Belle Isle will be the site for Detroit's first triathlon at 8 a.m. Sunday, June 25.
3
Disciplines Racing, a Michigan-based group that puts on over 50 racing
events a year, has been working for two years on a Detroit race. At
least 300 people and as many as 800 are expected to race in the Motor
City Triathlon.
Belle Isle’s roadway (formerly the site of
Detroit’s Grand Prix race) will be closed off for the race; event
organizers say the course is one of the flattest and fastest they have
seen for bike and running.
The beach on the north end of the
island will be the start of the swimming portion of the race. Despite
some stigma attached to the Detroit River, race event organizers have
found the beach and swim area, well away from the shipping lanes south
of the island, to be one of the cleanest in the state, they say.
“We’re
in for the long haul at Detroit,” said Kenny Krell, owner of 3
Disciplines Racing. “If this event goes well we hope to continue having
a Detroit triathlon for the next 20 years.”
There will be two
categories, the Olympic and Sprint races. The Olympic is full-distance,
1.5K of swimming, 40K of biking and 10K of running. The Sprint has
distances half of the Olympic. Olympic racers will compete for a $1,000
prize purse. Individuals can also compete as part of a three-person
relay team.
You can register the day before the event from 2-5
p.m. at the Belle Isle Casino and from 6-7:30 a.m. the morning of the
race. Or go to
www.3disciplines.com. Registration fees are $85 the day before the event ($75 prior) and $175 for a three-person relay team ($165 prior).
Source: Kenny Krell, 3 Disciplines Racing