Sharon Sprint on June 27 is not just for hardcore athletes

SHARON — The first Sharon Sprint Triathlon will be held Saturday, June 27, starting at 8 a.m. at the Mudge Pond beach.

Matt Mette, director of Sharon Recreation and Youth, said he is excited about the event, which he hopes will attract teams looking to have fun in addition to serious athletes. If teams compete, they can split up the chores, so one person swims, one runs and one cycles.

“You can do it at a leisurely pace; it doesn’t have to be competitive,†he said. “I’m hoping there will be some teams, and maybe one person will go splash around in the water and someone else will take a little run — that’s the idea of having a team.â€

Individuals can complete the 1/2-mile swim, 12.1-mile bike and 4.1-mile run on their own.

Whereas marathons are always 26 miles, triathlons come in all distances. The first Ironman triathlon was held in Hawaii in 1979 and consisted of a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike and 26.2-mile run. The Olympic triathlon features a 1,500-meter swim, 40-km bike ride and 10-km run.

So the Sharon race really is a sprint, comparatively.

Details of the race are posted on findarace.com, a Web site that compiles the details of road races, triathlons and other competitive events across the country. According to Mette, athletes who have signed up for the Sharon Sprint so far are from Boston, New York City and upstate New York.

“I’m expecting we’ll end up with about 60 entries, including three teams of three people,†he said. “The vast majority are not from the area so far but more local people are signing up now. You can enter on the day of the competition.â€

In keeping with the image of triathletes as hardened competitors, the race will go on rain or shine.

“If it’s really raining hard, you have to be concerned about the cycling portion, but hopefully most of the athletes are experienced enough to know to go slow,†Mette said.

The triathlon starts at Mudge Pond with the 1/2-mile swim. Athletes will swim 1/4 mile out into the lake and 1/4 mile back. There will be a transition station 100 yards from the beach where competitors will change and hop on their bikes.

The bike route takes a right out of the beach onto Mudge Pond Road, continues into Lakeville, where it becomes Indian Mountain Road, then takes a right onto Route 112, right onto Route 41, back into Sharon, a right onto West Main Street, quick right onto Route 361, then right onto Mudge Pond Road.

The route for the run takes a right out of the lot, then a right onto Long Pond Road, which becomes Valley Road, then a right onto Mudge Town Road, then a left onto Mudge Pond Road, ending back at the beach.

Mette said the roads will remain open, but there will be volunteer firefighters to warn motorists of the race in progress.

The cost of entry is $55 for an individual or $80 for a team. All participants will get a race T-shirt. Mette said area businesses are contributing food and he has a lot of local volunteers lined up.

The event is not a fundraiser, however.

“It’ll pay for itself, and we’ll get a little money for Sharon Rec and Youth,†he said.

To register, visit sharonrec-youth.org. For more information, call Mette at 860-364-1400 or e-mail him at sharon.rec.ctr@snet.net.