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POUND RIDGE, N.Y. – Pound Ridge Recreation Commission member Jason Weisberg is one of only 100 certified level-1 triathlon coaches in the United States.
Now, he’s trying to spread his love for what is known as multi-sport to Pound Ridge youngsters.
The Recreation Department will sponsor its inaugural Splash ‘n’ Dash race at 8 a.m. Sept. 9 at the Town Park. Weisberg said Splash ‘n’ Dash is a fast-growing sport that combines running and swimming.
“It’s designed as an introduction to multi-sport for youth,” he said. “The biggest prohibitor to the triathlon is usually the cost of the bike. So, this is a way to get kids interested in multi-sport without having to worry about that.”
The Pound Ridge Splash ‘n’ Dash is open to boys and girls between the ages of 7-15. Ages 7-10 will swim 100 yards and run 1 kilometer. Ages 11-15 will swim 200 yards and run 2 kilometers. Each age group is broken into genders.
For the swimming portion of the competition, the lane lines will be removed from the town pool.
“It’s to give the kids a sense of what a group swim would be like,” Weisberg said. “We won’t let too many start at once; we’ll stagger the starts. This is supposed to be an introduction to multi-sport. We don’t want to freak them out and have them all running into each other.”
For the running portion of the event, the entire course is closed to traffic and is within the confines of the park.
Weisberg said he got the idea to bring the Splash ‘n’ Dash to Pound Ridge while at a U.S. Triathlon certification class for instructors. He said the group is trying to promote the sport better.
“It’s idea we've been talking about,” he said. “Multi-sport is big on the West Coast, but not so much here. I just thought it would be great for the kids and a way for them to burn off some energy. It’s also a way to create come more choices for kids in the community.”
All participants will receive a T-shirt and are invited to attend a post-event celebration at the town park with their families.
“We want their parents to come out and cheer them on,” Weisberg said.
The entrance fee for the Splash & Dash is $40 and participants much register by Sept. 5. Go to http://www.active.com/running/pound-ridge-ny/the-inaugural-pound-ridge-splash-and-dash-2012 to sign up. There will be no registrations taken the day of the race.
For more information, write to Weisberg at Jason@advitamsports.com.
Comments (2)
The registration monies go directly to the Pound Ridge Recreation commission. The event is being run as non-profit as are all the recreation programs. It is the first time we are running event and we set the price based on the value of the experience and comparable events. If we determine at the conclusion of the event that we can deliver the same product for less we shall do so without hesitation. Active.com was the vendor selected to handle the registration process to streamline the data and money processing for the recreation department and its volunteers. I hope your kids sign up. It will be a great event.
Love the idea of Splash & Dash, and I have three kids who would be interested. But why such a hefty registration fee? Why isn't registration being handled by the Rec Dept? Do they not get the monies?