When Barbara Salee competed in last week’s Wisconsin 70.3 half Ironman triathlon, she felt a sense of community.
Salee is part of the new Tri-812 club, a nonprofit organization of triathletes that competes in various distances of the sport across the country.
“I’ve really liked it because everybody was cheering for me at the Wisconsin race,” Salee said. “Because the (team) outfit is so blue, you could see us from afar, so it was really nice.”
Local triathletes Max Henry and his son Malachi started Tri-812 last year. The club meets at Max Henry’s house on Sunday afternoons for group swims on Grandview Lake.
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Malachi Henry won the 25-29-year-old age group and finished fifth overall in 4 hours, 18 minutes in the Wisconsin 70.3, which was June 9 in Madison, Wisconsin. He was in 14th place after the 1.2-mile swim and 56-mile bike, before averaging 5:52 per mile for the 13.1-mile run to move up to fifth.”
“It was just a good, steady race,” he said. “The bike was really hilly, so a lot of pure cyclists and heavier guys died from that. I had a really good run.”
Max Henry finished second in the 65-69 age group. Isaac Reed also competed from Tri-812.
The Henrys were coming off an event where they did four triathlons in three days in Salt Fork State Park in Cambridge, Ohio. Malachi did a sprint triathlon on a Friday, two Olympic distance triathlons on a Saturday and a half Ironman on a Sunday and was the overall winner. Max did a mini-sprint triathlon on the Friday, two sprint triathlons on the Saturday and an Olympic distance on the Sunday and won his age group.
Several other Tri-812 athletes have events coming up. Ben Hall is doing the Steelhead 70.3 half Ironman June 30 in Benton Harbor, Michigan. About 14 club members are planning to compete in Muncie Endurathon, a 70.3 half Ironman, on July 13.
For Jen Suverkrup, that will be her first half Ironman.
“I think the camaraderie of it all has been a lot of fun, and just training with other people and learning about each sport,” Suverkrup said. “But ultimately, finishing the race is what I’m looking forward to.”
Jennifer Davey is doing the Ohio 70.3 half Ironman on July 29. Amy Voegerl plans to do a full Ironman (2.4-mile bike, 112-mile bike and 13.1-mile run), the Wisconsin 140.6, on Sept. 9.
Max and Malachi Henry are entered to compete in the World Championships Sept. 8 in Nice, France.
Meanwhile Tri-812 will host the Tour de Donut on Aug. 11 at Max Henry’s house, 11510 W Maple Dr. The event, which is open to the public, will feature athletes biking the 7.2-mile lap around Grandview Lake 12 times and eating donut after each lap. At the end of the 12th bike lap will be one running lap around Grandview.
“We’re all together doing our training and doing a lot of these activities together,” Max Henry said.
