Warren, VT – This year would have marked the 34th running of the Sugarbush Adventure Games, an end-of-winter race celebration involving running, paddling, cycling, and typically nordic skiing in the Mad River Valley surrounding Vermont’s Sugarbush ski resort. Of all the years to change it up, this may be the year.
With little snow remaining, Sugarbush has partnered with Mad Marathon creator Dori Ingalls to move the games to May, reconfigure the course to marathon distance, and refocus the activities to those of a more traditional triathlon, although the Mad Tri will still have four legs instead of three.
The new Mad Triathlon will begin at 1 p.m. on Saturday, May 12 at Sugarbush’s Lincoln Peak, where it will both start and end. Competitors will road run 7.2 miles, paddle six miles, pedal 10 miles, and end with an on-mountain three-mile trail run. The 26.2 mile course weaves its way through the Vermont towns of Warren, Waitsfield and Fayston.
“Sugarbush and the Mad River Valley are excited to host the new Mad Tri,” said Win Smith, President of Sugarbush Resort. “Our hope is that by moving the triathlon to May, we will give people a reason to visit the Valley in what can be a quiet time of year. We also hope that by offering a somewhat more conventional race, we can attract that desirable market of triathletes to our Valley.”
The new Mad Triathlon will continue to be a fundraiser for the Mad River Path Association, a community organization supporting a network of trails connecting people to the ecology and communities of the Mad River Valley.
Team relays, and “iron” men and women are invited to compete in the Mad Triathlon. A Kid’s Triathlon will be held later that afternoon, featuring a Valley School Challenge, as well as a barbeque with live music. Registration is available on www.active.com or by downloading an entry form on the race website at www.madtriathlon.com.