(This article originally appeared in the Lincoln Journal on June 29, 2012.)
By Alice Waugh
Despite a few no-shows due to early-morning rain, 182 kids finished Lincoln’s ninth annual “Splash, Mash and Dash” kids’ triathlon last Saturday, with Lincoln residents finishing near the top in almost every age group.
Participants came from all over eastern Massachusetts and beyond, with one from as far away as Grosse Point, Mich. Forty-three of the finishers (about 24 percent) were Lincoln residents.
Before the start, kids checked in at the Codman Pool to have race numbers and ages written on their arms and legs in black marker and waterproof transponder chips attached to their ankles. Participants age 7 and up had to swim, bike and run different distances depending on their age group (although the 5- and 6-year-olds did only an “aquathon” without the biking portion).
After a stirring a capella rendition of the national anthem by Georgia and Brittany Baltay of Lincoln, the youngest kids did one length in the water (parents swimming alongside) and then dashed from the pool amid applause from the crowd to the running course marked with flags on the adjacent grassy field. Older kids instead ran to the parking lot, which was marked off in squares with spray paint for each child’s towel, bike, helmet, shoes, shirt and race bib. More than 40 volunteers plus a cohort of lifeguards helped guide the kids along the course and keep things running smoothly.
As racers neared the finish line, family members shouted encouragement, and proud parents posed their damp, tired and happy kids for photos after each was presented with a medal. Event co-organizer Karen Smyers of Lincoln acted as emcee. Using a wireless microphone, she congratulated kids as they finished with calls of “Nice finish! You got it! You did so well!”
“It was nice having a different bike route this year,” said 14-year-old Sam Hoenig of Lincoln, who finished in first place among 13- and 14-year-old boys. He noted that last year, the triathletes couldn’t bike or run on Lincoln Road (which was in the midst of a repaving project) and instead had to do laps around the ball field.
First to finish the boys’ aquathon was 6-year-old Peter Tompkins of Reading, Mass. He was so eager to run after his swim that he dashed our of the pool onto the course without bothering to don his shoes or shirt. But he comes by his triathlon enthusiasm honestly — he was one of nine cousins who took part. Three Tompkins siblings, four Smiths from Hingham and two Croteaus from Arlington entered, no doubt inspired by their grandmother, 70-year-old Pat Ryan of Medford, who started doing triathlons 27 years ago and is now a world-class triathlete in her age group.
Another top Lincoln finisher in her group was Olivia Pistorio, who came in sixth overall among the 9- and 10-year-old girls. “I think I like the biking part best, because you can glide and rest a bit and not have to use your arms,” she said. The event was more enjoyable for her this time because recent weather made for more comfortable swimming in the unheated Codman Pool. “Last year the water was freezing,” she said.
All morning, parents and kids clustered around a TV monitor showing everyone’s times, which were recorded by the transponder chips and transmitted to computers in All Sports Events van near the finish line. Complete results are available on the All Sports website (click on “Results”).
Everyone got a chance to finish the course, even if they didn’t do it strictly by the book. Smyers reported that one girl missed the route on the bike course, but organizers accommodated her request to repeat the entire triathlon without being timed. A child in the youngest age group was scared to start the swim along with her peers, “but when the race was about two-thirds over, she decided she was ready,” so organizers let her unofficially complete the aquathon, Smyers said.
Another happy athlete was 7-year-old Henry Fenollosa of Arlington, who crossed the finish line together with his twin brother Leo despite wearing a brace on his lower leg. Their mother, Catherine Fenollosa, explained that Henry was diagnosed with cancer of the spine while she was still pregnant with him. He started chemotherapy when he was one day old and is now cancer-free, though he was left with partial paralysis in one leg. When registering for the triathlon (his first), Henry insisted on competing with his age group rather than the younger kids. Successfully completing all three segments was “huge,” his mother said.
Top finishers received prizes including Timex “Ironman” watches, Saucony jackets and sweatshirts, and gift cards from Marathon Sports. There were also raffle prizes from donors including Something Special.
The first Lincoln residents to finish in each group (and their overall results for their group) were
- Ages 5-6: Ginger Perry (3rd), Dylan Russell (3rd)
- Ages 7-8: Sophie Herant (1st), Callum Stein (1st)
- Ages 9-10: Olivia Pistorio (6th), Simon Perry (1st)
- Ages 11-12: Larsen Henken (5th), Danny Hoenig (3rd)
- Ages 13-14: Charlotte Sykes (1st), Sam Hoenig (1st)