For the third year I have helped put on the Bozeman Tritons Triathlon. This is Bozeman, Montana’s biggest and longest running triathlon event. We have been offering a Sprint and Half Iron distance race, and each year it has sold out at our 250 racer limit.
Racing a triathlon takes a level of commitment to training and suffering. I know, as I’ve done a few myself. But racing pales in terms of the level of effort required to put on one of these races. Months of planning lead to a frenzied final couple of weeks leading up to race day. You cross your fingers all year that you will get perfect weather. And this year it was perfect.
This year we starting setting up on Saturday afternoon, June 22. A black wall of rain was approaching and we dashed for cover as temperatures dropped to around 40 degrees with wind and a driving rain. By 6PM the sun was out, the air was clear, and we had our fingers crossed that it would hold for Sunday’s races.
My wife and I arrived at the race venue, luckily only five minutes from our house, at 2:30AM to continue setting up. This was the night of the megga full moon! And it was glorious!
Racers started arriving at 5:30AM for the7AM start of the Half Iron distance race. 50 athletes clad in rubber being tended to by 100 volunteers dressed in down coats – it takes a lot of people to put on a race like this. With steam coming off the water and the crack of the starting gun, the racers entered the pond for the first of three laps (1.2 miles) before grabbing their bikes and heading out for a 56 mile bike ride along the east side of the Bridger Mountains. Their suffering only placated by the endless views of lush green fields with wildflowers bordering snow capped mountains. Truly stunning. With the ride complete, the racers still faced a half-marathon run loop through the Bridger foothills. We don’t do anything easy around here!
While all that was going in, we managed to send close to 200 athletes out on the Sprint race. All the same activities, only sized for the suffering capable by a normal human.
A great day of racing. Amazing energy throughout the day. And I am happy to say that I will not direct one of these events again. Sunday was a 17 hour day of constant movement and physical labor. Two days later and I am still spent. A good feeling, for sure. But I’d rather be climbing a mountain.
