Fitness and family fun at the 6th Annual Sydenham Tri/Duathlon

Jul 17, 2014

The Somersault Events race series continues to draw a wide range of athletes of all ages and skill levels to its annual Sydenham Triathlon/Duathlon event, which took place this year on July 13. For many, it is the calm waters and the scenic trail around the shores of Sydenham Lake, but also the friendly atmosphere of the small Kingston bedroom community that keep participants coming back year after year.

Over 400 participants took part in the Tri/Du, which began at 8:30 am. Sunday was rainy and windy, which made for slippery and more difficult than normal conditions, especially during the bike portions of some of the events. However the mild rain also offered respite for runners, making for cooler and less taxing runs.

Todd Morin manned the microphone at the finish line, announcing the names of the racers as they crossed it. One of the day’s highlights was when he announced the male and female first place finishers of the Olympic Triathlon event.

This year 31-year-old Jeff McCue of Kingston crossed the finish line first with a time of 2.20.48. The Olympic Tri event is comprised of a 1.5km swim, a 40km bike ride and a 10km run. McCue, who works as nurse in Kingston, is currently training for the Subaru Half Ironman race in Muskoka, a longer race comprised of a 2km swim, a 90km bike ride and a 21 km run. He will also be entering the K-Town Triathlon in Kingston in August. McCue, who has participated in 15 triathlon events to date, said it was his first time participating in the Sydenham Tri. He said he enjoyed the course, particularly the running portion, which takes place in a forest-covered trail lining the lake. He said, “The location is awesome. The course is well laid out, well organized with great transition points and is a very scenic venue.”

This year’s first place female finisher of the Olympic Triathlon was 20-year-old Brittany McEachern of Kingston, who crossed the line with a time of 2.30.59. It was her first time finishing first in an Olympic triathlon event. Brittany has been training for tri events for just two years and this was her third Olympic Tri race to date and her best time ever. She was pleased with her race and said that her mother and other participants cheered her on throughout the race. “I love triathlons and I'm definitely going to stick with it.” She will be running in the K-Town Triathlon at the beginning of August. She said that the bike portion was the most difficult for her. “There was a hard downpour during the first loop of the bike portion, which made for a very cold and windy ride.”

Christine McKinty, the event’s race director, said that events like the Try-a-Tri and other relay events are especially fun for family groups, and that this year she saw many family groups of all ages take part. Leslie Reade of Sydenham and her 10-year-old son Eli both took part in the races; Leslie in the Olympic Tri and Eli as a member of a sprint tri relay team. It was Leslie's fourth time participating and Eli's first and both were pleased with their performances.

The Sydenham Tri/Du relies on over 50 volunteers and this year’s “club of the event” was the Sydenham Legion.

Marianne Takala of Sydenham was the assistant race director. I caught up with her son, former triathlete Scott Takala, who was instrumental in designing the Sydenham race along with its founder Richard Cadman. Takala did not participate this year after having placed first in the Olympic Tri for a number of consecutive years. He said he is focusing his sights solely on running events and currently is training for a half marathon this fall. Organizers were pleased with the turnout this year and Christine McKinty is hoping to see more families come out next year. For more information visit somersault.ca