Interesting Information about the Triathlon:
Bruce Titus took on the position of Race Director, replacing Norm Happ. The triathlon was now comfortable with 400 participants. On April 1, the committee mailed applications to the previous year's participants and agreed to accept 300 entrants on a first come basis. The quota was filled in six days. In May, a lottery was held for the remaining 100 slots. 250 entrants had to be turned down. There were 315 finishers.
The Committee worked with the police, fire department, radio emergency action teams, and medical teams to ensure a safe event. By 1986, almost 200 volunteers were monitoring traffic, acting as course marshals, handing out water, entering data into computers to compile results, and cheering on participants.
What type of folks did the Triathlon in 1986: a tennis professional; a foreign affairs legislative assistant; pairs skating entrant; a karate master; a top ten master's swimmer; a volleyball champion; several Hawaii Iron Man finishers; a high school principal; a kayak racer; a 1984 Minnesota free throw champion; lots of high school and college students, a number of attorneys, military folks, fire fighters, engineers, and teachers; a couple of Congressman; and some mothers and fathers.
Norm Happ was not Race Director this year; he did the race instead.
Joe Stowers and Rick Uhrig noted that the swim course was 0.90 in 1986. Since then it has been 1.0 mile.
Triathlon Contributions: The Great Place, a youth outreach program of Reston Interfaith.
Sponsors: Reston Hospital Center and Pizza Hut.