This was the best organized and fun event I’ve been to in my 11 years as a father!
Tri 4 Schools is a 501c3 non-profit, and in addition to hosting our events and programs, we also provide funds to schools to support health and fitness there. Since 2011, we’ve donated over $375,000 to Wisconsin schools – the majority in our home base of Dane County.
No. Simply by entering the name of your child’s school in their registration, your school has been “signed up.” At the end of the year, we use this information when contributing to school wellness programs.
Our Founder (and current Dane County Executive Director), Katie Hensel, started Tri 4 Schools after learning about the childhood obesity epidemic and shrinking school budgets. Triathlon was the sport that inspired Katie to change her own lifestyle in college, and she wanted to share this transformative sport with the next generation of kids. The very first Tri 4 Schools event in Middleton had over 400 attendees, and organization has grown throughout Dane County since 2011.
A triathlon consists of three events in the following order – swim, bike, run. There are various distances of triathlon, but all events consist of these three disciplines.
Between each event athletes pass through a transition area, which is used for your swim-to-bike transition (T1) and the bike-to-run transition (T2).
Within the transition area, participants have a space where they place their bike and other items that they will need in order to move on to the next event.
See below for recommendations on what items to bring with you on the day of your race, and visit our YouTube channel to view videos of athletes in action at our triathlons.
Triathlons are safe for children of all ages and skill levels. We adjust course distances depending on the age and have trained volunteers spread through the course, ready to assist any child that needs help.
If you think triathlon may be a good fit for your child, but still have some hesitations, we encourage you and your child to come watch one of our events or volunteer at an event before signing up to participate.
We strive to make our events safe and accessible for children of all abilities. Some of our athletes complete our events with adjustments such as specialized equipment, running the course with a buddy or aide, or completing a modified course, for example run/bike/run. If your child is interested in participating in one of our events, we will work with you to plan a way to make their race day a successful, positive experience! Please contact kbrasel@tri4schools.org with any questions or for further information. You can learn more by reading this overview.
View this short video on our YouTube channel to hear about one of our adaptive athlete’s experience with triathlon.
Please visit our Training Teams page to see if your school is listed.
Please send a message to Rachael Hagen (rhagen@tri4schools.org) to learn more and get started!
No! Your program fee includes the registration fee for the triathlon. Tri 4 Schools staff will make sure all members of a training team are appropriately registered for their goal event.
Because all team members are automatically registered for the triathlon, we ask which course you would like to participate in when you register for the team. Select what you are most comfortable with at the time. Your coach will review all distances and work with each student to make appropriate course changes prior to participating in the triathlon.
There is no fee for a site to start a training team. There is a program fee for each individual student to participate. The fee includes their entry to the triathlon they are training for.
We believe that nothing should stand in the way of your child’s health. Because of this, we offer financial assistance to join a team. Simply follow the prompts in the registration process, and we will find an appropriate fee that works for your family.
Team members can use their entry fee included in the program for another event if they cannot attend the event the team is training for. The event must be in the same calendar year as the team event.
Any child who is registered in our Short or Intermediate course can use a water noodle (that we provide at the event) to complete their swim portion. If your child is registered in the Medium or Long course, they must be able to complete the swim distance without assistance. We will have lifeguards in the pool for all course distances and they can help temporarily assist children if needed. We cannot allow personal flotation devices per pool rules – items such as water wings, puddle jumpers, or inner tubes. We do suggest that you work with your child to make sure they are comfortable swimming the distance in the pool in advance of the event. If they are not comfortable with the swim portion, consider registering them for a shorter distance course that your child will be able to complete successfully.
For triathlons, we recommend arriving 45-60 minutes prior to the start of your event to allow for parking, body marking, and preparing your gear in the transition area. When you get to the event, head to the Registration area and we’ll guide you through this process.
If you’re coming for a mud run, we recommend showing up 30 minutes prior to the wave start time that you select when registering for the event.
Please note that start times are an estimate. While we work to remain on the posted schedule, we may adjust start times slightly as needed to make sure all participants are able to safely complete their course.
We are dedicated to changing the face of triathlon, and its perception as a privileged sport, by reducing barriers to participation and providing access to all who wish to “tri.”
We are happy to help with equipment needs, and our partnerships with donors and local organizations allow us to provide bikes, shoes, and helmets to children who need it.
