Uniontown Duathlon set Saturday
The 12th annual Uniontown Triathlon will be forever affixed with an asterisk – that is, the annual event will be temporarily renamed the Uniontown Duathlon for 2003. Because of renovations to the Uniontown High School natatorium, the swimming leg of the race will be eliminated and replaced by the first of two running courses.
“This is just a one-year shot,” said race co-director Jes Hutson. “The race will go on as normal next year.”
The race, which benefits the Salvation Army, will be held 7:30 Saturday morning, beginning on Stewart Ave. and ending at Uniontown High School’s Bill Powers Stadium. It will include a four-mile run to replace the 200-yard swim, followed by the customary 10.3-mile bike ride through Hopwood and South Union Twp. and a second run, a 4.25-mile jaunt through downtown Uniontown, ending at the football stadium track.
“The decision was one we made as a committee,” said race co-director Capt. John Riley of the Salvation Army. “There were a lot of details involved with moving the race, so we decided to make it a duathlon. We felt we had to do something because once you stop (not having the race for a year), it’s hard to get it up and running again.”
Race organizers are weary leading up to the race because of a lack of participants. Riley hopes for 100 racers, compared to previous years when anticipated racers exceeded 240. Walk-up registration is strongly encouraged no less than 15 minutes prior to the start.
Many tri-athletes use the Uniontown Triathlon as a preparation for Ironman and Ironwoman competitions. Much like three-time defending champion Vinnie Monseau, a native of Morgantown, W.Va., who just last year completed the course with a personal-best time of 55:35.
In the women’s division, Bethel Park’s Leslie Becki is the defending champion after capturing first place with a time of 1:08.13 to finish 24th overall last year.
“The triathlon is a really good event, so we were really hoping for some of the old faithful to come back,” Riley said. “But for a lot of people, the double run is just too extensive and that turned a lot of people away.”
According to Riley and Hutson, the race is a great asset to the community.
“It’s a nice social event,” Hutson said, “as well as a physically-challenging event.”
“People enjoy seeing Uniontown and having a wonderful time together,” Riley said. “It’s almost like a reunion.”
Eliminating the swimming, however, has no effect on the two aspects the race is renowned for. The distinct hilly terrain and the well-organized, well-staffed race workers have gained favor with race participants over the years.
“Absolutely,” Hutson said. “We are very well staffed. It will be no different than any other year. Safety is our main concern.”
Former race director Dan Bryson remains active in overseeing the volunteer effort, while race committee member John McDermott, according to Hutson, has done a phenomenal job in cultivating sponsorship for the race.
The main sponsors for the race are the Salvation Army, Asbury Methodist Church, and Fayette Striders, as well as many other sponsors supporting the effort.
“People want to remain active and support the less fortunate,” Riley added. “It’s a win-win situation.”