Spring into Tri and Du

By Darryl Caron

Last month we covered why you should join a tri club. Now it’s time to sign up for some early season races, get your training miles completed, and be ready for these wonderful events. They are perfect races for those entering the world of multisport or great speed workouts for veterans to gauge their early season fitness.

Get yourself ready with the Hudson Valley Duathlon Series of three races, which are on Saturdays, April 21 and May 5, and the end of the season on October 6, at Kenneth Wilson State Park in Mt. Tremper (near Woodstock). A two-mile rolling run within the park, is followed by a 12-mile challenging bike route that circles the park, before running the same course. Register at coachmarkwilson.com.

The seventh annual Delmar Duathlon is on Sunday, April 29 at 8am from the Elm Avenue Park in Delmar. It’s a two-mile run, 10-mile bike and two-mile run that’s open to individuals and two-person teams. The run is a mix of roads and trails within Elm Avenue Park and the bike course is a clockwise loop. There’s a spirit of camaraderie at this flat and fast event, and it’s a good test of your fitness at the beginning of the season. Registration is open to age 18 or older. The event is cosponsored by Bethlehem Area YMCA and Town of Bethlehem. Register at zippyreg.com.

On Sunday, May 6 at 8am, the 24th annual Anyone Can Tri Triathlon will take place at the Southern Saratoga YMCA in Clifton Park. It’s the oldest triathlon in the area, featuring a 350-yard pool swim, 11-mile relatively flat bike loop, and 5K neighborhood run, ideal for beginners. The popular Kids Can Tri Too! Triathlon is at 11am for ages 8 and under with a 25-yard swim, half-mile bike and quarter-mile run, and ages 9-13 with a 50-yard swim, one-mile bike and half-mile run – start them early! Bring the family as there will be a DJ, games, food and fun for all. The race honors Clifton Park native and Ironman Chris Gleason who passed away at the age of 40 after completing the 2011 Philadelphia Marathon. Preregister by May 3 at 3pm as there’s no race day entry for the adult tri. Register at zippyreg.com.

The Lake Placid Triathlon Camp on Friday-Monday, May 25-28, is an opportunity to spend a weekend training on the Ironman Lake Placid course with eight-time IMLP finisher, Mark Wilson. If you’re doing or considering IMLP, learn the ins and outs of training and the swim, bike, run on this famous and most-loved triathlon venue. A buy two, get one free offer applies to this camp. For more info, visit coachmarkwilson.com.

The 14th annual Saratoga Lions Duathlon is on Sunday, May 27 at 8am from the Saratoga Casino Hotel in Saratoga Springs. The popular race features a 5K two-loop run, 30K three-loop bike, and another 5K run. The duathlon is open to individuals and teams of two or three. Runners beware, there’s a new, separate Saratoga Lions 5K Run/Walk at 8:20am – a great option for non-cyclists. Being on Memorial Day Weekend, there’s a special emphasis on honoring our military, with registration fees for active military and wounded warriors cut in half. All net proceeds go to the Lions Club mission of sight, hearing, diabetes, youth and community! Finally, get in on the action with $5,000 of raffle prizes! Register at saratogalionsduathlon.com.

On Sunday, June 10 at 8am, the ninth annual Hudson Crossing Triathlon is based at the historic Hudson Crossing Park in Schuylerville. The sprint distance course features 500-yard swim in the clean, still water of Champlain Canal, 12-mile bike in the Northumberland farm country, and 5K run with a mix of road and trail – highlighted by a section along the Champlain Canal towpath. Hudson Crossing is open to individuals and teams or two or three. To help you prepare, there will be a pre-race swim clinic on Saturday, June 9 at 1 and 2pm, led by USAT coach Kristen Hislop. A portion of proceeds benefit the Hudson Crossing Park. Register at hudsoncrossingtri.com.

The Hudson Valley Triathlon Club’s Summer Tri Series of four races, which are on Wednesdays, June 13, July 18, August 15 and September 12 at Kenneth Wilson State Park in Mt. Tremper. The 5:45pm races consist of a 400-yard swim, 12-mile hilly bike and two-mile run, in a fun, friendly atmosphere to get your feet wet or get a speed workout. Register at coachmarkwilson.com.

