For the fourth year running, people with a yen to swim, bike, and run for fun can take part in the North Shore Triathlon, scheduled for Sept. 18 and set to start and finish at Wilmette’s Gillson Park.
The triathlon will take participants into Lake Michigan and through Wilmette, Kenilworth and Winnetka, said Amy Shelly, events director for Evanston-based Precision Multisport, which is organizing it.
Shelly said this year’s triathlon will feature not only its regular “sprint triathlon” distances – a 500-meter swim, followed by a 20-kilometer bike ride and a five-kilometer run – but a new event, a “super sprint” triathlon, which allows participants to swim for 250 meters, bike for 10 kilometers and run for 2.5 kilometers.
“Part of the reason we went with the sprint distance is not only to give people who are experienced triathletes a nice fall run, but also to give a chance to people who want to try a triathlon,” she said.
Organizers decided to add the shorter super sprint lengths to serve younger would-be triathletes, Shelly said.
“Not every 7, 8, or 9-year-old can do the sprint distances, or even want to, but this gives them the chance to try it out. And it’s not to say that adults can’t try the super sprint,” she said.
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The race is certified by the USA Triathlon organization, Shelly said. As in previous years, Precision Multisport is partnering with area charities, including the Ouilmette Foundation, which raises money for Wilmette Park District programs; and the Michael J. Fox Foundation, she said.
“Some of our participants are raising money themselves for charitable organizations as they race. The other way people can help is, as people sign up, we give them the option of donating to one of those organizations,” Shelly said.
Kathy Bingham, recreation superintendent at the Wilmette Park District, said the triathlon has been increasingly popular for the district since the first one in 2013: “It is a really cool event, and the participants really enjoy the opportunity.”
Shelly said the triathlon initially attracted between 300 and 400 people from across the Chicago area. By 2015, the number had increased to 465, roughly one quarter of who were from Wilmette, Bingham said.
Shelly praised the park district, and the Wilmette, Kenilworth, and Winnetka police departments and public works officials for cooperating to make the bicycle and running routes safe.
“We get great cooperation from everyone involved, which makes the event so much smoother,” she said.
People can register for the triathlon at www.trinorthshore.com. Registration prices rise after Sept. 15, but people can register through Sept. 17, the day before the race, she said.
Twitter: @pioneer_kathy