After crossing the finish line of the Boys & Girls Club of Seymour Youth Triathlon, each child will receive a high-five and a medal from Seymour Mayor Craig Luedeman.
Once everyone is done, the top three finishers among the 6- to 10-year-olds and 11- to 14-year-olds will be recognized.
While the awards and recognition are nice, perhaps the biggest accomplishment for each child is saying they finished the race.
[sc:text-divider text-divider-title=”Story continues below gallery” ]
“The smiles, no matter if they are first or last, they just don’t get any better than that,” said Steve Stanfield, executive director of the Boys & Girls Club of Seymour.
The third annual youth triathlon, sanctioned by USA Triathlon, is set for June 27. A prerace meeting is at 8 a.m., and the race will start at 8:30 a.m. It begins with swimming laps in the Seymour Aquatic Center at Seymour High School, continues with a bike ride through area neighborhoods and finishes with a run.
For 6- to 10-year-olds, the triathlon consists of a 100-yard swim, 2-mile bike ride and half-mile run. For 11- to 14-year-olds, it’s a 200-yard swim, 4-mile bike ride and 1-mile run. Helmets are required for the biking portion.
Cost is $35 and includes a T-shirt, finisher medal, bag of gifts and postrace snack. Registration forms are available at the Boys & Girls Club of Seymour, 950 N. O’Brien St.; online at bgcyouthtriathlon.com; or on the day of the race, starting at 7:30 a.m. For USA Triathlon members, cost is $25.
Race packet pickup will be from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday at the Boys & Girls Club and beginning at 7:30 a.m. June 27. Sign-ups also will be accepted on race day.
Per USA Triathlon rules, awards for participants will be based on their age as of Dec. 31 of this year. Kendra Zumhingst, co-chairwoman of the event with Michelle Schaefer, said this year’s medals are “really, really cool.”
Changes to this year’s event include an arch above the finish line and a podium for the top three finishers to stand on and get their picture taken.
Stanfield said the scene at the finish line is his favorite part of the event. Plus, he said it’s good for the kids to participate in a healthy activity.
“Those are all skills that you can use your whole life,” he said of swimming, biking and running. “You can just keep getting better and better.”
To help kids prepare for the event, swim and bike practice sessions will be conducted at 6 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday at Seymour High School. That will include swimming laps in the pool and riding the bike route, so you should bring your swimsuit, bike and helmet.
The first year drew 66 boys and girls, and there were 64 last year. Zumhingst said she is expecting more people this year.
Since the event is publicized on the Internet, Stanfield said, in past years, participants have come from as far away as Texas and Tennessee. The event also has drawn kids to join the Boys & Girls Club.
Stanfield said it takes more than 50 volunteers to help with the event, including manning every intersection where the route changes to make it safe. People also have sponsored kids who can’t afford the registration fee, allowed them to use their bikes and provided helmets.
Stanfield encourages kids to participate and members of the community to attend and cheer for them.
[sc:pullout-title pullout-title=”If you go” ][sc:pullout-text-begin]
What: Boys & Girls Club of Seymour Youth Triathlon
When: 8:30 a.m. June 27
Where: Starts and ends at Seymour High School, 1357 W. Second St.
Who: Boys and girls ages 6 through 14
Cost: $35 ($25 for USA Triathlon members)
Register: Boys & Girls Club of Seymour, 950 N. O’Brien St.; online at bgcyouthtriathlon.com; or day of the race
Help out: To volunteer at the event, call Kendra Zumhingst at 812-523-5463
[sc:pullout-text-end]