Organizers of a new triathlon race coming to Langley this summer are focusing on ‘completing’ rather than ‘competing.’
“We celebrate participation; focusing on the achievement of each young individual, our goal it to inspire self-confidence and motivate children to stay active through sport,” said Tara Melville, who along with her husband Brad run the SunRype TriKids Triathlon Series.
The series began in Ontario in 2009 and came outside of the province for the first time last year, with a race in Kelowna.
This July, the series expands to the Township, with a race at the Walnut Grove Community Centre. It has also added races in Alberta.
Since it started, more than 8,000 kids of all levels of ability have participated, Melville said.
“The races emphasize having fun while combining three healthy lifestyle sports: swimming, biking and running,” she said.
“We create memorable events where the kids are the focus and their accomplishment is celebrated by their family and friends.”
The race is for youth ages three to 15.
The Langley race will be held on July 29, beginning at 8:30 a.m. with staggered start times for the various age groups.
The race begins in the pool at the Walnut Grove Aquatic Centre, switches to a bike course loop on a closed road and in the parking lot of Walnut Grove Secondary, and then concludes with the run portion, which will take place on nearby trails and grass with the finish line on the school’s track.
The swim length varies from 20m to 300m, the bike course is from 500m to 10-km and the run is from 100m to 3-km.
Partial proceeds from the race go towards B.C. Children’s Hospital and the Pediatric Oncology Group of Ontario. To date, $53,000 has been raised.