Kim Stamp was starting to believe she would never participate in a triathlon.
A degenerative disc disease required her to undergo a multi-level cervical fusion making the idea of swimming half a mile, biking 12 miles and running 3.1 miles all that much more daunting.
“It’s something I never actually thought I would do,” Stamp said, “but after the surgery competing in a triathlon suddenly became very high on my bucket list.”
Approximately two years after the procedure, Stamp crossed the finish line at the Danskin Women’s Triathlon in Seattle.
“It was such an incredible experience. It really did have a huge impact on me,” Stamp said. “It was an experience I wanted to help other people have.”
As race director and president for the Black Hills Triathlon Association, Stamp is doing just that.
With Stamp leading the charge, the Black Hills Triathlon, which was held annually in Olympia from 1980 to 2009 before taking a three-year hiatus, will be held in Lacey for a fifth consecutive year on June 25.
Sanctioned by the USA Triathlon (USAT), the Black Hills Triathlon begins with an 800-meter swim in Long Lake, followed by a 17.3-mile bike ride before finishing with a 3.1-mile run.
“About a third of our participants are competing in their first triathlon,” Stamp said. “Our bike ride is a little longer than your traditional sprint triathlon, but I really think it is a great course if you are just starting out.”
Since the event returned in 2013 following a three-year absence, it has gradually grown in popularity.
This year a total of 377 athletes will compete – the numbers marks the highest in event history. “Last year we had 350 competitors. We’ve added about 25 spots every year for the last couple of years,” Stamp said. “We really try to limit the number of people because we want to give the athletes more space in the transition areas.”
It marks the fourth straight year the event, which draws most of participants from Western Washington and Oregon, has reached its maximum number of athletes.
“This year is the largest group we’ve ever had since we changed formats five years ago,” Stamp said. “We’ve been full for a while now. I think I have received a dozen emails with people looking for spots to open up. We may look at growing the field to 400 next year.”
While the race is full, Stamp is always looking for volunteers. “Thurston County has always had a very supportive running community and volunteers are such a big part of our success,” Stamp said.
According to Stamp, it takes approximately 100 volunteers to put everything on. “I think the biggest volunteer need for us is on the bike course,” she said. “We encourage people if they want to volunteer to come out in groups of two or more. We need people along the course just to make sure everyone is going the right way. When you’re getting tired sometimes you’re not always thinking so having volunteers there to point them in the right direction is always helpful.”
Kirkland’s Jack Toland holds the course record, which adopted its new format in 2013, by covering the distance in 1:13:03.5 in 2014. Toland returned to defend his title in 2015, becoming the only two-time overall winner.
Jeremy Kalmus (1:19:02) of Redmond claimed last year’s title, while Tumwater’s Tom St. Clair (1:24:09) was the highest-placing local athlete, finishing eighth overall.
Olympia’s Jennifer Burtner (1:29:53) won the overall female championship in 2016. Katie Hackney of Olympia was the only other local female to place among the top five finishers last year, finishing fourth in the female division with a time of 1:31:37.
Black Hills Triathlon is also continuing its partnership with the Washington State Senior Games with all registered participants aged 50 years and older automatically racing as senior games athletes in the 2017 race with no additional fee. The event featured 96 athletes who were 50 years or older in 2016.
Race waves begin at 7:20 a.m. with an awards ceremony at 10 a.m. at the Thurston County Fairgrounds Heritage Hall. Admission is free for spectators.
For more information including volunteer opportunities and course maps, visit the Black Hills Triathlon website.
