A small but hearty group of young triathletes turned out for the 3rd annual Kermode Kids Triathlon on May 26.
Thirteen young athletes from Kitimat, Terrace, and Prince Rupert took part in the challenge, which began with a swim at the Terrace Aquatic Centre, followed by a bike and a run at Northwest Community College.
Scheduling conflicts with soccer and dance prevented a number of the regulars from attending but the ones that came held nothing back in their efforts, according to one of the event organizers, Mike Christensen.
Distances varied depending on the age of the competitor, with eight and nine-year-olds swimming 100 m, biking 5 km, and running 1 km; 10- and 11-year-olds swimming 200 m, biking 5 km, and running 2 km; 12- and 13-year-olds swimming 300 m, biking 10 km, and running 3 km; 14- and 15-year-olds swimming 400 m, biking 10 km, and running 4 km.
Kleanza Cathers, in the 14-15 year old girls category boasted a total time of 46:51.
In the 12-13 year old girls category Emily Harrison ranked second with a total time of 56:44 and Avery Movold took the top spot with her time of 40:09.
For the 12-13 year old boys, Aidan Carter’s time of 46:04 had him ranked first, with Renzo Zanardo’s time of 51:43 not far behind.
For the 10-11 year old girls, Emma Movold was first with her time of 38:51, Emily Parks second with 41:15, and Erin Billson third wiht 43:10.
Xander Gerritsen’s time for the 10-11 year old boys was 46:11. Caelyn Christensen’s time of 32:56 in the in the 8-9 year old girls had her finish first, with Irma Schooner second in that category with 35:37.
Pasha Schooner’s total time in the 8-9 year old boys category was 35:37. And the youngest competitor, in an exhibition category was Kai Jansen with a time of 36:54.