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Tuesday
March 16, 2010 Since 1922 |
‘Awesome’ turnout for triathlon
By Barrett Goldsmith
Baytown Sun Published August 13, 2007 MONT BELVIEU – Before a lot of folks had woken up Sunday morning, about 250 athletes from as far off as Florida and Alabama had raced nearly 20 miles by foot, sea and cycle at the second annual Olympia Recreation Club Triathlon.
The event was meant to raise money for the Baytown sports club, located on Ward Road, which last year was close to shutting down. But race director Kevin Jones and a group of volunteers got together and created the triathlon, though Jones said he was unsure how successful it would be.
“I didn’t know how well a triathlon would go down in the Baytown area,” Jones said. “But last year was good, and this year was a lot smoother. It’s been awesome.”
Jones, who is the head football coach at Cedar Bayou Junior School, said he expects the event to raise as much as $5,000 for the club. The money comes from $45 entry fees from all the runners, and local companies donated refreshments and equipment for the event.
“It’s a lot of work,” Jones said. “And with the rain (Saturday night), we were worried how the athletes would respond. It was a little muddy, but the runners were fine with it.”
Eastside Honda and Gene’s Power sports Country dually hosted the event. The athletes began by swimming 500 meters in the special man-made lake behind Gene’s – the lake is meant to test the water vehicles sold at the dealership. They then hopped on their bikes, riding a 16-mile course through Mont Belvieu. Finally they returned to the lake, running three miles around its banks.
As each runner crossed the finish line, a team of well-wishers and volunteers cheered them on and snapped their photos. The athletes began gathering in a pavilion, enjoying the food and drinks and cooling down with some post-race chatter. Inspirational music blared from a speaker near the lake.
Prizes were given based on age group and gender and overall standings. Douglas Paddon-Jones, 38, finished in first place with a time of one hour, 16 minutes and 12 seconds. He was followed by Shaun Aullman, 30, and Paul Brice, 44.
Ron Welsh of Spring said he enjoyed the course, especially the clear water in the lake.
“It’s a nice, short course,” Welsh said. “And it’s very well organized, which helps a lot. The staff have been really helpful and attentive.”
Jeff Pack of Huffman said he competes in eight to 10 triathlon’s each year. He said he loves the competition and the sense of camaraderie amongst the competitors.
“And if course it helps you stay in shape,” Pack said. “That’s always great.”
Baytown Sun Published August 13, 2007 MONT BELVIEU – Before a lot of folks had woken up Sunday morning, about 250 athletes from as far off as Florida and Alabama had raced nearly 20 miles by foot, sea and cycle at the second annual Olympia Recreation Club Triathlon.
The event was meant to raise money for the Baytown sports club, located on Ward Road, which last year was close to shutting down. But race director Kevin Jones and a group of volunteers got together and created the triathlon, though Jones said he was unsure how successful it would be.
“I didn’t know how well a triathlon would go down in the Baytown area,” Jones said. “But last year was good, and this year was a lot smoother. It’s been awesome.”
Jones, who is the head football coach at Cedar Bayou Junior School, said he expects the event to raise as much as $5,000 for the club. The money comes from $45 entry fees from all the runners, and local companies donated refreshments and equipment for the event.
“It’s a lot of work,” Jones said. “And with the rain (Saturday night), we were worried how the athletes would respond. It was a little muddy, but the runners were fine with it.”
Eastside Honda and Gene’s Power sports Country dually hosted the event. The athletes began by swimming 500 meters in the special man-made lake behind Gene’s – the lake is meant to test the water vehicles sold at the dealership. They then hopped on their bikes, riding a 16-mile course through Mont Belvieu. Finally they returned to the lake, running three miles around its banks.
As each runner crossed the finish line, a team of well-wishers and volunteers cheered them on and snapped their photos. The athletes began gathering in a pavilion, enjoying the food and drinks and cooling down with some post-race chatter. Inspirational music blared from a speaker near the lake.
Prizes were given based on age group and gender and overall standings. Douglas Paddon-Jones, 38, finished in first place with a time of one hour, 16 minutes and 12 seconds. He was followed by Shaun Aullman, 30, and Paul Brice, 44.
Ron Welsh of Spring said he enjoyed the course, especially the clear water in the lake.
“It’s a nice, short course,” Welsh said. “And it’s very well organized, which helps a lot. The staff have been really helpful and attentive.”
Jeff Pack of Huffman said he competes in eight to 10 triathlon’s each year. He said he loves the competition and the sense of camaraderie amongst the competitors.
“And if course it helps you stay in shape,” Pack said. “That’s always great.”