West Hartford Kids Triathlon Attracts Most Ever Participants

Submitted by Leland Brandt

Overcast skies and intermittent rain couldn’t dampen the spirits of the 60 children who gathered last Saturday in West Hartford’s to participate in a kids triathlon. With siblings, parents, grandparents and friends looking on, children ranging in age from 6 to 13, swam, biked and ran their way to the finish line.
 
The race offered three different distances depending on the child’s age, with the youngest swimming one pool length, biking one mile, and running one quarter-mile. The oldest group swam four laps, biked four miles, and ran one mile. 

A family relay option also offered the opportunity for parents and their children to split up the events.
 
This is the third year that the Town of West Hartford has offered this event, in part as a culmination of a week-long kids triathlon camp, but the event was still open to any children who wished to participate. In all, 20 children signed up solely for the race. The 40 triathlon camp participants joined them to bring the race total to 60 children, twenty more than last year’s total.
 
As each fresh-faced athlete checked in, they received a race number that was marked onto an arm and leg so they would know what wave they were in and to assist the volunteers in making sure that they stayed on their respective courses.
 
After checking in, they were led in a dynamic stretching warm-up by Eric Kopp and Chris Stackpole of ProEx Physical Therapy in Farmington, CT. Then the athletes had a quick pre-race briefing to go over the sequence of events, the distances and course layout. 

There was an emphasis on safety due to the wet nature of the roads. Once the preparation was over, everyone marched to the pool to begin the event.
 
The first wave of athletes was comprised of 6 and 7-year old children. They happily jumped into the water and took off on their 25-yard swim when told to start. Once they exited the pool the next wave got into the pool to await their start. All in all, there were seven waves of athletes.
 
An enthusiastic crowd cheered each athlete as they approached the finish line at the corner of Maiden Lane and Sheep Hill Drive. They were presented with a medal as they crossed the finish line and a big high-five from one of the coaches.
 
The race and camp was a collaborative effort between the town and Team Training New England, a local business that trains adults and children to do triathlons. Lynne Tapper, one of the program’s organizers said that she and the other coaches enjoy the experience of teaching their young athletes. 

“We love getting kids of all ages to try something new, maybe even a little scary and have them reach the finish line. The looks on their faces are awesome. It’s even a little better to see the looks on their parents' faces when they see what their kids can do.”