Daily Sitka Sentinel

Julie Hughes Triathlon Returns After Hiatus

Swimmers suit up for a dip in Sitka Sound during the informal Julie Hughes Triathlon in May 2020. While the pandemic precluded a full-scale event in '20 and '21, the triathlon will return this weekend. (Sentinel photo)

By GARLAND KENNEDY

Sentinel Sports Editor

One of Sitka’s longest running athletic traditions returns this Saturday following two years of reduced activity.

The 38th running of the Julie Hughes Triathlon kicks off at 8:30 a.m. Saturday at Blatchley Middle School, but so far, event registration is far below pre-pandemic numbers, said organizer Kevin Knox.

“We haven’t held it officially in two years now, but we’re headed back to holding it as we normally would have,” Knox said. “Full scale is going to be a relative term, because we don’t have a lot of people registered yet… It’s not in their wheelhouse these days just because it hasn’t happened in a while.”

Knox hopes to see additional sign-ups in the coming days for the run, bike and swim triathlon event. As of this morning, 21 have registered to race.

“We usually would have between 60 and 100 people compete... I’m really hoping to get those numbers back up, get people back in it,” he said.

The race involves a six-mile run from the middle school to the Coast Guard air station and back, a 14-mile bike ride from Blatchley to Starrigavan and back, and finally a 1,000 yard swim in the 25-yard Blatchley pool.

The course is not particularly long, but the non-traditional order of events makes the race somewhat more challenging, Knox said.

“It’s not a super-challenging triathlon when it comes to triathlons,” he said. “It’s technically kind of a sprint triathlon when you look at the course.”

It’s unusual, he added, because it goes run, bike swim, the reverse of the usual triathlon, which is swim, bike, run.

In past years the event has drawn a large ensemble of athletes, but at the height of the pandemic in 2020 and ’21 the triathlon was held informally.

First held in May of 1985, the triathlon honors the memory of Julie Hughes, a 15-year-old who died of cancer in February of that year. Proceeds go to the Sitka Cancer Survivors Network.

While he has recently stepped away from organizing the race, Julie’s father, Bill Hughes, is glad that Sitkans still honor his daughter’s memory.

“Just amazing that it’s going on this year and various people have taken over the organization, stepped up to the plate and kept it going,” Hughes said.

In the early years Hughes, his wife Carol and Julie’s former coach Siouxha Tokman organized the triathlon.

Like Knox, Hughes said he’d like to see higher participation.

“We used to have up to 150 people do the triathlon,” he said. “You’d have people coming over from Juneau and so forth, coming in, but the participation has waned, and now it’s usually under 100,” he said. Despite his octogenarian status, Hughes remains athletic and runs the Yellow Jersey bike shop. He told the Sentinel he plans to compete in the bicycle leg of the race.

The race is open to all ages, and there is a shorter course for boys and girls age 12 and under, with a 1.5 mile run, six mile bike ride and 500 yard swim.

The National Weather Service calls for fair weather in Sitka this Saturday.

Looking forward to the day, Knox said, “We really hope to have a good gathering of folks to celebrate Julie and to celebrate all of those who have faced a cancer diagnosis, and then also just to celebrate kids and a fun, traditional Sitka event.”

People can register at juliehughestri.com. While in-person registration is possible, Knox requested that Sitkans sign up online if possible.