The triathlon is real, even if it is 'unofficial'

Try telling the competitors who swim 1.2 miles in open water, bike for 56 miles and run for 15 miles that they are “unofficial.”

Nicholas Howell organized the inaugural Tongass ToughMan Triathlon in 2019 as an official event, but the COVID-19 pandemic and health protocols knocked down attendance from more than 30 participants that first year to just three last year: Nicholas, his brother, and one other person.

“Last year, with COVID happening, it just kind of became unofficial,” Howell said Monday. Unofficial meaning no permits or insurance or registration fees for the triathlon, which will st...