Hat’s Off to the Hopkins Royal Triathlon
The Accessible Triathlon
The annual Hopkins Royal Triathlon is held at Shady Oak Lake in Minnetonka, Minnesota. The 2022 event was on September 3, 2022.
The race makes every effort to make triathlons accessible to everyone by offering a Mini-Sprint and Sprint levels. You can choose your own distance. For example, if you are more comfortable with the biking portion, you can do the longer segment, but do the shorter segment for the running portion.
To make the swimming section accessible to everyone, you can request a Swim Angel to swim by your side to make sure you make it through that segment safely.
The goal of the planners is clearly to make triathlons accessible to everyone.
2022 Event Video
Comments on the Hopkins Royal Triathlon
What I like about this triathlon in particular is that this race is not elitist and very accessible to anyone.
Nikki Shultz
When inclusion is allowed to happen it lifts everybody up.
Jordan Bergeman, who competes with his son Jeffrey
Every time there is a set back, I dust myself off and make little improvements every day.
Terri Jaksha
Start by walking, then throwing in some walking and build up from there. Start slowly and build up. And don’t give up!
Steve Gunther
You don’t need all the fancy stuff, you just need to get out there and try it, and then you fall in love with it. You’ll build up all the things you need eventually.
Heather Lendway
Do a little bit each day, and that’s how you get better. That’s the great part of a multi-sport. You aren’t focused on one and that helps the body recover.
Eric Roesner
We try to do something for anybody who wants to try it. There is someone racing from Connecticut and someone from Hawaii. We are coast to coast and beyond. But most people participating today are local. The reason I do it is to give people a chance to do what they did as a kid: swim, bike, and run!
Doobie
A special thank you to Doobie and Jerry MacNeil and all of the event volunteers!
Hat’s Off America is based in Hopkins, Minnesota, so we have more stories on Minnesota. Hopkins is also famous for its Hopkins Raspberry Festival.