Timberman Triathlon

The Timberman Triathlon was first organized in 1985 by John McCoy through the Itasca County YMCA. It was initially part of the Tall Timber Days Festival.

This particular festival is celebrated in behalf of the heritage and importance of the logging camps and forests of Grand Rapids, Minnesota.

Athletes who participate in the race have the opportunity to bike and run on a scenic racecourse over rolling hills and complete the swim course in a quiet bay.

Siseebakwet Lake is a deep lake known for its color, clarity, and sugar sand beaches. There is plenty of forests and wildlife that surround the area.

Six years after the first Timberman Triathlon, the focus of the race changed under the direction of Sue Herboldt. She put together a successful committee to intensify the race.

In 1993 she turned her jurisdiction over to Tom and Diane Nelson who have kept the race going through 2007. Since the race has been overseen by the Nelsons, a new lodge has been built (the original had burned down in 1987 and caused the race to cancel).

With the Nelsons hard work, this race has become of the best in the upper Midwest. The Timberman Triathlon was voted “Race of the Year” in 2000 and 2002. In 2007, the race management was turned over to the Ehalts and Koodas.

The amount of participants increase every year as does the difficulty of the race. In the past few years the capacity has reached its limit within the first few weeks of registration.

There are two courses available: the half Ironman and the sprint triathlon. The half Ironman includes a 1 ½ swim course, a 56 mile bike course, and a 13.1 mile run. The sprint triathlon includes a 1/3 mile swim, 15 mile bike course, and a 3 mile run.

The swim takes place in the beautifully, clear Sugar Lake. Wet suits are permitted. The water temperature usually ranges between 71-79 degrees.

The bike course has a lot of hills and takes you down roads with wide shoulders that are fairly smooth. The run course takes you along the shore of Lake Winnipesaukee, which is beautiful and pleasantly shady.

The Timberman Triathlon is another great race to get more information on if you are interested in Midwest races.