Ready, set, tri!

Now entering its third year, the TriMuskokan is experiencing “phenomenal growth”, says Dr. Rich Trenholm and it’s an event he is encouraging people to try.

“It’s not as scary as people think. There’s lots of support out there,” says Trenholm, a member of TriMuskoka, which is the organization hosting the event. “For most people the swim is the scariest part. However, you’re not thrown into the river or lake without help being right at hand. We have tons of kayaks, life guards, boats. If you’re tired you can hold on to a kayak, or you can swim to the side of the river and stand up.”

Trenholm says organizers want the event to be a positive experience for all involved, from volunteers to supporters to participants.

“As a club we want to provide an opportunity to our community to participate in a multi-sport event,” said Trenholm. “We focus on the quality as opposed to the quantity. We don’t care about having 2,000 people in the race. We want to ensure the 360 that come to the race and the 60 volunteers all have an amazing time, the spectators, too. We want to create an event experience that sets itself apart from everyone else on the market because we don’t have the need or the desire to have tons of people doing the event. We want to make sure each person crossing the finish line, or our volunteers or those cheering on the sideline, has an experience second to none.”

There are various events to compete in at the TriMuskokan:
Try-a-tri (350m swim, 10km bike, 2.5km run)
Short course triathlon (750m swim, 30km bike, 7km run)
Short course swim/bike (750m swim, 30km bike)
Short course triathlon relay (759m swim, 30km bike, 7 km run)
Duathlon (2.5km run, 30km bike, 7km run)
There are also 20 spots for relay teams.

“In 2003, that’s how I got into the longer distances. We would get together with a group of friends, put everyone’s name in a hat and draw names for a team and the loser did the dishes. That’s along the theme of how we’d like this event to be – friendly banter, water cooler trash talk – all in the name of participation and doing the event versus ‘will I come in first, second, or third?’ There are other races out there where you can do that.”

Organizers offer training programs and hands-on clinics the week of the race.

You don’t have to be an amazing athlete, just good enough to string the three together, It’s okay to walk on the run. Do it for yourself and set a personal accomplishment. It’s not about competition, it’s about doing it. We want to give people an opportunity to work toward something with a fantastic race experience.Dr. Rich Trenholm

The TriMuskokan is a not-for-profit event. Any proceeds made are reinvested back into the community.

Doppler will be there with a relay team again. How about you? Or if this isn’t the year you participate, perhaps it’s the year you volunteer. Visit trimuskoka.com for all the details.

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