Idaho State University students put on triathlon to give back; event will support Tyson’s Brave Battalion

Idaho State University's Sport Science and Physical Education students are putting on a triathlon April 20-21 to celebrate the end of the school year, while benefitting Tyson's Brave Battalion, a local group of children who are battling Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL).

The triathlon, also known as the Bengal Spring Sprint Triathlon, will start in Reed Gym on the ISU campus.

The Bengal Triathlon, sponsored by Idaho Central Credit Union and Idaho Orthopedic & Sports Clinic, is perfect for beginner and intermediate triathletes, according to organizers. The swim takes place on Friday night at the ISU Reed Gym pool, between 3 and 8 p.m. The bike and run portions will be on Saturday with the fastest swimmer off at 9:30 a.m. Racers will leave according to their swim time.

Organizers say the event is a great start to the triathlon season and it features awesome race sweatshirts, however, only those that register by April 1 will be guaranteed a sweatshirt. After the run, awards will be given and a raffle will take place for all participants. 

Registration is available online at Active.com, (keywords Bengal Triathlon.) Registration fees are: $25 for individual race entries, $20 for college students, $60 for relay teams, $20 for juniors, and $15 for ICE/Pocatello TRI Club Members.

"The Bengal Triathlon is an event that brings ISU students together to work as a team, to gain foremost experience in their field of interest, to bring a community together that supports one cause, and to achieve in reaching our goals as individuals," Kyle Little, the race director, stated,

Karen Appleby's ISU Physical Education 4454 class was given the assignment to organize the triathlon to help teach class members the inner workings of the field of sports management. Students are managing all aspects of the race including race logistics, risk management, marketing and promotions.

To bring more meaning to what the students were doing, the class decided that all the proceeds would go to Tyson's Brave Battalion to help pay for travel expenses for children in our area with Acute Lymphoblatic Leukemia, who must travel to various regional facilities for treatment.

Amy Johnson, Tyson's mother, said, "It means a lot to us that people in the community care about the kids. Parents of children with cancer are usually emotionally and financially exhausted, so we can use all of the help we can get."

Another way to make the fun run worthwhile is to give away free items. Every participant will receive a sweatshirt, and a raffle ticket for a large amount of donated prizes from businesses in the community.

For more information, please contact Leo Sepulveda, Marketing and Promotions at 208-317-5692 sepuleon@gmail.com or Kyle Little, Race Director at 208-731-9753 littkyle@isu.edu or Dr. Caroline Faure at 208-282-4085 faurcaro@isu.edu.

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