TRIATHLETE MAGAZINE DECEMBER 2011

Last March, Triathlete Magazine editor Jené Shaw began a nine day, 3,500 mile cross-country road trip from Washington, D.C. to San Diego, CA "...in search of cool triathletes and interesting triathlon-related stuff." We invited her to visit with the MINI COW TRI CLUB, and while the timing didn't work out she did ask us to keep in touch.

We kept in touch.

Fast forward to November and the December 2011 issue of Triathlete. Page 28 to be exact.

We are thrilled to be a part of this growing sport and community, and humbled to be recognized by Triathlete Magazine for our work with youth triathletes on the same page as the biggest names in triathlon.

 

The Mini Cow Tri Club members stand quite a bit shorter than your typical group of triathletes—because they range from 8 to 13 years old.

Founded by husband and wife team Brian and Christy Lausch, Mini Cow is the first youth-focused USA Triathlon Club in Maryland. It was created “to encourage healthy lifestyle choices through multisport with an emphasis on fun,” Brian says.

In 2008, Mini Cow hosted its first youth triathlon—the Nottingham Kids Triathlon—as a neighborhood race, drawing 40 participants. This year the Nottingham Kids Triathlon hosted the 2011 USA Triathlon Mid-Atlantic Youth Regional Championship for more than 200 youth triathletes. It will host the same event in August.

This past October, the club presented the second annual Kids Adventure BOOathlon. Held on a working farm in Mount Airy, the BOOathlon was one part duathlon and one part adventure. It combined a 0.75-mile run, 2-mile bike and half-mile run with a few surprise adventures sprinkled in between the disciplines. The race was so popular that registration tripled from its inaugural event.

But why cows? “We wanted our club to be fun and different,” Brian says. “We also wanted to pay homage to the rural countryside that is our home and training grounds. Surrounded by working farms, cows seemed a natural choice.”