More than 60 people competed in the 19th annual Du for the Parks duathlon on Sunday, but race coordinator Ken Freeman says none of it would be possible without the hard work and dedication of the many volunteers.
"We have 75-plus volunteers this year. To make it a quality event, you need to make it where it's safe, where people feel comfortable, and where they don't have a lot of questions as to what they do. We try to make it so we have enough volunteers so to make people feel as if there's no question of what they need to do next," said Freeman.
Freeman and his volunteers spent a good portion of their day on Saturday preparing the course and setting up the central hub for the race. He said it took a lot of coordination and working as a team but he was pleased with how it all came together.
"Fortunately, my wife does lots of the volunteer coordinating and recruiting," Freeman laughed.
The volunteers were out in full force on Sunday, as well, to ensure that the race ran smoothly. Everything from grilling food for the athletes post-race to keeping everyone within the track boundaries, the volunteers were there making sure everything went according to plan.
The race itself was sanctioned by USA Triathalon. Freeman said that sanctioned events follow a particular set of rules, and the participants have come to expect excellence as a result.
The duathlon itself consists of two different races, a regular duathlon called Du for the Parks and the Du It 2 It where participants add an additional 2-mile run and 12-mile bike ride to the race. The Du for the Parks duathlon consists of a 2-mile run, 12-mile bike ride, and a final 2-mile run.
Noah James of Tulsa, Okla., finished the Du for the Parks duathlon first with a time of 1:02:04. Chenin Doiron of Monroe, La., was the first woman to finish the Du for the Parks duathlon with a time of 1:06:20.
Steve Winkel of Memphis, Tenn., was the first to finish the Du It 2 It with a time of 2:01:20. Jessica Soroka of Hot Springs was the first woman to finish the Du It 2 It with a time of 2:16:32.
Liam Williams, 10, of Hot Springs, finished first in the Kid-Du, the children's division of the Du for the Parks, with a time of 07:02.
All proceeds from the event are donated to the Friends of the Parks foundation that works to beautify the parks in Hot Springs. They are currently working to finish the beautification of the Hot Springs Creek Greenway Trail, Freeman said.
Local on 05/28/2018