If your child needs something to help them succeed on race day, please email katie@tri4schools.org at least 4 weeks prior to your race, and we’ll work together on a solution.
If your child is not yet comfortable riding a two-wheeler bike, they can participate on a bike with training wheels, a balance (glider) bike, a tricycle, or even a big wheeler. We do not allow stand-up scooters or any type of roller skates or inline skates. Please contact us if you have a question about a specific type of “bike” you are considering using for the triathlon. We recommend that if your child is using a balance bike or training wheels that they register for the Short course option.
Unlike many adult triathlons, we do a rolling load-in/load-out for our transition area. This means that throughout the event morning, our transition captain and volunteers in the transition area will let you know when you can set up your gear and when you can enter transition to remove your gear. They will also provide guidance as to where to set up your items based on which course you are completing. Since some athletes may be actively racing while you are there to load in or out, you may have a short wait before you can enter the transition area.
The earliest that the transition area opens is 7am on the morning of the event. We recommend that you arrive 45-60 minutes prior to the start time of your specific course to allow time to complete body marking and prepare your items in transition before heading to the swim staging area to start your race. If you have multiple children participating in different courses, you may load in all of their gear at the same time; just communicate with our transition area volunteers and they will assist you.
We race rain or shine, so plan on coming to your race unless you hear otherwise from us via social media, event emails, or our website. We work closely with local law enforcement and the pool managers to follow their safety policies to determine if an event will need to be delayed or cancelled due to unsafe weather conditions.
If the online registration is sold out for the race or course you would like to register for, you can contact us at kbrasel@tri4schools.org to ask to be placed on a wait list. Should space become available in the race, we will send you a registration link to complete your registration. If you are interested in registering multiple participants and only want to register for the race if all your athletes can be moved off the wait list, please let us know.
If you should decide that you would no longer like to be on the wait list for an event, please email kbrasel@tri4schools.org so that we can remove you from the wait list.
We will finish processing the wait list after online registration closes on the Wednesday before the event, and we will confirm if we are able to offer you an entry for the event at that point.
Please note that course changes can only be made up until online registration closes on the Wednesday before the event. Contact us if you need to make a change to your course. We cannot accommodate any course changes at packet pickup or on the day of the race.
Required items:
Other items that you may want to bring:
Review the course distances for each event to help you determine which course will be the right fit for your child. We list recommended ages for each course, but your child will be most successful with their event, and happiest about their experience, if you choose the distance that matches their abilities, regardless of age.
Absolutely! Even if your child is the only one from their school, they can come to any Tri 4 Schools event.
We believe that nothing should stand in the way of your child’s health. Because of this, we offer financial assistance for children who qualify for free or reduced lunch at their school. Simply follow the prompts in the registration process for Training Teams or fill out this form to request scholarships or equipment.
Children six and under are allowed to have one adult helper join them in transition to assist with their transition process. If you are assisting a child in transition, we recommend that you wait for them by their gear in transition, as that is the fastest and easiest way for your child to find you, and their gear, in transition.
Children seven and older can ask any of our transition volunteers if they need help during transition. As part of your preparation for the triathlon, you may want to practice transition with your child to help them feel confident with what transition is like on race day.
Regardless of age, if your child needs additional assistance for any reason, please let our transition volunteers know, and they will allow you into the transition area to help your child as needed.
While it is our policy to not offer refunds, we work with families who provide advanced notice to transfer their athlete to our “at-home” race so that families can still pick up their race materials and their entry fee will still be donated to the school listed in their registration. If you can no longer attend the race you are signed up for, please contact kbrasel@tri4schools.org.
Course changes can only be made up until online registration closes on the Wednesday before the event. Contact us if you need to make a change to your course. We cannot accommodate any course changes at packet pickup or on the day of the race.
Tri 4 Schools
We’re supporting the well-being of kids inside and outside the classroom.
Since 2011, we’ve donated over $450,000 to over 200 schools and 22,000 kids have crossed the finish line!
To see the determination and pride on his face as he did something new reminded me how important it is to challenge ourselves at any age.
"The impact Tri 4 Schools has made on our school is immeasurable. Our kids love the program, learn valuable life lessons, and our department has received thousands of dollars to support our classes.
"This was the best organized and fun event I’ve been to in my 11 years as a father!
It was so exciting to see the smile on my child’s face as she crossed the finish line! Seeing her proud of her accomplishment means everything!
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