HITS Triathlon Series - Hudson Valley Triathlon at Williams Lake
Swim in a lake. Bike on country roads. Run on the rail trail. That’s what the HITS Triathlon Series- Hudson Valley Triathlon will look like this year.
HITS has moved the tri to Williams Lake in Rosendale for its July 9 event.
There is a distance for everyone, according to John Eichman, HITS Senior Level Manager.
“Our open distance is abbreviated for beginners or kids age minimum not younger than 8 or 9. It’s short enough. The swim is just 50 meters out and back, then a 3-mile bike on the country roads and a one mile run on the rail trail. It will take place in the middle of the day when there are plenty of people and volunteers around to keep an eye on kids and beginners,” Eichman said.
There are also sprint, olympic, half and full ironman distances.
The swims all take place in 5th Lake, the lake nearest the entrance to the resort. Lengths vary from a 750-meter loop for the sprint, to 1500 meters or two 750 meter loops for the olympic. The half has a larger 1.2-mile loop and the full distance does that loop twice.
The athletes transition onto the bike for a scenic ride on country roads. Sprint and olympic distance rides take a ten mile course out to Tongor Park in the Town of Marbletown, olympic distance does the rout twice, and then back again.
Half and full distances ride a loop around the Ashokan reservoir for 56 miles, full does the loop twice. “Around the Ashokan should be just a delight, Eichman said.
Everyone returns to Williams Lake to finish up with a run on the rail trail.
“The run on the rail trail goes southerly direction, through the cave. It’s out and back for all. The full will be out and back twice. Very safe run,” Eichman said.
The only road crossing is on Binnewater Road near the Women’s Studio Workshop.
HITS is reaching out to local businesses and exploring different ways to integrate the town and have the tri be visible in town. They are looking to have a food truck at the start/finish.
“So the poor friends and family of the full distance athletes waiting for them to come back can get something to eat,” as Eichman said.
They are also working with Carrie Wyckoff and Events That Matter to have a film at the Rosendale Theater before or after the race that’s geared toward triathlon.
In years past Catskill Mountain Multi-Sport with Jon McGovern put on triathlons at Williams Lake.
Tim Allred Vice President of the Williams Lake Project said triathlons are in keeping with what the project is about.
“The vision for the resort/ residential community is wellness, active lifestyle, and outdoor recreation and sustainability,” Allred said. “We are moving forward with the project and want to build a foundation for events like this. These are the types of activities that belong in the new resort”.
In the next few months Williams Lake, and the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail that runs through it, will play host to the Williams Lake Classic Mountain Bike Race with Favata’s TRT, the Kingston Cross Country Series, the new run the Lime Kiln Trail Run and the Girls on the Run finally will take place on the resort property. In the fall the Rosendale Runs half marathon and 4.4 mile Plains Run will again cross the Williams Lake property and go through the cave. And the weekend before Halloween Ulster Corps will hold its 7th annual Zombie Run.
HITS has moved the tri to Williams Lake in Rosendale for its July 9 event.
There is a distance for everyone, according to John Eichman, HITS Senior Level Manager.
“Our open distance is abbreviated for beginners or kids age minimum not younger than 8 or 9. It’s short enough. The swim is just 50 meters out and back, then a 3-mile bike on the country roads and a one mile run on the rail trail. It will take place in the middle of the day when there are plenty of people and volunteers around to keep an eye on kids and beginners,” Eichman said.
There are also sprint, olympic, half and full ironman distances.
The swims all take place in 5th Lake, the lake nearest the entrance to the resort. Lengths vary from a 750-meter loop for the sprint, to 1500 meters or two 750 meter loops for the olympic. The half has a larger 1.2-mile loop and the full distance does that loop twice.
The athletes transition onto the bike for a scenic ride on country roads. Sprint and olympic distance rides take a ten mile course out to Tongor Park in the Town of Marbletown, olympic distance does the rout twice, and then back again.
Half and full distances ride a loop around the Ashokan reservoir for 56 miles, full does the loop twice. “Around the Ashokan should be just a delight, Eichman said.
Everyone returns to Williams Lake to finish up with a run on the rail trail.
“The run on the rail trail goes southerly direction, through the cave. It’s out and back for all. The full will be out and back twice. Very safe run,” Eichman said.
The only road crossing is on Binnewater Road near the Women’s Studio Workshop.
HITS is reaching out to local businesses and exploring different ways to integrate the town and have the tri be visible in town. They are looking to have a food truck at the start/finish.
“So the poor friends and family of the full distance athletes waiting for them to come back can get something to eat,” as Eichman said.
They are also working with Carrie Wyckoff and Events That Matter to have a film at the Rosendale Theater before or after the race that’s geared toward triathlon.
In years past Catskill Mountain Multi-Sport with Jon McGovern put on triathlons at Williams Lake.
Tim Allred Vice President of the Williams Lake Project said triathlons are in keeping with what the project is about.
“The vision for the resort/ residential community is wellness, active lifestyle, and outdoor recreation and sustainability,” Allred said. “We are moving forward with the project and want to build a foundation for events like this. These are the types of activities that belong in the new resort”.
In the next few months Williams Lake, and the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail that runs through it, will play host to the Williams Lake Classic Mountain Bike Race with Favata’s TRT, the Kingston Cross Country Series, the new run the Lime Kiln Trail Run and the Girls on the Run finally will take place on the resort property. In the fall the Rosendale Runs half marathon and 4.4 mile Plains Run will again cross the Williams Lake property and go through the cave. And the weekend before Halloween Ulster Corps will hold its 7th annual Zombie Run.
Runners in the Ulster Corps Zombie Run, 2015
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