Thursday, March 14, 2019

What's up with RaceTri??


It's now RaceTri's turn for an update... support the local scene, get out and race!


What’s new with you guys, and how is the Alaskan winter treating you? Aaron, do you have a sense for how long you’ll be in Alaska and/or whether or not you’ll return to Utah?

The newest thing with RaceTri is the biennial and triennial schedules for half of our events now. Some events [Black Ridge, ULO and Yuba] will only take place every 2 or 3 years. Heber & Alaskan Winter's are probably very similar and are like most of our triathletes; adventurous, unpredictable, and earth shaking (did you hear about the 7.0 earthquake?)! We take Aaron's return to Utah one year at a time.


Has it been difficult to run RaceTri with one of you out of state for much of the year, or no big deal?

We are both eating more salmon than before but other than that we don’t think much has changed.

By being in the Top 10 in participation in 2018, Icebreaker, The Utah Half, and Salem [chosen by 2019 host RaceTri as the State Champs race] all qualified once again for the Utah Triathlon Championship Series in 2019. What’s your favorite thing about each of these races?


Our favorite thing about this event is the camaraderie before and during the event as friends are seeing each other again after the long cold winter. Such genuine feelings of being happy to see one another. Also it seems to attract the most newbies as friends and family can convince their loved ones to try a triathlon because of the pool swim. I love that it is a time trial start, everyone gets their one personal start time and spectators can cheer them on like they are the star of their own event!


This is an event that every triathlete and newbie should attend! It’s awesome! Sprint, Olympic and Half distances. So something available for everyone. But the things we love most about this event are:

The Date! By June it’s starting to get hot in the valleys. So athletes can cool off by getting up into the mountains. The Jordanelle state park is an amazing destination triathlon venue that is less than 1 hour away for almost everybody in the Salt Lake and Utah valleys.


The Course! We swim near the head waters of Jordanelle where the water is fresh and clean. The bike offers a challenge with a gradual incline for half of the event and a steady decline for the other half, so it favors those who get tired as the race marches on. And the run through the state park on those board walks makes one want to pause and just enjoy the moment. Lots of mental pictures worth taking or bring your GoPro and take actual pictures.


Salem: September 7, 2019 (all experience levels and abilities are welcome to join this State Champs party!)

The wonderful city of Salem was so good to work with us to find one special weekend this fall where the TRIATHLON State Championships could be hosted! It seems that this event acts as a rite of passage for most Utah Triathletes. It has been around for so long and has a unique vibe to it. Like a family afternoon at the park kind of vibe where friendship, good times, and helping others is more important than performance. That doesn’t mean that athletes don’t show up to throw down a PR or strive for the podium. If I have to pick some favorite moments from this event as an athlete it is either swimming under the Salem bridge, or running over the knoll and through the Fireman’s shower, or the final bridge sprint into the finish. Just a perfect visual setting!


The thought of a sprint distance State Championship race is exciting, and Salem is an awesome venue – what do you hope to see on race day?

We hope to see many people there. Those experiencing triathlon for the first time and the best in the state coming out to test their fitness! We hope to see smiles, sweat, flying bike mounts, finish line sprints, cheering crowds, and an all-around good time had by all!


With Ice Breaker being the unofficial kickoff to the local tri season (and first race of the UTCS), once this last gasp of snow melts we can’t think of any reasons why a local triathlete would sit this one out… can you??

Yes, the only reason one might potentially miss out on this event would be if they had a major medical episode and was hospitalized the night before… and even then, I can think of some Ice Breaker die-hards who would drag themselves there come hell or high water.


All of your races grew last year, pretty significantly, so why the decision to change things up with Black Ridge, ULO, and Yuba? Is it just too tough logistically to fly here that many times?

There are many factors that led us to apply the Bi & Triennial model to some of our events. The short answer is we want to be able to continue to provide these events for years to come to our wonderful triathlon community and we think this will enable us to do that.




How can athletes best support our local RD’s, and why should people sign up for your races in 2019?

Keep racing and keep after it. Your example inspires more people than you can possibly imagine!


Learn more and register for all RaceTri races here: racetri.com



Related Posts



UTAH TRIATHLON CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES 2019 DETAILS --> SEE POST HERE !!




Below are links to all the races in the 2019 Championship Series:


Below are links to all Challenger Races:






We started a Patreon account (link below) with the hope of raising a few bucks towards awards & swag for athletes of all abilities in our tri community. We've given out a lot over the past 2 years, but would like to continue to expand our offerings & the volume we can do.

If you enjoy Utah Tri Buzz and would like to pitch in, any amount would be greatly appreciated... (there may be something in it for you as well!)




We're also always grateful for talented people who contribute in terms of time... let us know if you'd like to be part of the Utah Tri Buzz team.



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