Race Coverage

"It Ended on a Good Note"...

Monday, 21 September 2020 23:10

By Jason Larson

Square Lake Race Report - It definitely feels good to be racing again. To jump in the water, start your watch, put your bib on, and be out there with all the other competitors. This year's Square Lake sprint tri was unlike any other year. That's a good thing though because instead of having to be canceled due to covid, it was able to be held in a special distanced style. 

The weather was excellent at Square Lake Park: Overcast skies but moderate temperatures, no rain, and no sun in your eyes. The water was cool and felt great. Racers entered the water in a serialized start, approximately one person every 5 seconds. The swim was a little over 1/2 mi and then everyone transitioned in specially arranged transition zone that spaced people 6 ft apart. I've never had so much space! We were arranged alphabetically, and I racked next to my neighbor in (similar) name Dwight Larsen. He was also back to the races after having completed 40+ tris himself. I know he was also glad to be out on course again...

Out of the transition zone, the bike and run had some of the traditional hills Square Lake is known for, but they only make you stronger. Although there couldn't be large gatherings of fans, just having the other racers out on course was enough. There was a table with individual serve water at the halfway point of the run, and there was another table with water - and hand sanitizer - at the finish. Everyone was able to celebrate their race and talk over how it went while maintaining their distance and keeping one another safe. Things were nicely executed by Judi and the the Midwest multisport races team.  If this was the end to the 2020 triathlon season in MN, it ended on a good note. And hopefully we can all be back racing again and crossing the finish lines in 2021.