Corner Brook -
There will be a few small changes and the event won't be of quite the same magnitude as in the past, but expectations for the return of the Corner Brook Triathlon are certainly big.
As part of the Capital Subaru NL Triathlon Series, the event is tied to this weekend's Carbonear Sprint and the St. John's Triathlon on Aug. 9. The purpose of the series is to basically promote triathlon across the province and, according to special events co-ordinator for Cycle Solutions Ryan Butt, to "get things going in different communities."
While the series itself kicks off this weekend, the Corner Brook Triathlon is still weeks away, with the kid's triathlon going ahead Saturday, Aug. 1 and the other events - including a sprint triathlon, sprint duathlon, Olympic distance triathlon and team triathlon - all occuring on Sunday, Aug. 2.
"Right now we're just finalizing the sponsors," said Butt, adding Health and Performance has stepped up as the major sponsor for the event.
"We're working on getting some sponsors for the kid's triathlon. There's a lot of really good buzz about the event between businesses and people in the community. We're really happy with how the community is coming together on this.
We're flat-out putting this together and it's really exciting ... we're pumped about it and I think it's going to go off really well."
Although Corner Brook has hosted some major triathlon events in the past, this year's resurrected version is all about rebuilding from the ground up. With that in mind, Butt warns people not to expect that same grandiose affair like the previous incarnations.
"We're really humble with our numbers right now ... it's not going to be as big as in the past," he said. "We're preparing for about 200 people, but we're expecting around 150 or something like that. You always shoot for a little more, just in case.
"When it comes to the kid's triathlon, we're looking at maybe 50-100 kids," he continued. "It's very grass roots. We're just trying to make it back to where triathlon was before ... we're trying to get it started again and let the community take it over."
That's not to say the event won't look at least a little familiar to triathlon veterans, with equipment like pylons, bike blocks and tents being pulled out of storage and put back into use.
"We're working in co-operation with some people from the old triathlon committee who have control of that stuff and have been really helpful with it," said Butt.
"Pretty much everything is the same except it won't be as big, but when it comes to community support and the equipment ... we've got it. Everything has gone smoothly so far and we're very happy with the support we're getting."
The races routes themselves, including for the kid's event, will undergo some small changes, but will remain the same for the most part. The biggest difference will be the 10-kilometre run portion of the Olympic distance race, which will now go through the Corner Brook Stream Trail.
"We needed things to run as smoothly as possible and, when it comes to manpower, it takes a lot more to get roads closed and managed, so we figured it'd be a lot easier and actually a little bit prettier if we put it in the Corner Brook Stream Trail and helped promote that a bit," said Butt.
"We wanted to keep it centralized in town and it should be easier for people to see as well. It's going to be a lot of fun and I figure people will enjoy it quite a bit."
Of course, it wouldn't be a triathlon without the call for volunteers to help make sure everyone walks away from the weekend with a 'wow' on their lips.
"We're looking for marshals to be on the road, we're looking for water station people, lifeguards, some traffic directors," said Butt. "Basically, as many people as can volunteer, especially when it comes to the transition area, which is a high-traffic area.
"The response has been positive, we've got about 30-plus people as of now," he added. "I expect that to double and triple ... 100-plus volunteers is definitely what we're hoping for."
For more information or to register as an athlete or volunteer, visit the Cycle Solutions website or drop by the shop at 35 West Street.
