Trailblazer competition goes virtual - sort of

MEDICAL LAKE – While the bulk of this year’s Founder’s Day has been canceled due to ongoing concerns about the spread of COVID-19, at least one event has found a way to continue — albeit in a new format.

Instead of pounding the streets and trails in and around Medical Lake, the annual Trailblazer Triathlon has moved to an online/virtual format that participants can compete in from the comfort of their neighborhood, favorite trail or park. Registration and competition began June 1, and runs through 11 p.m. June 30 — that’s when individual results for the triathlon, duathlon or 5K run must be submitted to race organizers via the event’s website.

“You can post your times June 1st – June 30th and a pic of yourself doing it on our Facebook page,” Re*Imagine board of directors member Terri Cooper said in an email.

To compete, participants register and enter their times for each stage on the medicallake.org Trailblazer website. There are three races and the rules are flexible.

The 5K run is a 3.1-mile run that can be completed via the normal Medical Lake Trail route, which at 2.92 miles shaves off some time and distance, or running another 5K route – including laps around your neighborhood.

The duathlon is a 3.9-mile run — one and one-third laps around Medical Lake’s trail or some other route — and 12.2-mile bike ride. Participants can do their own course, or ride the normal Trailblazer route from Medical Lake’s Waterfront Park around Clear Lake to Salnave and back to Waterfront.

The triathlon is a 2.9-mile run, 12.2-mile bike ride and a 350-meter swim. If swimming isn’t an option you can substitute rowing, kayaking, biking, running or something else.

Registration fee information and details are on the Trailblazer website, as are instructions on how to register times and stage information as well as posting pictures if participants so desire. A special COVID-19/Virtual Trailblazer T-shirt is also included.

“Everyone gets a T-shirt and some other fun stuff,” Cooper added.

John McCallum can be reached at [email protected].