By Chris Kopacko, Contributing Writer
Westborough – The? Rotary Club of Westborough, in partnership with Sun Multisport Events, is planning to host the fourth annual Westborough Sprint Triathlon Sunday, Aug. 18.
Selectmen voted to approve the use of town roads for the triathlon during their June 11 meeting.
Police Chief Alan Gordon signed off on the event prior to the selectmen's vote.
“I's very happy with it. We'se had no issues,” he said.
The race is slated to begin at the Westborough State Hospital at 288 Lyman Street with a 6 a.m. check-in time and an 8 a.m. start time. It will begin with a .25 mile swim in Lake Chauncy, followed by a 14-mile bike ride that loops through the four “Boroughs”: Westborough, Northborough, Southborough and Marlborough. It then finishes with a three- mile off-road run on trails in the woods surrounding Lake Chauncy.
This year, in an effort to increase participation, the Westborough Sprint Triathlon is offering two variants to the race, in addition to the standard triathlon. An off-road triathlon will allow participants to utilize an off-road bike course around Lake Chauncy instead of the road course. ???Also, a “Splash-and-Dash” variation will allow athletes to skip the bike portion of the race and just partake in the swim and run.
Selectman Leigh Emery expressed her enthusiasm on having the triathlon return for another year.
“I had the pleasure of attending last year and thought it was absolutely fabulous,” she said.
Registration fees for the Westborough Sprint Triathlon are $80 for the traditional race, $70 for the off-road version and $50 for the Splash-and-Dash. All of the fees increase by $5 after Friday, July 19. For more information, visit www.westboroughrotary.org.
