By Justin Anderson
The snow is melting atop the Wasatch Mountains, signaling
the beginning of spring, warm weather and sunshine. Many racers along the
Wasatch Front have begun their training in hopes of breaking personal records
and finishing races of longer distances than they’ve previously run. For some
competing in triathlon events, this weekend will present an opportunity to test
out new gear and break the ice for the season.
The fifth annual Legacy Duathlon will be held this Saturday beginning
at 9 a.m. Athletes have three different races to choose from,: a long course,
consisting of a 5K followed by a 22.4 mile bike ride and then another 5K, a short course, which will cut each distance from the long course in half, and a bike only race with a distance of 22.4 miles.
“Duathlons provide a
gateway for runners to make a switch into triathlon,” said Joe Coles, the director
of the race. “Unlike a triathlon with an intimidating swim, the duathlon is
simply a run and a bike. We see many first time multisport athletes here.”
Coles’ aim for this race is to provide multisport athletes
with a nice, relatively easy event to kick off the racing season.
“Many seasoned triathletes have not tested out their bike in
race fashion in several months, or their legs for that matter,” he said. “This
race gives them a way to get geared up.”
Coles’ company name is a tribute to his grandfather, who
inspired him to begin running. Coles’ grandfather ran his last marathon at the
age of 80.
“I named the company “On Hill Events” after him, because he
was never over the hill, but always on it,” Coles said.
Among those participating in the race is Rolynn Snow, a
police officer from Centerville.
“It’s a great icebreaker for the season,” Snow said. “That
opens up our season; everyone gets out and tests out their new gear. That’s
what we did last year. We use these duathlons as our gauging point as to how
the rest of the year will go.”
Snow participated in the long distance last year and enjoys
the course for many reasons; one of them being that it is a relatively simple
and flat course. Another is how well Coles and his team cater to the runners.
“We really love the location and the scenery. It’s all
pretty, it’s well put together, it’s well organized,” Snow said. “There’s great
race-day support by Joe. He has the first-timers orientation the night before.
So if this is your absolute first time, he runs through the transition so that
it kind of alleviates that anxiety of showing up the next morning and not
knowing where to put your bike and stuff. He does a great job with that.”
The race will begin at 1130 West Center Street in Salt Lake
City. Runners will begin the duathlon in 15 second intervals, to avoid
crowding, with the fastest estimated runners starting at 9 a.m. Registration isopen online and costs $50.
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