'Simply Du It': Ridgefield Duathlon Kicks Off This Weekend

Lauren Cassandra has been racing for years with her husband, Jason Tweet, and bringing about interest for endurance sports and nutritional health along the way.

This year, Cassandra decided to "Simply Du It."

The inaugural Ridgefield duathlon to be held Sunday in town has garnered a lot of attention from the community -- Ridgefield already has a rich history of road races, and "Simply Du It" is proving to fit right in.

The race, designed for beginners but already slated to attract some of the best in the world, includes a 2.5-mile run, a 13-mile bike ride and another 2.5-mile run.

Cassandra said the duathlon is a more attractive prospect for beginning athletes who may be intimidated by the swimming aspect of a common triathlon.

"The idea came out of a love for the sport that my husband and I have," said Cassandra, who coaches triathletes, as well. "It's a passion of ours."

Cassandra has been racing for over ten years and considers herself a competitive triathlete, "or at least I like to think," she laughs.

Tweet is a Ridgefield native who ran for the high school team here and also races at a high level.

Also heavily involved in the process is Marc Chapman of the Kilometers running store in Ridgefield, as well as a number of local sponsors.

"Simply Du It is about trying to keep the race as homegrown as possible," according to the race brochure. "This means using local resources, sponsorship and the Ridgefield community."

Sponsors such as Kilometers, Fairfield County Bank, Simple Balance, The Cutting Board, Tri-Ridgefield and more have come together to help put the race together, as well as provide prizes and a nutritional message.

A portion of all proceeds will go toward the A Better Chance house in Ridgefield.

The overall message of the race is to stay local and stay sustainable in as many ways as possible, Cassandra said.

The lead car will be an electric vehicle provided by GE, the post-race food will comprise fare from local farmers and businesses and a carbon offset will be issued in the name of Simply Du It.

Leaving from Fairfield County Bank, the race will take "a fast, flat loop run through a wooded residential area to transition to a very fast, scenic ride through Ridgefield’s back country."

Registration is open at Active.com at $75 for individual racers and $130 for a relay -- the race will close at 9 p.m. on Thursday. There will also be race-day registration.

The race is set to start at 8 a.m. on Sunday with packet pick-up to take place before 7:15 a.m.

Visit the Simply Du It website for more information.

Greg Pelican, a nationally-ranked duathlete, will be taking to the streets, as well, bringing along some of his friends to make the race competitive, Cassandra said.

But again, she said, the race is beginner-friendly, with prizes for all ages and abilities.

Cassandra hopes to someday take Simply Du It to a national level, the way Megan Searfoss has done with Run Like A Mother -- in fact, Searfoss helped get Simply Du It off the ground.

"It's amazing for us to get that support off the bat," Cassandra said. "The entire town has been so helpful, and it's shown that Ridgefield is a great community-oriented place."