Rec Deeds Tri Challenge

Over the years I have headed to Downs Park for only a couple of road races.  The first was a local 5k organized by the PTA.  The second was the Annapolis Strider’s 5 Miler that is held in November each year.  But I am a triathlete and am embarrassed to say that in order to run a triathlon, I have had to look further afield - sometimes within the state but more often than not, in neighboring states.  Last October though, this changed. 

Last year, the Rec Deeds Tri Challenge, a sprint triathlon, was run for the first time in Fort Smallwood Park.  Unfortunately I didn’t find out about the race until a week before it happened, giving me no time to train.  This year, I want to get the word out ahead of time with the hopes that Pasadena residents will show up in force insuring that this race stays in our neck of the woods.

This year, the race will be held on October 2^nd at 8 a.m. in Fort Smallwood Park.  Because this triathlon is aimed at beginner triathletes, it will include a quarter mile swim, twelve and a half mile bike and a 3.1 mile run.

Though the swim is an open water swim in the Chesapeake Bay, the course is a triangular course that is never more than an eighth of a mile from shore.  It will also be divided into waves with the men heading out three minutes before the women in order to make for a more orderly start.

The bike course is a relatively flat course through that leaves the park and heads onto the quiet neighboring streets before returning to the transition area at Fort Smallwood Park. Similarly, the run course will follow a flat out and back course just outside of the park returning to the finish line.

In addition to the fun of completing a sprint triathlon and receiving the t-shirt to prove it, the Rec Deeds Tri Challenge has the added benefit of supporting a good cause.  Proceeds from this year’s race will go to the Recreation Deeds for Special Needs, a non-profit organization that provides “camp scholarships, adaptive equipment, training and volunteer support to people with disabilities.”

Registration for the triathlon is now open and with a little over 12 weeks until race day, now is a perfect time to start training. 

In Maryland, the Columbia Triathlon Association has had a bit of a monopoly of the triathlon market.  Let’s get behind this triathlon that is held in our own backyards.  Let’s spend the next twelve weeks training and show up in force so that this race will be there for us year after year.