New York City Triathlon Moves to the Fall After Summer Heat Disruptions

While triathletes have complained about the multiple interruptions, organizers have said the midsummer conditions were most favorable for both obtaining the necessary permits and navigating the river tides.

But on Tuesday, the race, which was founded in 2001 and is put on by Life Time, announced it had moved the date to October. “Our goal is to avoid summer weather trends, which have negatively affected participants and spectators in past years, and improve the overall safety and the event experience for our incredible athletes,” the statement read.

Many athletes were relieved to hear the news. That includes Pascal Lestable, a New Yorker who has competed in the event before, but has yet to compete in a full, uninterrupted race. “We’ll finally have a triathlon with all three disciplines without fearing any changes because of the weather,” Lestable said.

Doc Golden, a triathlete who coaches for the Empire Tri Club, said the move was welcome, especially for athletes new to triathlons. New York City beaches aren’t open until Memorial Day, she said, and the move to October “creates new opportunities for new people to train smarter and longer.”

Plus having less anxiety around weather-related hiccups doesn’t hurt either, she said.

“Physically and mentally, it’s better to do it in October.”

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/21/sports/new-york-city-triathlon-october.html