In addition to this weekend's varsity sporting events on campus, Bowdoin will play host to the annual Polarbear Triathlon, started by Will Thomas '03 in 2003. The event has grown from 75 participants in the first race to more than 500, of which 141 are students from Bowdoin and area high schools. Actress Glenn Close is supposed to be among this year's competitors.
The triathlon, formerly known as the Ironbear, underwent a name change earlier this year because organizers were threatened with a lawsuit by the company that owns the trademark "Ironman."
Competition to get into the race is almost as fierce as the event itself. General entry to the triathlon sold out in less than 45 minutes at registration at the end of February. According to Thomas, spots reserved for students went just as quickly. The duathlon race, however, did not fill up as fast.
Although many participants are seasoned triathletes, for others, the Polarbear represents their first attempt at such an event. Senior Emily Burton is among the first-timers in this Saturday's competition.
"I haven't really done anything like this before. I rowed crew in high school and raced that way, but I've never raced by myself in any sport," Burton said. "I wanted to use it as a goal. I wanted to challenge myself to see if I could finish. I do know several people who have done the triathlon in the past, so I think that made me more aware that the race was around and not only for seasoned triathletes," she added.
The athletes will be joined by more than 120 volunteers from Bowdoin, with additional help coming from Brunswick High School students. Volunteers are needed to register participants, monitor the course, and keep athletes on the correct course.
According to Melissa Locke '09, who is co-organizing the volunteer aspect of the event with Liz Dann '09, volunteering is well worth the time.
"I would recommend volunteering at the triathlon for everyone because it's just a ton of fun. It's nice to get outside, especially since the weather has been so nice, and it's great to be able to support members of the Bowdoin community that have trained so hard for the race," Locke said.
The triathlon begins at 8:30 tomorrow morning. The duathlon will start at 9 a.m. Weather forecasts for Saturday predict sunny skies.