We are all excited to return to racing in 2021! It feels like a lifetime ago we were able to gather for a day of fitness and fun. Through the last 10 months I have been working with industry experts, USA Triathlon through the USA Triathlon Safe Return to Sport Initiative, and city/county officials to develop protocols and safety standards to hold youth events that exceed the standards enacted by governing bodies and health experts while offering the best possible experience for all young athletes.

The details are currently being finalized for the 2021 Typhoon Texas Kids Triathlon to take place on Saturday, September 18th and Sunday, September 19th at Typhoon Texas. There is also a different summer youth-only event in the works that I will be announcing shortly. My goal is to open registration for both events by the end of the month but there are a couple of pieces left that need to come together. There will be no shortage of communication when registration opens.

As with most things in our daily lives, the events are going to look a little different this year. The health and safety of the athletes, the production team, our volunteers, and everyone in attendance is my first priority. I will continue updating and adjusting our plan as the situation continues to evolve up to the scheduled race dates. I have put together Youth Event Safety Protocols and Youth Event Scenarios to lay the foundation of a safe return to the largest youth triathlon in the world.

I understand that every person/family is unique and the comfort level of each person varies based on their own experiences. I work for maximum inclusion because my goal has always been to introduce youth to multi-sport and triathlon in a safe and fun environment that will lead to a sustainable healthy lifestyle. Because of this there are now several option to choose from to participate in all of the events. More details will be provided when registration opens.

Additionally, I understand the time and financial commitment you are making and have updated the following event policies for all 2021 events to ensure transparency and set expectations up front:

  • Updated the Deferral Policy to be more flexible and include no up-front costs
  • Created a Transfer Policy that allows athletes to register for the event they are comfortable with right now and easily transfer from the live to virtual events or vice versa.
  • Created a Live Event Cancellation Policy with details about what happens and the options that will be provided to registered participants if the live event can’t proceed as scheduled.

Details about these policies can be found by clicking HERE.

Thank you for your continued support and for supporting local small businesses (and races). This has been a challenging time for everyone including the endurance events industry of which I have been a proud member since 2010. Working together, we will ensure the future of locally owned and operated events while keeping the highest standard for safety, fun, and fitness!

Stay safe and I’ll be in touch soon with more exciting details.