Loveland Lake to Lake Tri, more women than men, few reasons why.

By Kirsten Smith

Last week I learned that the local favorite Loveland Lake to Lake triathlon in Loveland, Colorado has more female participants that male. This is not surprising to me but is very rare in the world of triathlon where most races (other than women specific races) are around 75% male and 25% female.

I have done the Lake to Lake triathlon several times, including the inaugural race in 2001. At that time, there weren’t very many races in Colorado, other than Denver and Boulder, so it was very exciting that there was a local race to Northern Colorado where I was living at the time.

I am a triathlon coach and work with many beginner female triathletes. When going over race options for locals, the Lake to Lake is one I often recommend. Now that I have this new info about the number of women who participate, I’m excited to share it as many of my newbie women triathletes. I reached out to the community of local female triathletes to find out the appeal. Here are some of my findings…

For starters, many love Loveland’s friendly, small-town community and the local charities the race supports.

They also mentioned the “welcoming” and “fun” aspects of the race and one of the best finishing picnics in the sport. Several liked the “organization” of the race and since it is smaller and “not in Boulder” it is less intimidating. Also noted was the warmer water temp in Lake Loveland and the park like atmosphere and grassy transitions feels very welcoming and calm. The run winds through the local neighborhood and around the lake and finishes passing the bronze statues in the park.

Being on June 22, the timing of this race is great for families. It’s early enough in the summer that it’s after school gets out but before most summer vacations. It gives moms enough training time while school is still in session but before the business of the summer sets in.

Both the Sprint and Olympic distance bike courses are very safe and scenic and away from a lot of the local traffic. As a new mom, I am concerned more about my safety than before I had my baby. It’s more of a priority for me to be around to see her grow up! Numerous women I spoke with, who did the race for the first time, did it on recommendation from a friend! They heard “good things” about the race as a whole. Women tend to share their experiences with other women (both good and bad) so this doesn’t surprise me at all as a main reason why women choose do this race!!

There is a Sprint distance, an Olympic distance, and an Aquabike. There are age group, Athena, Clydesdale, and Relay categories. I hope to see you all out there this year!