Registration still open for Lake in the Hills Triathlon Sunday
Registration is still open for Lake in the Hills' eighth annual Triathlon Sunday, June 14.
Organizers say the goal is to provide a "big city event with a small-town atmosphere" so participants and spectators have an excellent experience.
The race features a half-mile open water swim, 15.5-mile bike ride, and a 4-mile run. It starts at Willow Creek Lake at Indian Trail Beach.
Registration is $65 per participant. The cost goes up to $85 on Friday, June 12, and registration will be allowed through race day, if space is available. Cutoff for online registration is 5 p.m. Wednesday, June 10, or when registration has reached 400 participants. In-person registration will be allowed through race day.
Last year's race drew more than 350 participants. So far, 245 people have registered for this year's triathlon.
Village officials temporarily canceled the race in January because an outside event organizer expected to run the event backed out.
Lake in the Hills' parks and recreation department had organized the triathlon since 2007 with help from about 50 to 60 volunteers. This was the first year the village tried an outside race organizer after former parks and recreation Director Trudy Wakeman retired last August.
Two Huntley residents and triathletes, Matt Kidd and Shane Firsching, both 30, now are organizing the event and will serve as co-race directors this year.
Kidd, an architect and graduate of Judson University in Elgin, and Firsching, a civil and environmental engineer and graduate of Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago, trained together for last year's triathlon. In the past, they have organized long bike rides, but this is their first official race.
They said they want to keep the race going because it is affordable and appeals to a wide range of athletes at different experience levels.
The village is paying for the upfront costs, including compensation for the directors' time, but the event is paid for through registration fees.
The race begins at 6:30 a.m. with the elite wave, followed by time trials with two athletes starting every 10 seconds. Awards will be given to the overall male and female race winners and top three finishers in each age/gender category.
Participants will receive a 2015 Lake in the Hills Triathlon souvenir shirt, athlete bag and partner goodies included in each registration packet. Snacks will be provided at the finish line.
To register, visit lith.org or signmeup.com. To register by mail or in person, submit the registration form, which can be found online at lith.org, and a check payable to: Village of Lake in the Hills, Attn: Triathlon, 600 Harvest Gate, Lake in the Hills, IL 60156.
To volunteer at the event, call Kidd at (330) 401-6534 or Firsching at (309) 397-9621 or email lithtriathlon@gmail.com.