The sun was undoubtedly surprised as it rose into the sky at 7:30 a.m. on Aug. 7 by the masses of people congregating on the shores of Deer Lake for the second annual Craig Greenfield Memorial Triathalon and Duathalon.
In the cool morning, over 300 participants, their well wishers and spectators gathered to pay homage to Craig Greenfield a Clarkston-raised man who loved athletics. The focus of the triathalon is also to raise money to find a cure for the disease, non-hodgkins lymphoma, which took his life in December of 2000.
‘Right now, I’m overwhelmed by the amount of people here ? this is such a nice tribute for my son,? said Kathy Greenfield, speaking as groups of entrants broke the finish line at Depot Park around 10 a.m.
The triathalon featured an 800-meter swim in Deer Lake, followed by a short jog to a transition area in Depot Park where swimmers became cyclists on a 16-mile ride around Clarkston. After the completion of the bicycle course, which ran northbound on Holcomb, the participants embarked on a 4.5 mile run down Holcomb and along Dixie Hwy.
Last year, the triathalon raised $7,500 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society of Michigan. This year, event organizer Cory Greenfield, Craig’s sister, was optimistic that the event had exceeded the goal of $10,000. The final tally of money raised at the event will not be known for a few weeks.
Aside from the money raised by the triathalon, a group of 20 runners from Team IN Training raised $48,000 to be donated to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society in conjunction with the triathalon.
The triathalon was also significant for Team IN Training, as it was the first event the group drew participants from both the west and east sides of the state.
‘They definitely made improvements from last year to make it a very classy event. I think it’s an exceptional event for spectators because they can walk from one staging area to another,? said Anika Halladay, triathalon and cycling manager for Team IN Training.
Team IN Training was a natural fit for the race, as their mission statement ‘To cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkins disease and myeloma and improve the life of patients and their families,? mirrors that of the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and the organizers of the Craig Greenfield Memorial Tri and Du.
The participants in both the triathalon and duathalon, were greeted at the finish line by hot dogs provided by Rudy’s Market and ice cream courtesy of Cook’s. Immediately after crossing the finish line participants were treated to water both in towels for the brow and bottles for the mouth.
‘It’s a great time. I think it’s tremendous PR for the area,? said Kip Litton, a Clarkston resident who participated in the duathalon.
The duathalon began as the triathalon swimmers were churning through Deer Lake, and featured a 1.5-mile run, a 16-mile bike ride and finally a 4.5-mile run.
?(The bicycle segment) is a little out of my element,? said Clarkston cross country coach Jamie LaBrosse, who ran in the duathalon. ‘The girls (from the cross country team) volunteer to work this event; it’s kind of fun having them cheer for me.?
Many staff members of 3 Disciplines, the company responsible for timing and registration at the triathalon, volunteered their time along with members of the Greenfield family and residents of the Clarkston area.