Fireman Triathlon Goes On Despite Hurricane Irene

The Fireman Triathlon in West Kennebunk, Maine took place this weekend despite harsh weather conditions caused by Hurricane Irene.

Despite Sunday’s weather, the 20th annual Fireman’s Triathlon went on as scheduled — albeit with a few minor adjustments.

Race director Jeff Cole and his dedicated group of volunteers from Kennebunk Fire Rescue, beneficiaries of the event, have dealt with severe weather conditions before. As recently as 2009 they had to move the swim portion of the triathlon off Mother’s Beach and into the more protected cove behind the offices of the Kennebunk Beach Improvement Association — when the remnants of Hurricane Denny threatened to scuttle the event. So, they were not about to let Hurricane Irene blow their plans out of the water.

After conferencing with the Maine Emergency Management Agency and the National Weather Service, it was decided to go forward with the swim and run segments of the two triathlon competitions (Sprint and Olympic), but eliminate the cycling portion, thus making it an “Aquarun.”

Read more: Seacoastonline.com