Despite a smaller turnout than in years past, the Westlock triathlon June 11 was still a successful endeavour.
“It went really well,” said town recreation services director Danielle Snyder. “Everyone enjoyed themselves.”
The event drew in 58 entries, both individuals and teams, comprising a total of 74 participants, she said, which was down from the average of 120 the event usually draws. Final results were not available by deadline Sunday.
However, that decreased attendance did not make the day any less enjoyable for the participants, all of whom performed to the best of their abilities.
“Everyone showed a lot of good sportsmanship and competitive desire,” Snyder said. “A lot of them achieved their personal goals as well.”
One thing that made the day such a success, she said, was how much local involvement there was in the race. Not only did all the volunteers help to keep the race moving along safely, but also the amount of local participation in the race itself was appreciated.
Snyder added there were a few families who took part as a team, where each family member would take on a different section of the race.
The triathlon also drew competitors of different ages and triathlon experience, she said. On one team, the cyclist was an 81-year-old; there was also a 61-year-old who did the entire long course alone.
In terms of times posted, Snyder said a number of competitors put up fairly fast times, including one long-course racer who finished the course in under two hours.
Looking to the future, Snyder said she wants to encourage more people and new participants to come out next year.
On June 12, 22 kids congregated at the pool to take part in a children’s triathlon.
The 22 kids surpassed the 15 kids organizer Darren Michalczuk said he was hoping to get.
Ranging in age from five years old up to 11, the participants had to swim, bike and ride different distances depending on their ages. For five and six year olds, the distances were 50 metres in the pool, two kilometres on the bike and 500 metres running.
The distances increased until the 11 and 12 year olds, who swam 200 metres, cycled eight kilometres and ran two kilometres. At the end of the race, Snyder handed out certificates recognizing their accomplishments.
