Are you ready for some winter triathlon fun?

Muskoka’s lakes in winter might be okay for a quick Polar Bear Dip, but a triathlon swim is out of the question. Enter TriMuskoka’s inaugural Winter Indoor Triathlon Classic. Following on the success of the club’s annual TriMuskokan, the Classic provides a fun way to stay motivated, active, and in tri mindset – or to get a feel for one if you haven’t tried before – even in the cold, dark depths of February.

“We know that goals motivate people,” says Rich Trenholm of TriMuskoka. “This is like the carrot in front of your nose. It’s a challenging but doable mid-winter goal for adults and it gives youth a chance to get involved, too.”

The TriMuskokan is a not-for-profit event and so with funds from last year’s race, organizers wanted to do something to promote and encourage physical literacy. For the Classic, they’ll be subsidizing youth registration fees so that it’s affordable for them to enter – youth 13-18 pay a $10 registration fee, adults pay $30 ($25 for TriMuskoka members).

The Classic is a time-based event, rather than a distance event. There will be a staggered start with participants first swimming 15 minutes in the Centennial Pool (two swimmers per lane), then riding for 30 minutes on a stationary bike, and finally running or walking for 20 minutes on the Canada Summit Centre’s indoor track, with a few stair segments thrown in to simulate Muskoka’s hills. There are 5-minute transition periods between each leg of the race. The total distance you cover will be logged by volunteers to determine who makes it to the podium.

At the end of the day, participants are invited to a family fun day – included in their registration fee – at Ontario Pioneer Camp in Port Sydney for winter activities like tubing, broomball, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing, a home-cooked dinner, and an awards celebration. Family members who aren’t racing can join in the fun for just $10.

“This isn’t a big, threatening, competitive event,” says Trenholm. “It’s fun and relaxed. You can be biking with friends and running beside them on the track. The goal is just to see how far you can go.”

Registration for the Winter Indoor Triathlon Classic opens December 1. For more information and to secure your spot, visit trimuskoka.com/race/winter-indoor-tri. There are a limited number of entries available.

Not satisfied with just one goal? As of November 25, registration opened for the 2017 TriMuskokan on June 25, with try-a-tri, short course tri, duathlon, swim/bike and relay options. Entries are capped at 300 and it’s likely to be a popular event with the move of the Muskoka Ironman 70.3 to the same venue for 2017 – register early here.

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