The Kids of Steel is a St. Albert sports tradition every June.
This year marks the 27th edition of the popular youth triathlon and the first wave of the 191 athletes starts racing at 8 a.m. at Fountain Park Recreation Centre.
“Edmonton has a few Kids of Steel triathlons in June as well but even so the St. Albert Kids of Steel Triathlon has strong local roots and by far the majority of athletes are from St. Albert," said Wietske Eikelenboom, the longtime St. Albert KOS race director. "It helps that the event is always held the second Sunday in June. The consistency of the date makes it predictable on people’s calendar."
Last year 220 athletes (109 males and 111 females) and three teams finished the KOS, compared to 221 and five teams in 2016 and 241 and six teams in 2015.
Athletes between four and 19 years old can compete as an individual or as a team on a swim-bike-run course varying in distance per age group.
Visit www.stalbertkidsofsteel.com for the course routes.
“Over the years we have seen a trend of fewer athletes entering as a team possibly because a number of schools organize their own triathlons. This could pique children’s interest in entering the St. Albert Kids of Steel as individuals.,” said Eikelenboom, noting long-term commitments from local sponsors like Cranky’s Bike Shop and the Gators Triathlon Club has made the KOS sustainable over the years.
As of Tuesday morning, the online registration totals ranged from 58 in the U7 category to 10 in the 16 to 19 age group and seven in the junior division.
New this year is the youth 14-15 age group bike draft legal race which is also the qualifying event for the Alberta Summer Games, July 19 to 22 in Grande Prairie.
The 16 to 19 age group and the junior bike draft legal races have been shortened to reflect the change in triathlon at the elite level to shorter and faster competitions.
“We will be looking for feedback regarding this change,” Eikelenboom said.
The KOS relies heavily on an army of volunteers to make sure the triathlon is good to go every year.
“Volunteer coordinator Julie McDonald has been doing an excellent job for many years by finding volunteers and persuading parents the importance of volunteering to make the race a safe and enjoyable event. She is an invaluable key volunteer herself,” Eikelenboom said. “The organizing committee members are also volunteers who are committed, hard-working and bring lots of experience to the table.”
This year 97 volunteers are confirmed for Sunday’s race and organizers are still looking for another four swim lap counters and seven road marshals.
Interested volunteers can email [email protected] for more information.
