Chattanooga Triathlon Club board member Jay Nevans, foreground, and treasurer Todd Vien train for Chattanooga’s First Indoor Triathlon at the downtown YMCA.Since the Ironman triathlon came to Chattanooga a few years ago, interest in that type of event has continued to grow in popularity in the Scenic City. With the weather outside frightful, the Chattanooga Triathlon Club decided to host Chattanooga’s First Indoor Triathlon at the downtown YMCA in late February.
“We planned for it to be the kickoff event of the year,” Triathlon Club board member Jay Nevans said of the event, which also served as a fundraiser for the YMCA’s Community Support Campaign.
The campaign provides scholarships for people who are unable to afford Y memberships, feeds children during the summer and provides after-school programs during the school year. It also helps support the Y-CAP program for at-risk youth, according to the Chattanooga YMCA’s website.
Nevans said the indoor triathlon was a bit different from most held outdoors in that participants were competing for the most points, as opposed to trying for the fastest time. Points were calculated based on the number of laps done by the participant in the pool, miles ridden on the stationary bike and miles clocked on the treadmill.
Due to the lack of space, participants were divided into six groups with staggered start times. The triathlon comprised a 10-minute swim, 30-minute stationary bike ride and 20-minute treadmill run.
Nevans said 80 people registered for the 96 available slots, and the event raised more than $1,700. The club will likely host more indoor triathlons in the future, he added.
“We’ll probably do it earlier in the winter next time, and maybe make it a monthly series,” said Nevans. “This event fits well with the club’s mission of promoting the sport and is perfect for the first-time triathlete.”
He said the YMCA is an important organization to support because it provides people living sedentary lives who want to change their situations, the means to do so.
“It makes it really easy for someone thinking about getting in shape to start,” he said, giving credit to the YMCA’s non-intimidating atmosphere and the availability of child care which can accommodate a variety of schedules.
To learn about future triathlons and other events sponsored by the club, visit chatttri.com.
For more information about the YMCA’s Community Support Campaign and how to donate, visit ymcachattanooga.org.
Email Emily Crisman at ecrisman@timesfreepress.com.