Hello, my name is Stephen and I am a Triathlon Widow, or TriWi, as we are sometimes called. We are the ones standing along the run or bike route cheering you on as you wiz by us for a few brief seconds. It is the TriWis that are shouting encouragement, hoping for the slightest of acknowledgments as you transition from the swim to bike, bike to run. And I am here to tell you a little secret – some triathlons are better than others, for us.

Triathletes judge a good triathlon by the transition areas, the well mapped course, the number of aid stations, the overall organization of the event. While these are important, they have no real bearing on us. What makes a good triathlon for a TriWi? Who’s catering? Are there things to do or see while we wait an hour for you to return from the next leg of the race? What kind of free things are there? I want samples lined up like Costco.

Well, the Portland Triathlon was all this and more. Now it didn’t hurt that we could take the streetcar to get there, and it was like having it held in our backyard. Because the course was laid out so that the athletes had to make a few laps to complete each leg, you could see the them several times during each leg. And since cowbells were included in the race packet goodie bags, seeing them was even more exciting. Two words: more cowbell.

The event was held downtown at Tom McColl Waterfront Park, along the Willamette. Indeed, the swim was held in the river itself (ech!) and although they swear its safe, I didn’t see anyone running back into the river to cool off at the end of the race. The bike course was on the streets, and included some killer hills, but also some great straightaways to get your speed up. The run followed the river across two bridges, and was easy to follow from the main race center. The aid stations included both water and sports drink, in paper cups with a recycling receptacle close after. Since this was an eco-friendly event, disposable plastic water bottles were discouraged.

Amazing efforts were made to make this a sustainable race. Not just your standard recycling, but an all-encompassing effort to produce a more responsible race. This was the first tri ever to use swim caps made from recycled swim caps. The foods were local sourced and organic (and delicious). The inks used for body marking were non-toxic and skin friendly. Even the racks in the transition area were made from bamboo and surplus steel. The medals, the awards, the race shirts, even the bag it all came in, was all recycled, reused, and responsible.

Now, for those of us waiting at the finish line, there was awesome food – BBQ, gelato, free natural energy drink samples (whole 16oz cans!), and a beer garden. Let me say that last one again – Beer Garden. The focus of this event lasered in on what Portland does best, sustainability and beer. There was also a massage area, free to racers, and art projects for the kids to help pass the time.

Out of the 5 events I attended this year, this was one of the top two. It was a beautiful day, there was good food and beer, it was easy to keep the kids busy, there was beer, and cowbell. On top of all that, I got to feel a little less widowed, thanks to the course layout.

More about the event can be found here: http://www.portlandtri.com/