Tongass Toughman to test triathletes' tenacity

Competitors made of the toughest stuff have less than a month to train for the Tongass Toughman Triathlon in Wrangell.

Triathletes put their endurance, strength and fortitude on display in a contest which covers a combined 72.2 miles of water, pavement and earth.

The race, which will unofficially kick off the Fourth of July festivities throughout town on July 1, starts with a swim of 1.2 miles to City Dock from a starting point out in Zimovia Strait. Once athletes reach the dock and change out of their wetsuits and into their biking gear, they’ll cycle 56 miles through the island. Upon returning to City Dock on their bikes, they’ll transition into running 15 miles.

The swimming segment will start at 6:30 a.m. and competitors are asked to be at City Dock no later than 6 a.m.

Competitors can take on all three segments of the race or compete in teams of two or three. And if someone wants to compete in only one leg of the race, organizers will try to find others to team them up with.

Event organizer Ceona Koch said 23 people competed in last year’s race, with five solo finishers (those who tackled all three portions of the race) among them.

But it’s not just the glory of finishing that racers receive at the end.

“We will definitely have swag — T-shirts, stickers and medals,” Koch said. “We haven’t settled on a design for our 2023 medals yet, but we will post to our Facebook page when we have them.”

There will be a pre-event dinner the evening of June 30 so that organizers can go over the course and meet all the competitors. The time and location have not been determined yet.

Koch said several past competitors and newcomers from Wrangell and around Southeast are expected to enter this year. Last year’s first-place solo winner, Sanoe Harrison, who finished in 10:52.58, will not be competing this year.

The race does not take registration fees and relies on donations and volunteers to help run the event. There will be full staging with the transition area at City Dock, complete with bike racks, changing tents, a gear-storage area and food and drink.

“There will be support boats, paddlers and buoys in place for the swim,” Koch said. “We will likely have two to three aid stations on the run and bike course.”

Anyone with questions, volunteers or those with intentions to compete can contact event organizers at tongasstoughman@gmail.com. Those who would like to donate can do so at https://donorbox.org/tongass-toughman-triathlon-2022-1.