It takes a village to boost a child and organizers with the County Kids of Steel Triathlon event are hoping to see that support come to fruition this weekend.
The multi-discipline race is slated to be held across Prince Edward County this Sunday, June 7.
Children age 3-17 will partake in a swim at the Prince Edward Fitness and Aquatic Centre, before biking for a set number of kilometres west behind the Millennium Trail, and finishing with a run east on Picton Main St. and back down the ‘finisher’s chute’ to the finish line.
One of the event’s four race directors, Lara Hilmi, says a little more than 200 kids registered for the event in 2025, the first since before the COVID-19 pandemic and this year’s registration has been booming since it opened in February.
“We sold out our 300 spots about a month ago, and we’ve had a growing wait list of families and parents still reaching out, interested to sign up, because originally we were going to keep registration open until mid-May,” Hilmi explained.
“One of my favorite things about the event, is when I hear families who are saying their kids want to get out and they’re training for the race. They’re getting out and they’re running and they’re biking. For us, that’s really the reason why we’re doing it, is just to encourage people to be more active and get out in the community.”
The majority of the participants are from the County and the wider Bay of Quinte region, but a few come from other areas such as Ottawa and Toronto.
The race is sanctioned by Triathlon Ontario, which helped consult with race directors on age divisions and distances that participants are sectioned off in.
“Our youngest age group is what we call our Mighty Minis, the three to five age group. They’re just swimming in the pool at PFAC and then their bike (ride) is about 150 metres, and their run is just over 150 metres, so they stay within the parking lot, and then it kind of goes up from there,” Hilmi noted.
“In our oldest age group, we have teenagers who are age 14 to 15, and for example, they’re doing they do a 300 meter swim in the pool, a 10k bike, and then a 1.5k run.
Between 120 and 150 volunteers are needed to help with the race, and Hilmi encourages anyone with time and interest to put themselves forward.
Participants and volunteers are accepted from across the Quinte region.
Hilmi gave a shoutout to her fellow race directors, Lori Robinson, Paige Wentworth and Keturah Breckon, for their efforts to put on another outstanding event, as well as local businesses for their financial backing to help keep the event as affordable as possible.
“We’re very fortunate to have some fantastic community sponsors and partners that have come on board with donations and sponsorships and with in-kind (donations) as well,” she said,
“We’re grateful to the community businesses and partners that have stepped up.”
Visit the County Kids of Steel website for further information.
