Tris4health announced the official race details for the 10th Anniversary event of Grand Rapids Triathlon by Huntington Bank. After canceling the in-person race in June in consideration of health and safety due to COVID-19, the event has been rescheduled for the summer of 2021.
The race will be completed over the course of a two-day weekend – Saturday, June 19, 2021 through Sunday, June 20, 2021.
Participants will compete in the Sprint and Super Sprint distance events on Saturday while the Olympic and Half distance events will follow on Sunday. Relay and Aquabike course options will also be available. Athletes will also have the option to register for multiple events and compete on both days.
Another change comes in the form of location of the transition area. Previously the transition area was Buttrick Avenue but now it is in Ada Park on the corner of Buttrick Avenue and Grand River Drive. The finish line will also be located on Buttrick Avenue.
Registration will begin on Monday, December 28 for all 2020 deferred athletes and will remain open for two weeks before being made available to the public on Jan. 11, 2021. Participation will be capped each day at 500 to start, with more spots to open as guidelines and protocols change.
“While we were disappointed that we had to postpone the 10th Anniversary Grand Rapids Triathlon this past summer, we knew that it was the right decision as health and safety of our West Michigan triathlon community will always be our number one priority,” said Jon Conkling, co-owner of Tris4health and co-race director of Grand Rapids Triathlon. “However, we have been hard at work preparing for 2021 and are very excited for all of the participants to experience the new race changes and updates we have made. We truly believe that we will have a safer and more successful GR Tri anniversary race!”
More information on the race can be found on Tris4health’s website. Tris4health also states safety measures will also be implemented, such as social distancing, minimized touch points and other COVID-19 related best practices to ensure that safety of the staff, participants and spectators remain as the top priority. Also, a virtual race option is available.