ATHABASCA – Nobody expected it to be easy, but the amount of fun they had during the Kapâwinihk Wilderness Triathlon in Athabasca Sept. 11, may have been quite unexpected as well, considering the grueling run, paddle and bike around the scenic Athabasca area.
It was the third edition of the triathlon, which was put on hold in 2020, but came back with more than 90 participants in 2021, and now 120 in 2022. Janene Kargus and Heather Boucher, who organize the event through their company Parallel 54, which focuses on health and well-being.
About 80 per cent of the participants came from points outside Athabasca, while a few even came from as far away as Calgary and Ponoka, with a considerable number of participants coming from Edmonton, many of them repeat triathletes.
“I don’t even know what words to use,” Kargus said Monday morning following a day of rest. “Every year we grow, which is wonderful to see. We're so super proud to see everybody there.”
The first of the bikers took off from their starting points at Riverfront Park at 9 a.m. sharp, straddling the Athabasca River, before mounting a challenge of their first major hill on their way to the Muskeg Creek Trails near Landing Trail Intermediate School. In less than an hour, many were in the water on their paddleboards, kayaks, or canoes to head eight kilometres up the river to River Meadows RV Park, which hosted the running portion and the finish line, which was met with smiles from participants and onlookers.
Kargus praised the dozens of volunteers who gave their time to continue to make the event such a success, including the Athabasca Lions Club. She joked that if the event gets much bigger, she’s going to run out of cousins to help volunteer. She also singled out the Town of Athabasca for its ongoing support, as well as their many sponsors.
“We need volunteers,” she said.
There’s a lot of potential to drive tourism and economic development with such a successful event, filling up hotels and campgrounds, she noted, and helping the community is something they are happy to do.
“We're just proud of everybody. We have so many people willing to come out and help us out and showcase the community and I know that so many people compliment our trails and our river,” Kargus said, adding many of those who returned this year, brought a friend, just as was hoped.
