Whitefish Lake Triathlon returns; beginners to elite athletes compete side by side

After a two-year rest, the Whitefish Lake Triathlon is ready, set, go for Sunday, Aug. 14, at 9 a.m. The event has been a staple in the community for over 25 years and this year, the event’s main goal is to attract beginner triathletes.

The sprint race features a half-mile swim in Whitefish Lake, a 20K bike ride and a 5K run. Each section of the race starts and ends at City Beach where Arn’s BBQ food truck will feed finishers and spectators alike during the awards ceremony and raffle after the race.

Racers can participate individually or with a couple friends as part of a team relay. Race Director Price Richardson, who stepped into the lead role this year, says races in the past have attracted 40 to 50 participants but he hopes to have 75 this year, as people are itching to return to racing after two years off.

The race’s original director, Stan Watkins, organized the first Whitefish Lake Triathlon over 25 years ago and said it was a race that is approachable for all competitors of all skill levels. The COVID pandemic caused the race to be put on hold for the last two years.

There is no cut-off time for finishing, as the promoters would like to make this race a friendly one for beginner triathletes.

“A triathlon can sound daunting but it can be as fun as you make it,” Richardson said. “If you go out there and want to walk the 5K in your flip-flops, that's awesome and no one is going to judge you for doing that. We want you to come out and have a good time with it.”

Since the race is sanctioned by USA Triathlon (USAT), the governing body of the sport in the United States, there will be elite athletes participating alongside local athletes and beginners.

An experienced swim coach and lifeguard instructor, Richardson works with Whitefish triathlon coach, Carrie Jacobs, to run a clinic for beginners who are attempting their first triathlon.

“We want to try to cater to the local population that may have never tried it before,” Richardson said. “So it’s been a lot of fun to get them to understand what the transitions are going to be like and what to expect when you're swimming in the lake as opposed to swimming in the pool.”

Since the Whitefish Lake Triathlon is USAT sanctioned, the distances are determined by the USAT. The Whitefish race is a sprint, but other common distances for triathlons include Olympic, half Ironman or full Ironman. For the full Ironman, a race that can take between 10 and 17 hours to complete, the distances are a 2.4-mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride and a 26.2-mile run.

Hammer Nutrition is the title sponsor of the Whitefish Lake Triathlon. Richardson recently met with Hammer’s founder, Brian Frank, and learned that Frank’s goal is to get children interested in more physical activity, including being involved in triathlons. Organizers are considering a super sprint race next year, with distances that are half those of a sprint race.

Hosting an event like this can take up to a year, but a group of volunteer local triathletes interested in reviving the event began preparations in April and are working as a team.

“It's been pretty much a full-time job trying to get this going,” Richardson said. “I'm kinda the central person but I've been assigning tasks and delegating duties every day.”

Richardson is looking for volunteers for the event.

If you are interested in helping or racing go to: https://www.whitefishlaketriathlon.com/