There’s never been a better time to get the kids outside and active because County Kids of Steel is returning to Picton for the 13th year in a row.

The 13th annual Triathlon will be held at the Prince Edward Fitness and Aquatic Centre 13263B Loyalist Pkwy on Sunday, June 2, 2019 from 8:45 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

While remaining a popular stop for regular youth triathletes from all over Ontario, County Kids of Steel is a triathlon aimed for children with little or no experience in the sport. The event is designed to offer kids ages 3 to 17 an opportunity to participate in a race focused on success.

The County KOS Triathlon offers children the experience of a triathlon in a positive and fun way. The distances are kid-friendly so any child can finish successfully.

A dedicated group of volunteers have been formed to plan and organize this not-for-profit event.

Organized by parents and husband and wife teams, Jay & Dawn Middleton and Rick and Sonya Szabo, the race anticipates more than 200 participants and will be held under the supervision of Triathlon Ontario.

Close to 200 volunteers will be on hand the day of the race.

“Every competitor rides their bike, runs and swims in the summer,” said organizer and triathlete Jay Middleton. “Our Triathlon volunteers will make it fun to compete and show off their skills in this easy race.”

The Kids of Steel triathlon will have members of the local Prince Edward OPP detachment on hand at various points along the route to ensure traffic runs smoothly and the entrants can compete safely.

Placed in age brackets, the event starts with the swimming portion in the PEFAC junior olympic pool before a transition to the outside bike route which incorporates parts of Main, Lake Sts. as well as Sandy Hook Road.

Volunteers assist the children with the cycling transition, making it smooth and as stress-free as possible. After the bike route competitors run a predetermined distance on the newly resurfaced Millenium Trail.

The routes are short and manageable and vary by age group.

Every participant gets a medal and a lunch afterwards. For more information or to pre-register your child, please visit www.countykos.com or email [email protected].

-Jason Parks

Staff