Atlanta triathlon puts spotlight on PATH

12-14 year age group: 200 yard swim and a 2K run; 9-11 year age group: 100 yard swim and a 1K run; 6-8 year age group: 50 yard swim and a 500 yard run. To register, to go: www.tripathlonatlanta.com

Close to 400 exercise enthusiasts are expected to participate in the 5th annual triPATHlon at Chastain Park May 3. They will include a mix of first time triathletes and those more experienced who will use this in-town event as a warm up for a long season of races.

Like other races with a common cause, this event brings together a group of athletes of all levels — eager to put a spotlight on the PATH Foundation, a non-profit organization which has been building a system of scenic greenways in metro Atlanta for 22 years. The PATH’s goal is to create a system of linear parks that link the entire city, a way to travel, exercise and enjoy the outdoors — on foot, bikes, skates.

The triPATHlon, considered a sprint event, begins with a 400-yard swim in Chastain Park Pool, which is appealing to many first-time triathletes who may be intimidated by swimming in a lake or river. It is followed by a 15-mile bike course around west Buckhead. It ends with a 5K run on a paved PATH trail that loops around pretty, well-kept Chastain Park. The route along Lake Forest Drive is dotted with benches and has a stream with landscaped banks.

The larger goal of the event is to raise awareness about the PATH Foundation’s mission and the costs involved with building and maintaining the trails, said Bo Heiner, a foundation board member. The race is expected to raise about $15,000, which will be split three ways (among the PATH Foundation, the Chastain Park Conservancy and the Chastain Park Athletic Club).

“I am not an avid biker,” said Heiner, 48, of Vinings. “But I like the outdoors and it’s important in any community and important in Atlanta and the broader community to have this amenity to get people out of cars, and do something to facilitate fitness.”

The PATH Foundation has developed over 220 miles of trail throughout Georgia and has become a nationally recognized model for trail-building success. The trails include the quiet countryside of the Silver Comet, as well as The South Peachtree Creek Trail with a boardwalk connecting the ball fields of Medlock Park to the historic Decatur Waterworks and the Tennis Center at Mason Mill Park. The PATH Foundation is also one of the key partners of the Beltline, a popular loop of parks and trails in the middle of a bustling metropolis.

Kyle Pease, who has cerebral palsy and is wheelchair bound, and his older brother Brent, have competed together in several races including two Ironman events. The Atlanta brothers are happy to take part in this event for the first time.

“A big piece of our non-profit is helping disabled athletes participate in sports. We are trying to improve the lives of people and give them access to things they didn’t know were there,” said Brent Pease, 32. “The PATH Foundation is doing the same thing.”

Over a series of races, they’ve come up with a system where Brent pulls Kyle in a kayak for the swim portion, they ride a tandem bike for the second leg, and Brent pushes Kyle in a special racing chair for the running section. They are very much a team, with Kyle shouting directions and encouragement.

“I am excited for a couple reasons: for one, it is a local event and that really speaks volumes of this city and the community to put a focus on physical activity,” said Kyle Pease, 30. “It’s always good to get out there and it’s special to do this with my brother. And another thing that keeps me going and grounded is every day of my life, I feel like I am in a race.”