Kids ages 6 to 14: Get ready to swim, bike and run.
The Boys and Girls Club of Seymour Youth Triathlon is back this year, set for its eighth event June 26 after being canceled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
It will start with swimming at 8:30 a.m. in the Seymour Aquatic Center at Seymour High School and move on to bicycling and running in the streets surrounding the school.
The distances are 100 yards of swimming, 2 miles of biking and a half-mile run for 6- to 10-year-olds, while they are 200 yards, 4 miles and 1 mile, respectively, for 11- to 14-year-olds.
The cost is $35, including a race T-shirt that glows in the dark, a post-race snack and a swag bag. Preregistration is available online at bgcyouthtriathlon.com. Kids also can sign up on the day of the race starting at 7 a.m. outside the pool lobby entrance on the north end of the school.
“You don’t have to be an athlete to come out and swim, bike, run,” event organizer Kendra Zumhingst said. “If they can’t swim, bring their swimmers. I’m not someone who is going to disqualify someone. We’ve had kids with streamers and training wheels on (their bicycles) before. For me, it’s just about exposing the kids to the love of, the excitement of racing.”
Practices will be offered at 6 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday, including swimming in the pool and riding the bike course.
Organizing the event was different for Zumhingst this year.
She normally has four months to prepare. But since Seymour Community School Corp. wasn’t allowing outside rental of its facilities until just recently, she only had a few weeks to get everything in order.
Zumhingst wasn’t sure if she could get sponsors, but Lannett Co. Inc. in Seymour came through in a big way. Their sponsorship will allow every participant to receive a swag bag and a finisher award.
At the end of the triathlon, awards will be presented to the top two boys and girls in both age groups.
Two years ago, 39 kids participated.
“I’ve gone through and I’ve emailed (parents of participants from) my last three years and said, ‘Hey, do you have a younger child?’ because a lot of these kids have already aged out,” Zumhingst said. “It’s like, ‘Hey, do they want to come back and volunteer or do you have a younger racer or do you have someone that you share it with?'”
She also has run a sponsored advertisement for the race on Facebook and reached out to a triathlon club in Columbus.
“I’m trying to hustle it because it has all happened so quick,” Zumhingst said of drumming up participants.
She needs volunteers for the day of the event, too. She said it would be a good opportunity for high school students needing community service or volunteer hours. Call Zumhingst at 812-528-8093 before race day so she knows how many volunteers to expect.
Whether or not they have a child participating, members of the community are invited to come watch the kids and cheer them on.
“That’s my favorite part,” Zumhingst said of watching the kids compete and earn their medal. “It’s a big accomplishment for kids to finish.”
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What: Eighth annual Boys and Girls Club of Seymour Youth Triathlon
When: 8:30 a.m. June 26
Where: Starts and ends at Seymour High School, 1350 W. Second St., Seymour
Who: Boys and girls ages 6 through 14
Cost: $35
Register: Online at bgcyouthtriathlon.com or day of the race at 7 a.m.
Help out: To volunteer at the event, call Kendra Zumhingst at 812-528-8093
Information: facebook.com/bgcyouthtriathlon
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