Leader Photo by Gerrard Diaz Casey Clark and Rolando Colon, of Shawano, ride two-person bike during the Leopolis Triathlon on Friday.
Leader Photo by Gerrard Diaz Ezekiel Gueths, of Shawano, runs in the Leopolis Triathlon Friday. Gueths was the top finisher in the youth event, male 13-16 division, with a time of 33.10.
Sid Steinke put together a triathlon to prove to a local weightlifter that big muscles do not make a person a good athlete.
Thirty-one years later, the Leopolis Triathlon is still going strong as a Fourth of July tradition that brings runners from across the state to the small community for a race that tests their endurance and versatility.
“We set a date, the Fourth of July, and there were 13 of us,” Steinke said of that first triathlon in 1983. “Of course, (the weightlifter) was a no-show.”
The group did it again the next year, and formed the Leopolis Booster Club to manage the triathlon in 1985.
“It’s amazing,” Steinke said of the success of the event. “It’s just been progressing ever since. It’s a good thing for the community on the Fourth of July.”
Steinke is going as strong as the triathlon itself, completing the beerbelly, a race consisting of a 100-yard swim across Leopolis Pond, a five-mile bike race and a two-mile run. He finished in 44 minutes, 51 seconds.
Basil Hansen, of Waupaca, won this year’s beerbelly, clocking in at 27:17. Tony Witt, of Appleton, took second with a time of 27:21, and Mason Bohm, of Shawano, was third with a time of 27:53.
The youth race, which is the same as the beerbelly, was won by Allison Graper, of Bear Creek. She finished in 31:19. Ben Carroll, of Shawano, was second with a time of 32:57. Ezekiel Gueths finished in 33:10 to take third.
The jock race, which is the same 100-yard swim and includes a 12-mile bike ride and a 3.1-mile run, was won by Mike Heidke, of Neenah.
Heidke, who won the race last year with a time of 1:03:55, finished in 59:58 this year. Mike Heling, of Appleton, took second with a time of 1:01:02. Wes Wiesman clocked in at 1:03:00 to take third place.
The jock race was adjusted this year because of road construction, which sent the jock runners up Hoppe Hill.
After dealing with extreme heat the last two years, the 149 triathletes in this year’s race only had to deal with a high of 81 degrees.
“The weather is beautiful,” said Carol Peterson, treasurer of the Leopolis Booster Club. “It’s kind of just right now.”
Casey Clark, of Shawano, who ran the event for the seventh time Friday, agreed.
“Real good weather,” Clark said. “Not too hot, not too cold.”
Peterson says the only snag this year were weeds in Leopolis Pond.
“We don’t normally have the weeds this time of year,” Peterson said. “This is kind of like a first, and quite a challenge to clean an area where they could come through.”
The event had a similar draw to last year when 169 triathletes competed.