Kittanning YMCA Triathlon & Youth Tri 2013

The inaugural Kittanning YMCA triathlon and kids tri was held at the Richard G. Snyder YMCA Campus on 16-17 March, kick-starting the 2013 triathlon race calendar in our area.

(To skip right to the Photos CLICK HERE).

And oh what a kick-start it was, with the steeliest of souls - including three Ironmen finishers - toeing the start line in sub-freezing sleet-y conditions at 9 am on the 16th. The adult triathlon, for ages 15 and up, entailed a 5 km run loop on the Rails-to-Trails, followed by a 300 yard indoor-pool swim, and ending with a 10 km out-and-back bike on the Rails-to Trails.

The run-swim-bike race format differed from the traditional triathlon race format of swim-bike-run. Keeping the run and bike legs separate was the intention of the organizers, to avoid possible collisions between runners and cyclists on the somewhat narrow Rails-to-Trails. Transition times were excluded from the total race time so racers could take their time in transition to towel off and change after the swim, before heading out for the bike leg. Sweet!

Congratulations David Keith, overall champ!

First across the finish line and overall champ was 41 year-old David Keith of Pittsburgh with a time of 52:29. Following four minutes later was Edna Spang, 44, of Gibsonia, who wrested first place in the Women's overall category. Spencer Clark, 39, of Natrona Heights finished mere seconds behind to take second in the Men's overall category. (A heroic feat, I say, as this dude was severely weakened by fever, flu and jetlag, having returned to US soil from Malaysia just the day prior.) Half the participants were first timers, and I think this sprint triathlon was a good distance for them. Everyone went home with a prize!

The Youth Triathlon held on the 17th, had a turnout of 15 young triathletes - decent considering the sub-freezing temperature that day.

Brothers Mattithia and Malachi Burtt of Kittanning warming up and stretching before the run start

All the kids, from ages 6-14, blasted off the run start in an all-out sprint that lasted about 100 yards into the 1 mile run. (The kids were then to swim 100 yards and bike 5 km.) I grinned hugely as I snapped away - kids' events are my favorite to cover: cuteness factor through the roof, enthusiasm and energy at Mach 10 levels - what's not to love?

As the first runner, Jacob Lorigan, 14, crossed the timing mat at 6:45, I snapped a pic, and quickly realized that the timing mat set up by Run High was not working. As the Run High person tried to figure out what was wrong, more runners started coming in, and I made it a point to capture everyone's run finish (with time) just in case my photo record was needed later. As it turned out, photographs from Spencer and my iPhones were used to calculate the run and bike times for most of the racers because the Run High equipment refused to work properly. We couldn't imagine what chaos would have ensued or how the kids race results would have been determined if it hadn't been for the super-awesome photos that we took. Yay us hehe.

Rachel Birth, at 6 years of age was the youngest triathlete in the race. Well done Rachel!

The kid's tri was also high on the scare quotient, with one child overheating and almost passing out at the finish, and another losing her breakfast (a Hershey bar) midway during the bike leg. Possibly due to my bright yellow jacket, or perhaps my reassuring air of competence (ahem!), I was called upon to check on the overheated/faint girl. Fortunately, my First Aid and CPR capabilities were not required as she had quickly recovered.

The Biggest Smile Award goes to... Olivia Kovalosky, 10 of Kittanning PA!

Michelle Bauer, 13, took first place overall in the Girls Category with a total time of 22:18. Jacob Lorigan finished at 24:43 to grab first overall in the Boys Category, while Carver Clark (11 years) was second with a time of 25:10. The last to cross the finish at 49:38 was possibly - in my opinion, and probably in her family's eyes also - the spunkiest kid in the entire race. Andrea Krizmanich, 9, of Adrian PA, whose race was rudely derailed by an uncooperative tummy, was coaxed and cheered across the finish line by her family. Well done everyone!

Andrea Krizmanich surrounded by her most ardent supporters and biggest fans. You go girl!

Kudos to Bryce Kuhn and the race organizing committee, Richard G. Synder YMCA Campus for organizing this two-day event and to all the volunteers also. Look forward to seeing all of you again at the summer/fall Kittanning YMCA triathlon!

Grace


Some post-race thoughts (just my two cents :))

• Having seen the Rails-to-Trails here, I do think it would be wide enough to accommodate both cyclists and runners if held in the traditional swim-bike-run format. 
• Having the swim as the middle leg helped stagger the swimmers so the lanes in the lap pool remained sufficient.
• Excluding the transition times was a good move as this removed the tendency for racers to rush between transition areas within the YMCA campus.
• The timing chip system would be very good to have if this were a larger race and if following the swim-bike-run format as we could stagger the swim starts. I figure half the registration fees went to Run High. Further, the technical snafu in the time recording system was potentially a game spoiler.
• The medics I spotted during the adults triathlon on the 16th were absent at the kid's triathlon on the 17th, which was when medical assistance would have been reassuring to anxious parents. 
• The promotional flyers for the triathlon indicated 'post race refreshments'. Bottled water and breakfast bars were provided at registration, and continued to be available after the race, but at $50 and $30 (adults and kids race, respectively), should I have hoped for more, e.g., bananas, muffins, isotonic drinks, etc? 
• Spencer and I love supporting YMCA events, particularly triathlons, and see great potential for growth in this area. The staff at this YMCA seem extremely motivated and dedicated to putting on good events and we look forward to attending/volunteering!