August 26, 2013 at 3:37 p.m.
W.I.L.D. Hodag Mini Triathlon a success
Improvements already in the works for next year
W.I.L.D. Hodag Mini Triathlon a success
The race, consisting of swimming, biking and running portions, started at 8:30 a.m., but racers and spectators alike lined up on the beach at Holiday Acres well before that.
When the race finally began, the first wave of swimmers, starting from a point about waist deep in the lake, took off toward a buoy stationed offshore. The swimmers had to round the buoy and make it back to the beach, to complete the first leg of the race.
Tim Thorsen of Spine and Sport played a key role in organizing the event. He said although putting together a brand new event like this year's mini-triathlon is challenging, the race went very well.
"It was an awesome time," he said. "Because we've never put one of these together before, we don't have anything to compare it to but we had a great amount of hard-working volunteers who helped make it such a great event."
Thorsen said he is already thinking about ways to improve the event.
"There were three people that needed to be helped from the water, so we're going to beef that up next year," he said. "But it's good that we know that now."
Because the swim event took place first, the swimmers were put in a challenging position when returning to shore, something Thorsen and the others didn't anticipate.
"Swimming back into the sun wasn't necessarily a great idea," Thorsen said. "We'll get a handle on that next year though. There are things we want to tweak going forward, but that's just going to make it even better in the future."
When the racers finished the swimming portion of the race, they made their way up the hill to the tennis courts where their bikes were waiting.
From there, the route took them through the trails and on the roads that surround Holiday Acres.
Justine Cornelius took part in the mini-triathlon. She was among the first wave of swimmers, meaning she was one of the first racers to make their way onto the bike trail. She said she was impressed with the event.
"It was a great race," she said. "I thought it was well organized for the first time having it. The biking was probably the toughest part for me because I'm not too used to the off-road conditions but it was lots of fun and definitely wild."
The landscape was a challenge for the racers, but Thorsen said many appreciated the off-road aspect.
"The folks who had done one before loved the variation in the terrain," he said.
When the running portion ended, the first ever W.I.L.D. Hodag Triathlon was in the books. While there were some growing pains, Thorsen said he thinks the event will be around for years to come.
"We're really thankful for all the community support and we think this year is only going to lead into making it a better event in the future," he said.
Andy Hildebrand may be reached at [email protected].
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