By Amy Batista, Special Writer
HIGHTSTOWN — The eighth annual Hightstown Sprint Distance Triathlon will take place this fall and it will have more options but no more kids race.
The event, a beginner-friendly race that starts and ends in downtown Hightstown by Peddie Lake, will be held Sept. 13.
During several Borough Council meetings it was announced the triathlon was canceled and then recently it was announced the race was back on.
“Early spring, I had approached the town about continuing the open water swim sessions and learned that there was a desire to continue the triathlon but no one had stepped up to be in charge,” Tom Eng, of Robbinsville, co-race director of the Hightstown Triathlon, said.
He said that it seemed logical that he help organize the triathlon since the open water swim practices are tied into the race event and he has been involved as both a participant and triathlon committee member in the past. He also just became a certified USA Triathlon race director.
“This sounded like a good opportunity to put my new skills to use,” he said. “Although it’s not a requirement to be a certified race director to direct a race, it gives me an extra level of knowledge about running a safe event and so the insurance costs are less.”
Having participated in hundreds of events over the last few years he has a good idea of what racers expect.
“We are making many changes to improve the overall race experience,” he said.
He redesigned the bike course to make it shorter — 11.2 miles — and easier for everyone, he said.
“It used to be over 15 miles,” he said.
The new course will tighten the time frame between the first finisher and last finisher.
“This will make it better for holding the award ceremony,” he said. “This year we are also going to offer a raffle prize drawing after the award ceremony.”
There will be new race categories for participants such as a duathlon, aquabike, relay, Clydesdale, Athena and Newbie. The duathlon is a short run, around one-mile, with the same bike course of 11.2 miles and then a 5K run at the end. The aquabike course allows participants to swim and bike without running the 5K.
“We also have a new buddy swim wave in the triathlon,” he said. “Normally, (we) send people off in waves grouped based on their age group. Instead, they can opt to go in the last wave with their friend, relative, son or daughter and this will make it more comfortable for the beginners who might feel apprehensive about the swim.”
The minimum age has also changed someone who will be 13 years old by Dec. 31, 2015, he said.
“Unfortunately, there will not be a kids’ race this year,” he said. “That was Beth Bright’s baby and I don’t think she has the time for it.”
He said organizers would try to bring that back next year, most likely on a different date from the triathlon.
“Stacey and I have our hands full trying to figure out what we need to do with this adult triathlon race,” he said.
Beth Bright, Pat Duncan and Jason Taylor were the previous co-race directors of the Hightstown Triathlon after Darek Hahn stepped down, he said.
“Pat Duncan was the chair of the Parks and Recreation and he moved to South Jersey,” he said. “Beth Bright, director of the Aquatic Center at Peddie School, no longer wanted to do this because of the time commitment.”
The triathlon is the largest fundraiser for the borough’s Parks and Recreation Department.
“The triathlon does make several thousand dollars per year depending on the number of racers and sponsors,” said Stacey Judge, the new Hightstown Parks and Recreation Committee Chairperson. She said that the money is used for park improvements like new playground equipment or a new skate zone in an existing park but also to support programs like free concerts in the park, the farmers market and the like.
“Whether you are an athlete, a supportive neighbor, a local business owner or even someone who just enjoys spending time in one of our parks the triathlon benefits all our residents in some way,” she said.
Mr. Eng said there is a new charity sponsor partnership with Stop the Monster this year.
“We have just teamed up with The Hightstown Triathlon as a charity partner,” said Tracey Levine, of Stomp the Monster.
Founded by Seth Grumet, Stomp the Monster is a nonprofit foundation that assists cancer patients when they are going through treatment. While training for his second Ironman Triathlon, Mr. Grumet began to have unusual fatigue and shortness of breath. He was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. While he was fortunate to have the support of family and friends during this crucial time, he met many people in the same situation who did not have the same type of support system. He quickly became motivated to make a difference in these people’s lives and founded Stomp the Monster, which over the past four years has assisted over 1,500 families with financial needs such as rent, utilities, cable, phone, auto expenses, medical bills, insurance, and child care, according to its website.
Several companies have already donated valuable gifts including gift bags full of Shiseido high-end cosmetic products, he added.
“There will be nice finisher medals for everyone as well,” he said, adding that he is trying not to overlook any detail that could deter someone from choosing the Hightstown Triathlon again next year.
There’s also a totally new T-shirt design.
Since the Hightstown Triathlon started eight years ago, the sport has exploded.
“Now there are many other races within driving range taking place on the same weekend to choose from,” he said. “We have to run this like a business and our racers as our customers. We have to be competitive and provide the best race experience so that people choose us over another activity that weekend.”
For additional information on Stomp the Monster, visit www.stopthemonster.org.
For additional information on the Hightstown Triathlon, visit the Facebook page or www.hightstowntriathlon.org.
