Cortez will celebrate this Fourth of July as a day of healthy living in addition to our nations independence with the second annual Cortez Burst Triathlon.
People ages 6 to 60-and-older can participate in the sprint distance format triathlon to swim, bike and run in the event sponsored by Cortez Friends of Recreation and the Cortez Recreation Center.
The Cortez Burst Triathlon, named because of the July 4, fireworks burst, promotes healthy living and will give out free rec center membership passes this year to families that cant afford membership and to people with special needs. The rec center memberships are donated by Cortez Friends of Recreation, which was set up by the Cortez Onward Foundation, a trust and endowment fund management group. Cortez Friends of Recreation is an endowment fund that was created with money left over from building the rec center in January 2004. About $20,000 in free membership passes have been donated since the rec center has been open.
One of the concerns when the rec center opened, is that some people might not be able to afford it. This is for people that can afford it, Marc Meyer, Cortez Burst Triathlon chairman and Cortez Friends of Recreation board member, said.
The adult class is 15-older and can be done individually or as a team. The adults will swim 500 yards, bike 11.5 miles and run two miles. In the kids triathlon, which can also be done individually or as a team, there are two classes. Ages 6-10 will swim 50 yards, bike one mile and run a half mile. The 11-14 age group will swim 100 yards, bike two miles and run one mile.
The Cortez Burst Triathlon will begin that Monday morning on the Fourth at the newly renovated Cortez Outdoor Pool with the swimming events at 7 a.m. The adult bike race will be routed through town. The kids bike and running races, and the adult run, are at Parque de Vida. The triathlon will conclude after 11 a.m., and awards will be given out at noon outside the rec center. Among the awards are trophies and T-shirts. Fireworks are later that night at Parque de Vida, which is where Cortez Friends of Recreation really wants to center the triathlon.
Theyll swim. Theyll bike. Theyll come back here (Parque de Vida). Theyll run, Meyer said. We try to pick an event that people will already be coming to town for because the Fourth of July is such a huge event here in the park.
Cortez Recreation Center trainer and Cortez Burst Triathlon creator Rayna Hale will participate in the adult class and encourages anyone to sign up.
My goal is to just get people to do anything. I try to get people involved in fitness. Its just a lifetime journey for me, she said. Anybody can do this race for fun. You can walk it, dog paddle it. We want everyone to come out and support the recreation center and get involved in fitness.
Hale said the idea of this event was originally brought up as a 12-mile bike race but she suggested making it a triathlon, so it could be more family oriented.
Anybody can ride a bike, run or swim. It was more than just a bike race, Hale said about the Cortez Burst Triathlon.
There were 44 triathletes in last years inaugural race and Meyer would like to see upward of 100 participants this year.
Registration fees are $45 for the individual adult class and $90 for the adult team class. The kids classes are $20 for an individual and $40 for a team. All registration fees will go up after Tuesday, June 14. See http://corteztri.weebly.com for more information or email cortezbursttriathlon@gmail.com. People can register for the Cortez Burst Triathlon at www.active.com. To volunteer, contact Meyer at 560-4956.
Reach Bobby Abplanalp at bobbya@cortezjournal.com.