Youth triathlon scheduled Saturday at UMPI
Anticipation is building for the 2013 REDY…Set…Let’s Go! Youth Triathlon, slated for Saturday at the University of Maine at Presque Isle.
Over 100 children are preparing to improve their level of physical activity by participating in the second annual youth triathlon, a collaboration of TAMC, Healthy Aroostook and the University of Maine at Presque Isle.
“REDY” is not, in fact, a misspelling but the name of the well-known mascot of Let’s Go 5-2-1-0, a nationally-recognized youth obesity prevention program that has partners throughout Maine. The popular figure will be present to encourage triathletes to stay active, eat a healthy diet and avoid spending too much time in front of the television.
Event organizers named the triathlon after the well-known mascot because he embodies what the triathlon is all about, which is providing kids with an opportunity to get active in a fun, safe, and supportive environment.
The local effort is headed up by Healthy Aroostook and EMHS in collaboration with other community partners including TAMC, schools, workplaces, and others.
The youth triathlon, like the adult version of the sport, will consist of swimming, biking, and running. Triathletes between the ages of 7 and 10 will swim 50 yards, bike two miles, and run half a mile. Those between 11 and 14 years of age will swim 100 yards, bike 2.5 miles, and run one mile.
UMPI will host the event, providing participants with an opportunity to swim in the Gentile Hall pool, as well as run and bike through much of the scenic campus. University officials are looking forward to welcoming triathletes, their families, and volunteers to campus. Over 60 active youth participated in 2012, and this year’s 110 registration openings have already filled up.
“It’s an excellent opportunity for our youth to participate in an emerging, but growing, sport,” said race director Jonathan Kelley. “The race committee is excited to show off what has become a premier event in Presque Isle.”
Emma Bouchard of Presque Isle was the winner of the T-shirt logo contest and her design will be displayed on all of the T-shirts for the 2013 event.