On Saturday, June 16, the fourth annual Great Sacandaga Challenge Triathlon is at Sacandaga Bible Conference Center in Broadalbin on Great Sacandaga Lake. It’s an exciting family event featuring the Adult Sprint Triathlon at 9:30am, with a 750-meter shoreline swim, 20K bike course north of the village, and relatively flat 5K run – open to individuals age 12 and up and teams of two or three. At 8am, the Youth Triathlon includes a 100-yard swim, 3.1-mile bike and one-mile run with a minimum age of 7, and at 11:30am the free Kids Splash & Dash made up of a fun short swim and run with no minimum age. There will be plenty of other activities to keep kids entertained, including a bounce house, mini golf and face painting. Proceeds support the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office in their recreational safety efforts. Register at greatsacandagachallenge.com.

The inaugural “Do the Q” Quadrathlon will take place on Saturday, June 16 at Indian Lake. The quadrathlon consists of a half-mile swim, four-mile kayak, 18.2-mile bike and a 6.2-mile run, in accordance with World Quadrathlon Federation (wqf.quadrathlon.com) guidelines. First-year registration is limited to 50 participants who will do all events; there will be no relay teams. The scenic routes will be near Indian Lake in the central Adirondacks. According to race director, Len Carbonara, “Quadrathlons are increasing in popularity in Europe so we wanted to host this race locally to provide athletes with a unique experience.” For more info, contact Len at 518-648-0821 or dotheQ1@yahoo.com.

The High Peaks Cyclery Mini-Triathlon Race Series begins its 34th year of introducing the sport of triathlon to the North Country. Races run on Monday nights from June 18 to August 13. Registration starts at 5:30pm near the Mirror Lake beach and racing starts at 6:30pm. The series is open to individuals or teams of three and bike rentals are available. The course is a 400-yard Mirror Lake swim, 12-mile bike out to River Road and back, and three-mile run on Mirror Lake Drive and Whitney Road, and entrants vary from first-time triathletes to world-class athletes! There are also two Kids’ Triathlon Races on July 16 and August 14 with 2:30pm registration and 3pm start. More info at highpeakscyclery.com.

On Saturday, June 23 at 8am, join the 36th annual Tupper Lake Tinman to “Race the Adirondacks” and see why the Tinman is one of the longest running triathlons in the U.S. From Tupper Lake Municipal Park, you can choose from five races: Tinman with 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike, 13.1-mile run; Aquabike with 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike; Relay (same distances as Tinman); Olympic with 0.93-mile swim, 26-mile bike, 6.2-mile run; or Sprint with 0.5-mile swim, 12.6-mile bike, 3.1-mile run. Entry includes T-shirt, carbo-dinner voucher, post-race BBQ, and two draft beer pints (21+). To save 10%, use promo code ADKSPORTAPR10 (expires April 30). Register at tupperlaketinman.com.

The inaugural Hague Endurance Festival is on Saturday-Sunday, June 23-24 at 8am at the Town Beach in Hague, on beautiful Lake George – formerly home of North Country and HITS triathlons. Saturday’s races include the Sprint and Olympic distance triathlons, and Sprint and Olympic aquabike races, followed by the Kids’ triathlon. Sunday features the Duathlon with a two-mile run, 10-mile bike, two-mile run for individuals and relay teams. The bike routes head north toward Ticonderoga and back (avoiding NY Route 8 Graphite Mountain climb), and the run courses head south toward Silver Bay and back. Athletes who enter Sprint or Olympic triathlon on Saturday and Duathlon on Sunday will be eligible for special awards. It’s a family-friendly festival with live music, food/drink and beach. To save 10%, use code ASSE10. Register at coachmarkwilson.com.

On Saturday, June 30 at 9am, the Stissing Sprint Triathlon is on a beautiful race course that encompasses a small town, rolling hills and Stissing Lake in Dutchess County, near the Columbia County border. It’s a welcoming event for adults with a 0.5-mile swim, 16-mile rolling bike, and 3.3-mile run around the lake, and kids with races for age 11 and under (swim 100 yards, bike three miles, run one-mile) and ages 12-17 (swim 200 meters, bike three miles, run one-mile). Following the race, there’s BBQ, music and fun. The race benefits the Pine Plains Recreation program. To save 10%, use code ASSE10. Register at coachmarkwilson.com.

All of these races are volunteer-driven, so please sign-up to support in any way you can, and still have time to cheer on your athlete. You will feel even closer to the event, you’ll make some new friends, and the race directors will thank you. Let’s make it a fun, competitive and safe multisport season – see you out there!