By Laurie O’Brien
For years, a group of individuals from Olympia would make the trek north for the Bellingham Traverse, an adventure race involving running, biking, and paddling. Enthusiastic about their experiences, that group, let by Trey Wilson, contacted Bellingham Traverse founder, Todd Elsworth, and asked for help in creating a similar experience here in Thurston County. According to Elsworth, “after discussion, it was agreed upon that instead of starting from scratch, that the philosophy, knowledge, and brand of the Traverse could be replicated in Olympia.” In 2010, Olympia’s inaugural race took place.
Elsworth is proud of both races. “We created an event that exemplifies the spirit, culture, and ethos that the Pacific Northwest is known for and is most evident in these two iconic towns. It is a northwest rite of passage.” While the Bellingham event is well established and draws hundreds of participants each year, the Olympia race is still evolving and continues to grow. Saturday, July 14th, will mark the third running of the Olympia Traverse race, and Elsworth is expecting about 150 participants.
The Course
The Olympia race is a point to point course, which, according to Elsworth, “celebrates the life cycle of wild salmon.” It begins in the Capitol State Forest with a 7.4 mile mountain bike leg. Next is a road bike leg of 23 miles from the Capitol State Forest down Delphi Road and out to the park on West Bay Drive. At this point, the pedals get a break and the arms get a work out as racers row, paddle, or scull their way 3.5 miles from West Bay Park to the Swantown Boatworks. The next leg takes runners approximately 5 miles from the Boatworks to Priest Point Park and back. Teams will reunite near the new Hands on Children’s Museum and travel together to the finish line at the Port Plaza near the Olympia Farmers’ Market.
Divisions
In keeping with its Salmon theme, participants compete in one of three divisions:
The Chinook (solo) division is the most difficult, but according to Elsworth, “it is a reasonable distance for recreational athletes to accomplish.”
The Coho (tandem) division is for two people who want to do the race together to break it up a bit. The teams can do it as a relay, leap-frogging the legs or they may choose to use a tandem bike or boat to be together for a part of the race (and go faster).
The Chum division is for teams of people to get together for a great time. Of course there’ll be the fast teams, but according to Elsworth, “Here’s where we see the most FUN being had. Costumes are encouraged and there’s a prize for the most creative baton to pass from leg to leg.” For many participants, it’s less about racing and more about experiencing a fun team event and just finishing all of the legs.
Company teams are encouraged to participate and enjoy a day of fun together. (Cheer for ThurstonTalk’s two teams!)
The Goal
Katrina Bloemsma, the Outreach Specialist for REI South Sound, is enthusiastic about her company’s sponsorship of the NW Traverse races. “REI is proud to be the title sponsor of the Olympia Traverse this year. REI has sponsored the Olympia Traverse all three years and also sponsors the Bellingham Traverse up north. In addition to sponsoring the event, REI employees are also competing. Last year, REI Olympia had 3 employees race in the soloist category (winning both the men’s and women’s solo divisions!) and also a co-ed relay team. This year we’ll have a team from the Tacoma REI store and a team from the Olympia REI store.”
Protecting and caring for the places where people like to play and have fun is important to both the race organizers and to the businesses that support them. Bloemsma recognizes that in many ways, the Traverse’s goal of fostering environmental stewardship matches up with REI’s corporate mission. “For us, it’s great to find an event that lines up with both the ‘inspire’ and ‘educate’ parts of our mission, while also supporting stewardship.”
In that same vein, both REI and Joy Ride Bikes, another race sponsor, have provided leadership and volunteer support to Friends of Capitol Forest as that group grooms the trails for the Traverse and other mountain biking events.
Elsworth says one of his goals is to “highlight the regional recreational amenities that Olympia has to offer with a community event that serves as a draw for tourism.” The Traverse brings in solo adventure racers from all over the region and is quickly becoming a yearly staple for many elite and recreational athletes. But the draw for local participants is the community aspect.
Says Bloesmsma, “the Traverse is such a great community event: no matter how experienced (or inexperienced) participants are, they’re sure to have fun. It’s great to see an event that is so focused on supporting the downtown core and the non-profit conservation groups in our community.”
She encourages people toying with the idea of entering to “…come in and talk to our staff! We’ve got employees who have participated. They can tell you all about what a fun event this is and help you figure out what gear you need. Whether you’re a total newbie or a die-hard veteran, this race is not to be missed.” The Olympia store also has coupons for 10% off registration!
For more information about the Olympia Traverse, click here.
