By Joe Rubino, The Denver Post
For years, slow-filling Rueter-Hess Reservoir has tantalized endurance athletes living in the metro area. With a maximum capacity of 75,000 acre-feet of water east of Interstate 25 in Douglas County, the possibilities for swimming or triathlons there were enough to drive the average Ironman crazy in the otherwise dry portion of the Front Range.
“For probably the past five years I have been fielding calls from area residents suggesting we host a triathlon there,” professional race organizer Lance Panigutti said. “I think everyone in the community was really just looking at it saying, ‘OK, what’s it going to look like?’ It’s huge.”
In July, Panigutti and 150 athletes will finally get the up-close look they’ve been waiting for when his Without Limits Productions hosts the Parker Open Water Swim. The event, set for 7 a.m. July 29, will be the first time a sanctioned swim race is allowed at Rueter-Hess. Paniguitti organized a successful cyclocross race on a piece of property just north of the reservoir this fall, establishing a relationship with Rueter-Hess owner, the Parker Water and Sanitation District.
“It’s definitely been a long time coming,” Panigutti said. “It’s going to be a simple swim event. We’re marketing it as breaking the ribbon so to speak of being the first people to swim there legally.”
There will be two race options: a 1.2-mile loop and a 2.4-mile loop. Panigutti said he expects everyone to be done and out of the water by 9:30 a.m. and anticipates very little impact to the rest of the reservoir property.
Tickets went on sale to the general public Wednesday, March 15. Some slots are reserved for members of the Altitude Multisport Club. The collective of amateur endurance athletes from the south metro area has been aching for nearby events since an Arapahoe County road use rule change caused the cancellation of several triathlons at Aurora Reservoir last year. . .
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303Triathlon Rueter-Hess Reservoir OWS story here
303 Calendar event details here
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