Due to the popularity of the Asheville Triathlon in July, iDaph Events is proud to announce that registration is now open for the Hendersonville Triathlon, which takes place Sunday, September 20, 2020! Same location, same course — new name!

“We are so excited to officially announce that we have received approval to produce another triathlon THIS YEAR at the Patton Park and pool in Hendersonville,” says Daphne Kirwood, race director and owner of iDaph Events. “The city and park were so pleased with the July event that they would love for us to do it again this year, and 83% of our past participants said they would come back and do it again.”

The Hendersonville Triathlon will again be limited to 150 participants, and the format and courses will also be the same. The iDaph team is making improvements to the September event based on  feedback from the post-race survey from the Asheville Triathlon in July. Those updates will be posted on the website page and social media pages.

Here is the course description:

 Swim

The 400 meter swim takes place in Patton Pool, an Olympic sized 50 meter lap pool with 8 lanes. We will space the swimmers in time trial starts. Participants will have a time trial start with plenty of time between each swimmer and will be organized in wave starts according to their estimated 100 yard swim time. Swimmers will flow in one direction in the lane.

 Bike

The 12.5 bike course rolls through the quiet and beautiful Oklahawa Greenway in the City of Hendersonville, exits the Greenway and flows along a ‘rolling’ course through Henderson County countryside roads. Cyclists will return to the park by way of the Greenway and back to the transition zone.

 Run

The 5k run is FAST and for the most part-flat, except for one little dipper hill that you will crest before entering back to the park. The entire 5k run is on the quiet, shaded and beautiful Oklahawa Greenway in the City of Hendersonville. The section of the greenway used for this event will run towards Jackson Park. There will only be a short section where the bike/run overlap. The route is an out-and-back, lollipop course, with one ‘self-service’ water station at the halfway point. We do encourage you to bring your own fuel, nutrition and refreshments for this event.

 Virtual Option

The Hendersonville Triathlon also has a Virtual & Self-Serve vent experience, so participants who are not comfortable attending the in-person event, or who simply cannot make it that day, can participate in the virtual option and still be eligible for prizes, a race t-shirt, and a medal.

 Changes due to COVID-19

“Here at iDaph Events, safety is our top priority,” says Race Director Daphne Kirkwood. “We want to ensure that our participants, staff and volunteers stay safe and healthy, and we are following all of the necessary precautions to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.”

Over the past few months iDaph Events has put together event safety plans for our event to move forward in a new format to ensure social distancing measures that are set forth by the CDC are adhered to.

“We will aim to have a ‘contactless’ event to provide a safe event for all,” says Kirkwood.

What we are doing to ensure safety at our events concerning COVID-19

To adhere to the NC guidelines, iDaph Events will be putting the following rules in place. To see what the guidelines are, please visit our Hendersonville Triathlon page.

New for September 20th!

Yoga and Massage is providing two unique yoga options specifically designed to help prepare for (and recover from) a triathlon. You can purchase one or both options during registration for $5 each.

 Pre-event Gentle Flow Class: This class will take place at the packet pickup session from 2:30 - 3:30 PM. This class will help to prepare you physically and mentally for your event… Warm-up your body, breathe deeply, and enhance your focus and concentration thru mindful movement.

Post-event Recover, Rest, & Rejuvenate Class: Online Class Recording, to practice at your convenience at home (this class will be emailed to you). This class will help post-race soreness and fatigue through a restorative practice of longer held and supported yoga poses… be good to yourself.

 New category: High school and college teams

iDaph Events is putting together a new category for the Hendersonville Triathlon for college and high school racing teams. The college and high school racing seasons have been severely affected by COVID-19, and having local triathlon events is a great way to encourage competition and provide motivation for those athletes. The category will include an award for fastest school teams.

“We know the college and high school racing season has been decimated due to the pandemic,” says Kirkwood. “This is an opportunity for high school and college athletes to come and participate in an event.”

 Hendersonville Triathlon is set to be an annual event

The City of Hendersonville and the YMCA pool have stated they would like for iDaph Events to make the Hendersonville Triathlon an annual tradition each year in late May/early June. Due to its proximity to the Oklawaha Greenway and its heated pool, Patton Park is an ideal location for both triathlon training and triathlon events.

“So come on out, support a local triathlon and put all your training and fitness to good use again,” says Kirkwood. “Thank you in advance for continuing to support our small business by participating in our local, social-distanced events and the triathlon community. We are so grateful and love seeing all of you have purpose in all your training miles, enjoy the event experience and race your hearts out on race day!”

 Donate to a great cause

Have a towel you can donate? iDaph Events is collecting new or gently used towels for the Western Carolina Rescue Ministries. Towels will be collected at packet pick-up and race day. Please help us collect towels for this wonderful local organization!

 Testimonials from the Asheville Triathlon in July at Patton Park

“iDaph did a fabulous job putting on the event with the location switch - everything from the drive through packet pick up to a rolling swim start and finish line bags to-go. It was definitely a different race day experience, but it worked.” ~ Jenn Stanton, female overall winner.

“I thought the race did a good job with using specific COVID protocols in order to make it a safe and fun experience for everyone. ~ Ricky Flynn

“Thanks for a great race and race plan. I felt safer racing yesterday than going to the grocery store.” ~ Carlton Beverly Cooper

“Just wanted to say thank you so much for an incredible event this morning. It was my first tri and it was a blast - felt safe, so so organized, and positive. I know there ended up being some challenges with the bike but you guys truly put  on an amazing event..” ~ Catherine Beck

 Sign up and join us! All levels welcome

The Hendersonville Triathlon is great for all levels of triathletes. If you’ve never done a triathlon before, this sprint tri offers a course that is both challenging and doable with NOT a ton of training. (Check out our blog about Crystal Shirk, who just completed her first sprint triathlon in July). To learn more, click on the button below. We hope to see you in September! 

In the Press

Blue Ridge Now Article — Relocated Asheville Triathlon spawns new Hendersonville Triathlon: https://www.blueridgenow.com/sports/20200803/relocated-asheville-triathlon-spawns-new-hendersonville-triathlon

Past iDaph Blogs