With the Summer holidays now upon us you’ll be looking for ways to keep the kids motivated. Nicki catches up withTracey Greer to find out all about a fantastic new event from the team that brought you Highland Race Series!            

Last year LAL did something that I didn’t think was possible… they gave me a word I didn’t know and I still can’t quite pronounce! Aquathlon.  Their inaugural junior aquathlon was held as part of the Sprint Triathlon weekend at Aberfeldy in May 2015 and proved to be a huge success.  The appetite for multi-discipline sporting challenges has grown hugely in recent years and it was only a matter of time before the sports-mad parents saw the love filter down to the sports-mad kids.

LAL ran the event again this year and it is fair to say that this great formula will be an integral part of the Sprint-Tri weekend and wider Highland Race Series moving forward.  Not ones to let a good idea go under-sold, the team has decided to take the same winning formula and apply it to a new event in Strathearn this September.

The Strathearn Junior and Youth Aquathlon will run on Sunday 04 September 2016. The Strathearn Junior and Youth Aquathlon will take place at Strathearn Community Campus.  It is open to children aged 8 to 16 and will include a swim followed by a run.  Here’s how it works!

Swim:

The swim is a set length depending on your age group (see our handy table below) and there will be 4 lanes with 4 athletes per lane in each heat.

Transition

After the swim the participants will run out of the campus through a fire exit from pool side and into the transition area where they will put on trainers and any other kit required.

Run:

Run lengths are listed below in the table and like swim lengths, depend on age. The routes are currently being devised and will be available on www.liveactive.co.uk nearer to event.

Please note that age categories are based on your age on 31 December each year. For example, if you are age 8 on race day, but will be age 9 by 31 December, you will be in the age 9-10 category.

About the event:

This is a fun event that is a great way to introduce kids to multi-discipline sports events.  They simply need to be keen, a pair of swimming trunks or Tri-suit, swimming goggles, trainers and shorts and T-shirt for the transition change.

Event Charges - £12.00 BTF/TS member  £15.00 non-member this includes race memento.

I know it’s a bit of a given, but I’m going to go ahead and say it anyway! Kids who exercise and set goals are generally fitter, happier and healthier.  This is a great way to help your children keep themselves motivated this summer and gain an amazing sense of achievement when they cross the finish line in September. Help them set their goal and get into the pool or out for a run as you train towards the big day itself.

We’ll be looking for boys and girls who’d like to tell their Aquathlon story so please do let us know if your kids decide to sign up for this fab event!