Back Mountain Triathlon Commitee hard at work to ensure successful race

Like any event of a similar scope, the Back Mountain Triathlon doesn’t just happen by accident.

To make it to Harveys Lake on Sunday morning, the men and women of the Triathlon Committee have been working tirelessly to ensure that this year’s race is every bit the success that last year’s debut was for the community.

It’s a lot of hard work, but ask around: it’s all worth it.

“It’s a labor of love,” said Steve Taren, one of the founders of the Triathlon and member of the Triathlon Committee. “It takes an army of volunteers, and the committee is very dedicated.”

Last year saw the celebrated return of triathlon to the area, with the inaugural Back Mountain Triathlon picking up where the Wilkes-Barre Triathlon, last contested in 2016, left off.

Several members of the race committee were veterans of the old Wilkes-Barre Triathlon. Most, but not all, have some form of experience competing in triathlons or similar races.

One thing they definitely all share on the committee, though: a love of the sport, a strong sense of community and a drive to help some of our area’s most exceptional athletes find a place to showcase their talents.

“Everyone’s excited to see it happen,” said Chris Kuhar, a committee member and competitor in his own right. “You don’t want to see the sport you love go away. … I think this year is going to be even better.”

The formal planning for this year’s triathlon began sometime around December into January, though a few of the organizers noted that they were thinking about the 2024 race right from the minute the last competitors crossed the finish line in 2023.

Chief among the new features for this year’s triathlon is the introduction of a new “sprint” course. Simply put, the sprint course cuts each leg of the triathlon (swimming, biking and running) in half, allowing for a shorter race that still packs plenty of intensity.

“It opens the door to new people,” said Andrea Butchko, the Triathlon’s swim director. “Maybe you’re new to triathlon, maybe you’re a full-time parent, maybe you’re coming off of an Ironman race.”

Butchko, a veteran of the Wilkes-Barre Triathlon, pointed out that there was a shortened distance race to go along with the Olympic-sized triathlon in the former Wilkes-Barre event, and that adding the sprint course to this triathlon was a neat way to honor that history.

With the actual course established in 2023 and remaining the same this year, the Triathlon committee is responsible for the logistics behind securing the roadways and trails around Harveys Lake to keep the competitors safe.

There’s also the marketing of the race, the T-shirt designs, setting up the non-profits involved with vendor tables on-site so that the community could see directly who will be benefiting from the Triathlon — it’s a lot of legwork.

What helps for these volunteers is that they have the successful foundation built with last year’s race to build on.

“We learned (last year) that we could actually pull it off,” Taren said.

“Having that experience is huge. … We know what works and what doesn’t,” Butchko added.

Feedback from both athletes and spectators have given additional help to the committee as they fine-tune some things in order to put on the best Triathlon possible for all parties involved.

It’s just a few more days before the athletes converge on Harveys Lake, after which point these volunteers could take a moment to soak it all in — and then, of course, get working toward 2025.

Even just two years into the Back Mountain Triathlon’s existence, the enthusiastic response from athletes and community members have made the entire venture a successful one.

“We’ve gotten so much positivity from these races,” Taren said. “It’s all worth it.”