CULLMAN – On Saturday, September 12 The Link of Cullman County will hold its second annual triathlon, with a novel twist.
According to director of The Link, Dawn Owens, the triathlon has been altered to fit the “reversing the cycle” motif of The Link’s mission.
A traditional triathlon is comprised of swimming, cycling, and running, in that order.
The Link’s rendition of the event is running, cycling, and swimming, “Which makes for some tired athletes in the pool,” Owens laughingly said.
The Reverse the Cycle Sprint Triathlon is one of The Link’s two biggest fundraisers of the year, each event, according to Owens, raises about $20,000 for the organization.
“The Link of Cullman County is a faith-based non-profit that is working toward helping the poor and vulnerable in our community overcome the barriers to poverty,” reads the description of the organization on its website, LinkingCullman.org.
The inspiration for the athletic event came from The Link board member, Bo Shirey. “Bo had wanted to bring a triathlon to Cullman, and we decided to put this together,” Owens said.
Owens explained that festivals and fairs are popular events, but because The Link supports holistic recovery, encouraging people to be active and lead healthy lives, a triathlon was deemed a more appropriate event.
Although the event began only last year, Owens said that many of the competitors and athletes complimented the way it was run.
“We had several people from out of state that said our event was well done and much better than other triathlons they’d been to before,” she said.
“If you’re a big swimmer, but don’t like to run, find a friend that likes to run and one that likes to bike and do the relay,” Owens said. “We can always use more relay teams.”
One of the most positive memories Owens had from last year’s event was the energy level, and not just from the competitors.
“There were spectators watching and especially at the end, when everyone was in the pool, people were all around and cheering. It was a wonderful atmosphere.”
The event will begin at 7:30 a.m. at the Cullman Wellness and Aquatics Center, with runners trekking into the city, cyclists pushing further into the county, and swimmers swimming at the Aquatic Center.
“Even if you’re not competing come and support people who are. We want people all along the route, cheering the runners on when they get to those points, you know. You really need that motivation when you’ve been running or biking,” Owens said.
Early registration for the event will cost $35 for children, $50 for adults, and $80 for groups of three adults. Prices will increase the day of the triathlon.
To register early for the event visit active.com/cullman-al/triathlon/races/reverse-the-cycle-sprint-triathlon-2015.
Reverse The Cycle Sprint Triathlon
REVERSE THE CYCLE SPRINT TRIATHLON Title Sponsor – Urgent Care Center – Cullman 2 MILE RUN (ADULT) – 8 MILE BIKE – 200 YD SWIM 1 MILE RUN (CHILD) – 2 MILE BIKE – 50 YD SWIM Cullman Wellness and Aquatic Center Here is the 8 mile bike route Here is the 2 mile Run and 2 mile Bike route for the Child Here is the 1 mile run for the Childrens Race You will be swimming in the 8 lane outdoor pool at the Cullman Wellness and Aquatic Center.
For more information on the Reverse the Cycle Sprint Triathlon visit facebook.com/reversethecyclesprinttriathlon.
For more information on The Link of Cullman County visit linkingcullman.org. Follow @linkingcullman on Twitter and TheLinkofCullmanCounty on Facebook.
