By Dana WillettThe word is out – The longstanding and iconic Harvest Moon Tri (established in 2000) might be displaced, but it is as alive as ever. Thanks to persistent negotiation by theWithout Limits folks, the race has a 2016 home at the Boulder Res. This will be pleasing to the folks who miss the old 5430 Long Course tri route, with the traditional two bike loops, and full two run loops of the res.
303 caught up with WOL Race Director Lance Panigutti and asked him some background on how this race was saved…
For background, what happened in Aurora?
Well, we tried to fight the good fight we really did. But the county has just put a stop to using the roads for any cycling, and there was nothing we could do. This seems to be happening more and more – even Cherry Creek now has limited events to only one per month.
Where else did you consider?
We tried Parker, but they’re not ready yet. They’re infrastructure is just not in place. Maybe 2017, or 2018 for Parker. We also tried Horsetooth, but we never truly even made it to the permitting process after exploratory meetings. Boulder is our absolute last resort – there are so many events there – but we’re happy to being back the 5430 course.
Will the race stay in Boulder moving forward?
If things change in the future in Aurora, we would go back for sure.
What is changing, and what is staying the same?
The race and all it’s elements will be the same – just the scenery is changing. We are maintaining the entry fee at $145, just like previous years. We will still cap the field at 600, and we’ll have duathlon and aquabike options. Everything will have the same look and feel – the same staff and hard work. It’s like a family who’s packed up their house and moved down the street. The view might be a little different, but we’re all still together as a family.
Read all the event details about the September Harvest Moon Long Course Triathlon, Duathlon, & Aquabike at Boulder ResHERE.
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