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POUND RIDGE, N.Y. Pound Ridge Recreation Commission member Jason Weisberg is one of only 100 certified level-1 triathlon coaches in the United States.
Now, hes trying to spread his love for what is known as multi-sport to Pound Ridge youngsters.
The Recreation Department will sponsor its inaugural Splash n Dash race at 8 a.m. Sept. 9 at the Town Park. Weisberg said Splash n Dash is a fast-growing sport that combines running and swimming.
Its designed as an introduction to multi-sport for youth, he said. The biggest prohibitor to the triathlon is usually the cost of the bike. So, this is a way to get kids interested in multi-sport without having to worry about that.
The Pound Ridge Splash n Dash is open to boys and girls between the ages of 7-15. Ages 7-10 will swim 100 yards and run 1 kilometer. Ages 11-15 will swim 200 yards and run 2 kilometers. Each age group is broken into genders.
For the swimming portion of the competition, the lane lines will be removed from the town pool.
Its to give the kids a sense of what a group swim would be like, Weisberg said. We wont let too many start at once; well stagger the starts. This is supposed to be an introduction to multi-sport. We dont want to freak them out and have them all running into each other.
For the running portion of the event, the entire course is closed to traffic and is within the confines of the park.
Weisberg said he got the idea to bring the Splash n Dash to Pound Ridge while at a U.S. Triathlon certification class for instructors. He said the group is trying to promote the sport better.
Its idea we've been talking about, he said. Multi-sport is big on the West Coast, but not so much here. I just thought it would be great for the kids and a way for them to burn off some energy. Its also a way to create come more choices for kids in the community.
All participants will receive a T-shirt and are invited to attend a post-event celebration at the town park with their families.
We want their parents to come out and cheer them on, Weisberg said.
The entrance fee for the Splash & Dash is $40 and participants much register by Sept. 5. Go to http://www.active.com/running/pound-ridge-ny/the-inaugural-pound-ridge-splash-and-dash-2012 to sign up. There will be no registrations taken the day of the race.
For more information, write to Weisberg at Jason@advitamsports.com.
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