Jake’s Triathlon Most Memorable MomentsSaturday April 30th marked the 21st staging of the Jake’s Off Road Triathlon in Treasure Beach, Jamaica.This Triathlon, as many of you know is the oldest in the Caribbean and attracts athletes from all over theworld including the UK, North America and other neighboring Caribbean islands.

As both a participant and observer for the second year in a row, we can hands down say that thoughthere were a few hiccups along the route , all in all the event was an overall success with manyparticipants already planning for the 2017 staging.

For those who were not able to attend but still want to keep up with everything sports, we decided to puttogether a list of some of the most memorable moments of this year’s event with the hopes that you willlace up those running shoes, put on that swim cap and dust off your bike and TRI.

Memorable Moments of The Jake’s Off Road Triathlon 2016

The Theme

This year’s theme of the Jake’s Off Road Triathlon was You Never Know Unless You Tri. When askedthe rationale behind this theme, Jason Henzell explained that he wanted people to use the theme as acall-to-action to step outside of their athletic comfort zones. He wanted runners to try other disciplines andjust have fun while pushing their own limits and vice versa for swimmers and cyclists.

The Community

When you drive into Treasure Beach you will notice that the area has a distinct laid back aura to it. Thepeople who are mostly farmers, fishermen and shop keepers, sat on the porches of their homes or on theside stoop of their shops and cheered as the participants passed them by. It was a positive experience tofeel so encouraged by members of the community.

Winners of the individual triathlon category, Jassett Bloomfield and Emily Smith, also made mention to thecommunity as being the best part of the event as they gave their winning speeches.

The Start Line - Great Bay

The first leg of the triathlon is the swim. At 6:45am participants were asked to meet at Great Bay Beachfor a prompt 7am start time. The feeling of anticipation, mixed with excitement could be felt not only bythe participants but by the spectators who stood along the shoreline trying to capture as many photos asthey could. As the word “GO” was shouted, the swimmers ran quickly towards the ocean to begin their300m swim. The scene was so picturesque that we are still at a loss for words on how to properlydescribe it but from the gif below we are sure you can come up with your own description

Swim/Ride Transition

One by one swimmers began to emerge out of the water towards their bikes or their team member whowould be doing the 25K bike leg of the triathlon. A team out of Montego Bay who participated in the eventlast year was probably the most prepared of the lot for this transition. They had a station set out with abasin filled with water so as one of their teammates came out of the ocean, they dipped their feet in thebasin to wash off the sand, strapped on their riding shoes and hopped right on their bikes.

The Bike Ride

We were able to speak to a few of the bike riders of the event and with the exception of very few people,most described this as the hardest part of the Triathlon. Riding through the terrain of Treasure Beachseemed to be nothing short of an uphill battle.

The Final Leg - The Run

What was significant about the run for many was not the terrain nor the inclines but rather the heat. Aspeople ran the route which lacked shade, they couldn’t decide if the run was really that hard or if the sunwas just too hot - many chose the latter.

The run which takes you through an off road trail into the community had people cheering you on, therewas much more than that namely goats, chickens and even a cow along the way. For the participantswho were not at the front of the pack, we understand that the hydrations stations ran out water and howmuch more difficult this made the run. For next year’s event, we hope the organizer takes note andensures that the Wata never finishes. The sponsor Wisynco is already on board to ensure it doesn’t!

The Medals

There is no better feeling than spending months preparing for an event that has 3 different disciplines andcrossing the finish line to receive your medal. As each person bowed their heads down to have the medalplaced, you could see them smiling though still heavily panting and trying to catch their breaths. For eachmedal that was placed, you could observe the sense of pride and accomplishment of each participant. Atthat moment you understand that it was not about time completed or pace but it was about setting goalsand crushing them.

Post Triathlon Massage

The organizers of the event took into account the pressures that a triathlon has on an individual's bodyand had on site, massage therapist Joshua Lee Stein. Every person who competed was eligible toreceive a free mini massage from Stein and many took advantage.

Prize Giving

All participants who completed the triathlon received medals for their efforts however, the winners in eachcategory were presented with plaques for their accomplishment. The plaques which were made by theTreasure Beach Women’s Group added to the overall rustic feel of the event and set it apart from othersporting events in Jamaica. Moving forward we believe that the medals should speak more about theessence of the event, after all so much effort deserves something that is a keepsake and conversationstarter. Like other sporting competitions worldwide, the medal is a memory of the experience and we feelthat participants in Jake’s Triathlon would appreciate having a keepsake that represents what the event isall about.

Other prizes which were given out during the day were courtesy of Goldeneye, Chukka Tours andMarBlue Villas. The overall winner of the triathlon received a brand new bicycle valued at over $75,000.

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