Just the idea of competing in a triathlon makes us want to cringe.
Words like difficult, exhausting and painful are just a few that come to mind, along with some others that probably would be frowned upon if they made it into print. And since tri means three, and a triathlon includes participating in three sport disciplines, we can only assume athlon means sports or something equivalent. That’s where our innate ability to reason with words comes in handy.
Of course the most daunting of the triathlons is an Ironman competition, where competitors must complete a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike ride and a marathon, which equals 26.2 miles. Luckily for all of you, that’s not what we’re here to try and talk you into accomplishing, because we all know that’s probably not going to happen.
Instead, it’s a smaller event that’s coming up – the Merrimack River Trail Triathlon – that will get the blood pumping, but not require months of training, an ice bath afterwards and a two week supply of Bengay. The event is scheduled for July 20 behind ConvenientMD at 6 Loudon Road, and it’s something that organizer Tom Walton believes anybody can finish, whether it’s on their own or as part of a team.
“Most people are capable of doing a lot more than they think they’re able to,” Walton said.
The distances are manageable and the sequence is a little different than a traditional triathlon. Unlike the most common order where participants swim, bike and then run, this third annual event will have you bike, run and, in a slight twist, paddle your way through the third leg. That’s right everyone, bring your kayak, canoe, stand-up paddle board or that sweet cardboard yacht you’ve just been waiting patiently to take out for a maiden voyage. And if you don’t have a watercraft of your own, there’s an opportunity to use one from Quickwater Canoe and Kayak and Eastern Mountain Sports – for free. Quickwater will bring kayaks to the race, which just have to be reserved prior to race day, while you will need to pick up a kayak from EMS the day before since the store opens after the race start.
“Quickwater will be transporting the kayaks there and back so people don’t have to worry about it,” Merrimack River Greenway Trail trustee Stacey Brown said.
Since the event is a fundraiser for the Merrimack River Greenway Trail project, the triathlon will show off where the proposed paved trail will be and all the great scenery that surrounds it.
“It’s a way to show people you can use and utilize the area right now,” Walton said.
The bike portion of the event will be a 4k off-road ride consisting of two loops around the corn field. The run is only 3k and spends part of the time on a single track trail right next to the Merrimack. Can you just feel that river breeze blowing through your hair? And to finish it off, grab your human-powered watercraft for another 3k paddle (two loops) in the river.
“The distances are really even kid friendly,” Brown said. “It will really be a great spectator race.”
In all, that’s just over 6.2 miles. Now do you believe us (and Kevin Garnett) that anything’s possible?
“It can be done by anybody,” Walton said. “Really anyone can do this. But if they can’t do it inpidually, they can have as many teammates as they want.”
For spectators, there won’t be much need to walk around to catch all the action – it will all be right in the same general area.
“Everything comes right back to the center,” Walton said. “You want to keep people included.”
If you register prior to July 18, the cost is $25 for those over the age of 15 and $10 for children 15 and under, while teams are $45 each. The price goes up $5 for those registering the day before and morning of the event. Registration begins at 8 a.m. with the inpidual start slated for 9:30 a.m. and teams set to go off at 11 a.m.
The money raised will go toward phase one of the project, a boardwalk that will span a section of wetlands to Terrill Park.
“Yes this event is a fundraiser, but it’s also about raising more awareness,” Brown said. “We just really want people to come out to the location. We want people to learn about the trail and see it.”
For more info or to register, visit mrgt.org/triathlon.
