Oct 7

Oct 7 Race Recap: Team River Runner Biathlon 2019

It’s pretty much the end of the mid-Atlantic race season when the Team River Runner (TRR) biathlon rolls around every year. This race usually rounds out the season for us and it feels like the perfect one to end it on.

This race is a combined 1 mile SUP or kayak sprint followed by a 3 mile run on the Capital Crescent Trail and racers are encouraged to fundraise. That’s an easy ask considering the group you’re contributing to. TRR provides veterans and their families a chance to find health, healing, community purpose, and new challenges through adventure and adaptive sports. But it's more than that. They facilitate connection, allowing veterans to enjoy nature and realize its social, physical, and emotional benefits. In general, they facilitate connection - with others, with nature.

We can’t remember why we didn’t participate last year. The last time we competed was in 2017, about a week before our wedding. We ended up racing each other to the finish line and it felt like a great SUP season send off before we embarked on married life together.

We were stoked to be able to participate again this year and set a modest goal to raise $100 for TRR. Needless to say, we were shocked to come out ahead of that, raising a total of $225 thanks to some serious generous friends and paddle buddies. Here’s our (quick) recap of our last race of the 2019 season!

Meredith’s Race
I always think this race is going to be a breeze - it’s a way shorter paddle and a pretty quick run. But every time I participate, I’m humbled by the challenge that comes from transitioning between a paddle sprint and that run! The last time we participated, I raced Scott to the finish line (and beat him, btw). This year, it was really fun to cross the finish line together, hand-in-hand, and with Fin leading the way. I feel so lucky to be able to do these activities with them.

Scott’s Race
Running sucks. Can I just stick with paddling?

We give it our all at every race we enter. It’s a race afterall - why not? And while we’re always excited to represent the local SUP community at this race and come away with some medals, this race really isn’t about a podium finish. The racers competing right next to us are the real inspiration. They’re veterans, they’re wounded warriors, they’re adaptive paddlers, they’re athletes who paddle hundreds of miles with limited eyesight. Supporting TRR and these folks are the true motivation when we sign up and hit the course. You’ve really got to put this race on your list for next year!