South Lansing's 500-slot Hawk Island Triathlon
is full, with a waiting list. It will generate more than $35,000 for
the South Lansing Community Development Association and bring thousands
of visitors to the area.
“It’s the [region's]
first and only triathlon, and it’s probably the most beginner-friendly
triathlon in the state, if not the region,” which is why people fly in
from Chicago, Arizona and Atlanta to join the race, says the race's
organizer, Kathy Dunbar.
“We wanted to bring
people in for a spectator sport, and bring lots of people to the area
on the south side of Lansing,” she says.
The
race, which is held on Saturday, June 1, also brings money to local
businesses. Aside from obvious spin-off revenue for area hotels and
restaurants, the race has also increased the demand for triathlon
services in the Lansing area. As a result of the triathlon, Playmakers started carrying triathlon gear, and area YMCAs started offering triathlon classes.
“Every
town has their abundance of 5Ks, so no one has an incentive to travel
outside of the state to do a 5K,” Dunbar says. “With the triathlon
being as unique as it is, it draws people from outside of the state and
the area and that really pays off for the community, the racers and the
nonprofit.”
Dunbar plans the race in
conjunction with the “Be a Tourist in Your Own Town” event, which also
draws attention from out-of-state.
Last year
was the race’s inaugural year. The 200 race slots filled up
immediately. This year Dunbar bumped the number of slots up to 500, but
that still isn’t enough; there are many people sitting on a waiting
list.
Source: Kathy Dunbar, South Lansing Community Development Association
Ivy Hughes, development news editor, can be reached here.
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