On April 25, Hamtrek saw 209 participants compete in the campus’ annual triathlon. At a time of year when stress is at an all time high, Hamtrek provides a way for students to take a break from academics for a little while as it brings them together to participate in a friendly competition of swimming, running and biking.
The event began in 2004, conceived by then student and Women’s Soccer player Liz Roberts ’06 and organized by former Campus Wellness coordinator Dave Thompson. Other than 2020 when COVID stopped it from happening, 2021 when it was held in a modified format due to COVID restrictions and in 2022 when the Campus Wellness coordinator position was vacant, the event has been held annually near the end of the spring semester ever since its conception.
Hamtrek is a sprint-distance triathlon (525 yard swim, 9 mile bike and 5K run) that takes place on campus, and invites participants to compete either as individuals or as members of a relay team. The swim was located in Bristol Pool, where participants swam in heats, with three swimmers per lane. The biking portion of the race was divided into two groups: one group utilized bikes brought by participants for themselves, racing around two Griffin Road loops starting from Dunham lot, while the other group raced on spin bikes provided by the school which had been moved from the fitness center to Dunham lot.
The second group formed the “spin division,” which allowed participants to enter the race who were unable to acquire a bike. To keep the results fair, the spin division was ranked separately from the traditional triathlon division. Racers in the spin division were ranked by a composite score, which combines the rankings of participants’ times in all three legs of the triathlon. Lastly, the running portion of the race took place on a different route than in recent years. Previously, the route used was the 5K trail ran in competitive cross country races, but it contained gruelling uphill portions and frequently confused Hamtrek participants. This year, a new route was devised that utilized existing trails along one continuous path, which not only decreased the route’s steep uphill and downhill portions but also was less confusing in its path.
Compared to 2024, 2025’s Hamtrek saw just one more participant, but saw a 29 percent increase in individual participants, meaning that less people decided to compete as members of relay teams than last year. Stephanie Kowell, Assistant Athletics Director for Fitness and Recreation and Blood Fitness Center Director, suggests this increase may be a reflection of more people feeling confident in their ability to do the full triathlon now that Hamtrek has become more familiar to people.
by Andrew Brennan ’25
SPORTS EDITOR
This year’s race started off rocky, as weather threatened to jeopardize the start. However, after waiting for thirty minutes, the race began at 4:30 p.m., though heavy rain and winds lingered for a little while longer until they finally cleared up for good. At the end of the race, participants gathered around the track where the running route ended and ate food provided by campus dining services. All competitors and volunteers automatically received one raffle ticket, which participants could enter into one of ten different raffles each with prizes worth no less than $100. Winners were announced on May 1.
The success of Hamtrek was made possible in large part thanks to 45 volunteers, who helped count laps for swimmers and maintained order and safety, among other responsibilities. Campus support staff also helped tremendously, fulfilling various jobs necessary for the race. Furthermore, the student-led Hamtrek Committee helped make the competition happen, helping to lead event planning and organization, spreading student awareness about the event and helping with day-of preparations. Stephanie Kowell, the coordinator of Hamtrek, also had a huge hand in the continued success of Hamtrek, as she has organized campus support, managed the budget and made preparations for the final race for three straight years now.
Stephanie Kowell provided information on Hamtrek to The Spectator for this article.