Swimmers, bikers and runners are set to compete Sunday morning for the 10th annual CyMan Triathlon. Nearly 200 people of all different ages are expected to participate in the event, which is organized and managed by the ISU Triathlon Club.

The race will take place in Bondurant, near Kinney Park and Lake Petocka — a fresh change in location for the event this year.

“I’m most excited about the new location,” said Kelly Kalvelage, graduate student in architecture and treasurer of the ISU Triathlon club.

“The way Kinney Park is laid out allows for a very spectator-friendly environment. You can see all the way around the lake; we didn’t have that at Big Creek.”

For the past four years the CyMan Triathlon has been held at Big Creek State Park in Polk City, but this year there have been issues with the bacteria levels in the water.

Each participant will be assigned a group according to their age — each group consisting of participants that are within five years of each other. Participants as young as 15 and as old as 85 are permitted to race.

“It spans quite an age range,” Spoth said, “but I would say that the more competitive groups are 20 to 40 years old, while the older groups are less competitive and fewer in numbers.”

The race can be performed as an individual or as a team of three, with each person doing a different leg of the race.

“Most people will race it individually, but the team option is a good

way to get a start in triathlons,” Spoth said.

Participants of all experience levels are encouraged to attend — some will be decorated triathlon veterans, while others will be participating in a triathlon for their first time.

“The majority of the people doing our race tend to be new to triathlons, and so our race is catered to that,” Spoth said. “It’s a pretty easy course. It’s pretty flat, and it’s shorter than most races.”

Pat Ward, freshman in mechanical engineering, will be one of many students competing in Sunday’s race.

“This is my first time racing in Iowa,” Ward said. “Back home in the Chicago area, I’ve participated in seven races. This race is exciting because I’ll be up against other students like me.”

At the sound of the starting gun, competitors will begin the first leg of the race by swimming 500 yards across Lake Petocka. 

After the swim, they will hop on their bikes and make their way out of Kinney Park and onto far-out county roads, where they will ride mostly on flat tarmac for 15.5 miles.

The race ends with a 5K run that takes the participants through the spectator-lined streets of Bondurant, then leads competitors around Lake Petocka and finally, across the finish line in Kinney Park. Once the athletes have finished, they will gather for refreshments and wait for the award ceremony.

“We have awards that we give out to each age group,” Spoth said. “This year Bike World of Ames has agreed to give $50 gift certificates to the male and female overall champions.”

The CyMan Triathlon is sponsored by several Ames businesses including Bike World, Fareway Stores, Inc., Pancheros Mexican Grill, Cold Stone Creamery, Buffalo Wild Wings and several other Iowa family-owned small businesses. 

Larger corporations, such as Anderson & Erikson Dairy and Hammer Nutrition, provided chocolate milk and energy gel packets, respectively.

“This race could not be possible without all of the sponsors we have,” Spoth said.

The ISU Triathlon Club has been hard at work gearing up for CyMan since the spring season.

“You have to check with the county engineers to make sure all the roads are OK to use, and you have to get local police enforcement to watch the roads and make sure all the cyclists are safe. We also have to hire several lifeguards to be out in the water and have ambulances ready,” Spoth said. “There’s a lot involved in putting on a race.”