The Record

Triathletes, workers survive downpour

By: Annie Rogosheske

Rain showers muddied the trails, but athletes braved on and organizers kept their spirits up at the 15th annual Fruit at the Finish triathlon Saturday.

The weather created lots of obstacles as the course was glazed over with a blanket of water. OLC member Brynn Haugen, a sophomore working at the triathlon said, “the bike course was very slippery but luckily no one got hurt.”

As a team, OLC and PRP members devised a safety plan for the running and bike routes because of the weather. Forty volunteers stepped forward to help. The running course was difficult to see at times, so volunteers stood out at various points of the trail in the cold for three hours at a time directing traffic.

Two years ago, the triathlon was canceled due to weather–related problems and almost was this year too.

“I was very glad that it didn’t thunder and lightning,” Haugen said, “otherwise it would have definitely been canceled.”

Katherine Westlund, a timer for the triathlon, said she was nervous going into the timing position because yet again, weather forced modifications that made it more difficult for PRP and OLC members.

“Instead of timing off of the master clock and separating the start times of men, women and team participants, we started them right in a row (which made things a bit more complicated for timers),” Westlund said.

Extensive preparation went into the triathlon to make it a successful event. The Arboretum, OLC and PRP members had to be in constant communication throughout this entire semester to make sure everything ran smoothly. The total staff included about 50 to 60 workers.

Before the race, these workers reserved a pool for the swimming portion, contacted security to make sure everything met their standards in safety, mapped the run and bike routes and created advertisements to entice students to participate.

Westlund, who was also in charge of the registration, said that the number of participants were disappointing this year. When counting teams as one person, she said only about 70 athletes showed up for the race, a number much lower than expected.

“We marketed to the whole student body and did everything we could, but it was still a disappointing turnout,” Haugen said.

Despite the decreased enrollment and difficult weather situations, Haugen focused on the positive aspects of the triathlon.

“My favorite part was being at the finish and seeing all the excitement from participants,” Haugen said.

Overall, the participants were satisfied with the race, despite the bad weather.

“As I was coming down the hill near the Palaestra on the home stretch, I saw all the other participants and PRP members on the sidelines cheering me on. It was one of the best feelings as I rode in to the finish,” participant Bree Kluck said.

Although the weather created some hassle for athletes and workers, this didn’t stop CSB/SJU students from making the Fruit at the Finish Triathlon a success.

---