly children from the Vicksburg Swim Association. This year’s event will have nearly 200 competitors spread across the various disciplines.

The Gator Bait also was recently picked as one of the top races in the Southeast by “Age Group Triathlete Magazine.”

Mixon, who himself has competed in numerous triathlons, said the Eagle Lake community has helped make the Gator Bait successful.

“Some families have set up sprinklers during the end of the run, and people like to run through them. Some of them might stay there this time,” Mixon said with a laugh.

Some might also want to stay in the water at the end of the swim, given the roasting heat that awaits them once they get back on land.

Temperatures are forecast to be in the 80s for most of the race, and heading toward the mid-90s by Saturday afernoon. Mixon said there will be water stops at each mile marker during the run, and one midway through the bike race. But, Mixon said, in the end, it’s largely up to the individual athletes to deal with the heat. It’s also part of the challenge of making it through a triathlon in the middle of a Mississippi summer.

“It’s part of racing, and that’s what makes each year unique. You just don’t know what it’ll be,” he said. “There will be a reminder to tell people about hydration and nutrition, but most people are aware of how important it is.”