On Friday, May 3, over 200 members of the Hamilton College community will take part in the 16th-annual HamTrek sprint triathlon. Students, employees, alumni, and others who have registered either individually or as part of a relay team will compete against one another in the 525-yard swim, 9-mile on-road bike ride, and 5-kilometer cross-country run around campus on the mapped out course. The event begins at 4:00 PM on Friday and the awards ceremony will take place around 8:00 PM after the official race results are recorded.
HamTrek was started by Dave Thompson, director of campus wellness and the Charlean and Wayland Blood Fitness and Dance Center and professor of physical education. Thompson started HamTrek in order “to engage the community in wellness activities and to give people a chance to try out the sport of triathlon in a fun, low-stress environment,” said Mary Kalb ’19, a senior on the planning committee who got involved as a sophomore.
When Thompson first started HamTrek, the race raised money for the Shawn Grady Memorial Fund, a fundraiser for children in the Central New York area fighting pediatric cancer. “The fund was started by the family of the former Hamilton men’s Hockey coach whose son [Shawn Grady] passed away of cancer when he was in high school,” Kalb said.
This year, Hamtrek is raising money for the American Heart Association, which is the charity selected by the student planning committee this year. While their total has not been calculated yet, the committee predicts Hamtrek will not only break its record number of participants, but its record number of donations.
“This year we are switching it up and money will go to the American Heart Association,” said Kalb. “Members from the Utica chapter will be at the event taking donations both at registration and at the finish line.” Clinton residents without a Hamilton affiliation were asked to donate a minimum of $50 to the association when registering in order to participate.
“Although how many people actually show up on race day will definitely depend a lot on the weather, over 200 people ranging from faculty members in their 60s to college [first-years] have signed up, which is a great turnout for us,” said Kalb.
Over the course of the last two months, HamTrek has offered frequent training sessions to help students prepare. “There are a handful of participants every year who are real triathletes and train regularly for the sport of triathlon,” Kalb says, “but the vast majority of people who participate have never done a triathlon before and race on mountain bikes and find goggles hours before the race and are really just in it to have fun.”
This year, almost 95 percent of participants are affiliated with the College. With 50 relay teams and over 80 individuals registered, this year’s HamTrek will be the largest in Hamilton history. Thompson noted that Hamtrek this year is the “same event, but more students than ever.”
Kalb, who will be participating in her last HamTrek as a Hamilton student this year, said she has loved being a part of something “so special” on campus the past couple of years. “I’m not an avid swimmer, biker, or runner, but I love working out and HamTrek is a really fun and different way to work out in a competitive but supportive environment,” she said. “I also think it’s definitely a good Hamilton bucket list item that I was glad I was able to check off. I always tell people that if you’ve ever had the urge to try a triathlon there’s really no better way to test it out than with HamTrek. It is very low pressure and there are volunteers and fans at every part of the race cheering you on getting you to the finish line.”
Relay teams will either consist of three participants or two participants, wherein one member will complete two legs of the relay. Nick Lyon ’22, who signed up for a 3-person relay team along with his fellow Dunham residents Jack Sullivan ’22 and Sam Vigneault ’21, said that he is “excited to put his track training to use in his leg to help his team succeed.”
After the race has commenced, there will festivities for participants and spectators alike. Highlights include a barbeque cookout with food from Bon Appetit and catering from Ting’s Twist on Thai by Ting Khumkwa, who goes affectionately by students as “Ting.” Ting explained that this year, she and Bon Appetit “are teaming together to make Hamtrek better for Hamilton and the community.” She will be revealing her brand new food truck at this event and, as an incentive, Ting’s food will be free for all participants. For non-participants, the food will be available for anyone to purchase.
Accompanying these treats will be a favorite on-campus band: Otis Shanty. Bassist Julian Snyder ’22 said, “There are lots of originals and lots of jams on the set list for Friday. For those who aren’t participating, we will get your feet moving.”
Lastly, weather permitting, hot air balloon rides will be offered for students.
The HamTrek organizers encourage the community to support their fellow Hamiltonians on Friday with some delicious food. The first swim heat will kick off the event at 4:00 PM in the Bristol Pool.
