Believe it or not, despite our reputation for bikes and our general love of outdoor sports, Portland has never had a major downtown triathlon.
That is, until now.
Triathlon event promotion company One Million Revolutions has just officially announced The City of Portland Triathlon, the first ever triathlon to take place in the heart of downtown Portland.
The race is slated for September 2, 2007 (Labor Day Weekend) and will start and end in Waterfront Park near the western edge of the Hawthorne Bridge.
According to organizers, this won’t be just another triathlon. To mesh with Portland’s earth-friendly values, they are making a pledge to make this,
“the first and only triathlon in the country to staff its medical tent with naturopathic doctors…organic produce will be used for aid stations and pre-race, and locally sourced food will be served at the post-race meal…the necessary triathlon infrastructure (swim buoys, bike racks, etc) will be created from recycled or used materials whenever possible. Participants will be asked to carpool, take public transportation, or ride their bikes to the race, with incentives provided for doing so.”
There’s also plans for a kids event and an expo area. Sounds like this will be a great new Portland tradition and I look forward to checking it out.
I raced a triathlon back in the good old days and I really loved it. If I didn’t have such decrepit knees, who knows, I just might have become a “tri-geek” myself.
Get all the details at PortlandTri.com and if you’re really interested, check out the Portland Triathlon Club.