Rotary Club Preps for 12th Annual Mini Triathlon

Watch out, Woodridge.

This Sunday hundreds of athletes, both adults and kids, will take over and the area around 83rd Street and Janes Avenue.

They'll be cycling, swimming and running in the Chicago area's largest mini triathlon, run by the .

Around 700 participants are expected to turn out this year: 500 for the main race and 200 for the kids race. The athletes represent five states and more than 100 Chicago area communities. There are also a few from Europe. 

The large demographic helps showcase Woodridge, said Mike Adams, executive director of the and event director for the mini triathlon.

The Rotary Club expects to make $25,000 from the race, up from the $15,000 they netted last year. It's the 12th annual race for the club.

That money goes to a variety of charities, from Serenity House and the to college scholarships, local fundraisers and some international projects. This year the event is sponsored by Advocate Good Samaritan Hospital and Good Samaritan Health and Wellness Center.

To pull off the event, the Rotary Club relies on about 130 volunteers. Those volunteers are members of the Rotary Club, Stanley & Friends, community members and previous attendees of the event.  Volunteers help from setting up and taking down to handing out food, traffic patrol and checking in attendants. 

Adams said his favorite part of the event is giving athletes the opportunity to try something different.

“Some [participants] are scared to try a full-blown triathlon, so we get a lot of first-timers," he said.

"We also get a lot of 5K and 10K athletes, as well as big tri-athletes from the Chicago Triathlon who use this as a warm-up or tune-up for their race [which takes place Aug. 26-28]. [The mini triathlon] is a great way to improve health and fitness.”

The main race consists of a 250-yard swim (10 pool lengths), 6.2-mile bike ride and a 2-mile run. The kids race (for ages 7-12) consists of a 100-yard swim (four pool lengths), 3.1-mile bike ride and a one-mile run. 

The main race begins at 7 a.m. and the kids race begins at 10:30 a.m.    

Awards will be given to the top three finishers, by gender, in each age group for both races, with participation medals for all children under 13. This year, due to the amount of time required to accurately compile results, awards for the main race will be mailed to the top finishers.  

Registration for the mini triathlon closes Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. To register, click here.

For those not participating: 83rd Street will be closed from Janes Avenue to Woodward Avenue from 4 a.m. to noon for the event. The village encourages drivers to use 75th Street or Boughton Road instead.