WINONA LAKE – Winona Lake residents in the area of the park will be awoken early by an influx of nearly 500 athletes from all over Indiana as well as Michigan, Ohio and Illinois Saturday for the Warsaw Breakfast Optimist Club’s annual triathlon. Volunteers arrive at 5:30 a.m. to get ready for race registration, according to Ron Donkers, race director. The transition area in the parking lot opens at 6 a.m. The parking lot begins the transformation into the transition area Friday afternoon as the Optimist Club brings in and assembles bike racks and fencing to mark off the area used by the athletes. The adult race event provides a major source of funding for the Optimist Club since all of the proceeds are used to sponsor programs and activities for children in the Warsaw and Winona Lake area. All the athletes begin with a swim in Winona Lake. Waves of swimmers in groups of about 40 are sent off into the lake at three- minute intervals. As each swimmer enters the swim area a timing chip attached to their ankle records their start time. When each one returns to the transition area they run across a timing mat that lets organizers know both that they are safely out of the water and how long it took to complete the swim. There are 14 certified lifeguards in the water, some in kayaks and on jet skis, as well as the Warsaw Police Department dive team on a pontoon at the far end to ensure swimmers get back. After each athlete returns to the transition area they begin a 13.8-mile bike ride through Winona Lake and to Pierceton, then return to the transition area. Upon their return they again cross a timing mat. Race organizers request that residents avoid using Park Avenue during race time, from 8 to 10:30 a.m. “We are striving to provide a safe environment for the racers to have fun while raising money that is turned into donations to programs for kids in our community. An accident is no fun for anyone,” Donkers said. Lastly, athletes park their bikes and begin a 3.8- mile run along the greenway, around Southtown and back to the Winona Lake Park to the finish line, where they cross their final timing mat. Some of the fastest will take about one hour but many will take between 1 and 2 hours from when they depart. After the race, free food is provided in a picnic atmosphere for all athletes. There will be chicken quarters, pizza donated by race sponsors, perogis made by volunteers in the Senior Center kitchen, fresh fruit and energy drinks. More than 100 Optimist Club volunteers, assisted by Winona Lake, Warsaw and Pierceton police and fire departments will be out in force to help with the race. “ The Optimist Triathlon is sanctioned by USA Triathlon, an athletic association that has over 140,000 members worldwide and sanctions over 3,500 races in the US every year. USAT also sets the rules of competition for the events that it sanctions. Pre-registration for the event is required and will close later this week. To register for the race and to see the course map for the adult and youth (ages 11 and 12 and 13 and 14) events, visit the Warsaw Breakfast Optimist Triathlon home page, warsawoptimist.org/triathlon For questions about the race, contact Donkers at 574-267-7226.
