SMSC and City of Prior Lake Co-Sponsoring Sixth Lakefront Days Triathlon

Prior Lake, MN – The Shakopee Mdewakanton Sioux Community along with the Three Rivers Park District and the City of Prior Lake will co-sponsor the sixth Dakotah! Sport and Fitness Lakefront Days Triathlon. The event will be held Saturday, August 6, 2011, in Cleary Lake Regional Park, Prior Lake, Minnesota, in conjunction with a weekend of events during Prior Lake’s annual Lakefront Days celebration.

The triathlon will start at 8:00 a.m. with a 1/4-mile swim at Cleary Lake Beach. The swim is followed by a 13.5-mile bicycle loop through county roads. The third component is a 3.3-mile run through Cleary Lake Regional Park.

An awards ceremony will follow the event with awards to the top three male and top three female finishers and the first place finisher in each of the men’s and women’s age group categories. All participants will receive a t-shirt and race bag in addition to a participation medal.

The field of up to 300 amateur and 60 elite participants will be distributed into 13 waves by age category or as needed. Categories are 15-19, 20-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70+ years of age, and Elite. The Elite Division category allows all that have a legitimate shot at winning the Lakefront Days Triathlon a fair chance to do so. These individuals will be in the first two heats of the race. To enter the elite category participants must indicate their preference on the Lakefront Days Triathlon Entry Form. Thirty men and 30 women max for each wave. Participants of the elite category are not eligible for age group awards.

Registration fee is $70, with registration closing when the field becomes full. Participants may register online at http://www.Active.com. Mail-in registration forms are available on http://www.dakotahsport.com.

"We're excited that we've been able to coordinate this outdoor event with the City of Prior Lake and the Three Rivers Park District. As the event continues to grow and improve, we are reaching our race capacity earlier each year,” said Dakotah! Sport and Fitness Director Tad Dunsworth.

The triathlon will require the cooperation of a number of entities including the Prior Lake Police Department, the Scott County Sheriff's Department, the Prior Lake Chamber of Commerce, Mdewakanton Emergency Services, and 75-100 volunteers along the routes. Timing is by Pickle Events.

Cleary Lake Regional Park is located at 18106 Texas Avenue, Prior Lake, Minnesota 55372. For more information about the triathlon go to http://www.dakotahsport.com, or to volunteer, contact Dakotah! Assistant Director and Race Director, Renee Engeman, at 952-496-6875.