Kids can test their endurance in off-road triathlon at Dart-Lo

Camp Dart-Lo is hosting its second Kids’ Off-Road Triathlon on July 28.

The race is open to all children in kindergarten through seventh grade, said Jill Strom, director of fund development and communications for Camp Fire Inland Northwest.

The race starts in one of the camp’s pools. The length of the swim depends on age and ability, Strom said. And flotation devices are OK. “Some kids will use a noodle, some kids use a life jacket. That’s completely acceptable and encouraged,” she said.

The 1-mile bike ride and 3/4-mile run are through Dart-Lo’s 51-acre property.

“It’s really wooded,” Strom said. “You’re riding your bike on a gravel road, you’re running on a wooded pathway.”

And riders beware: “There’s a pretty good hill,” Strom said. “It’s not very long but it’s kind of steep.” And if riders need to get off their bikes and walk, that’s OK.

Last year, despite temperatures in the high 90s, everyone finished the race, Strom said.

And the triathlon isn’t the only chance for noncampers to enjoy the camp’s facilities.

The day camp, which is located on the Little Spokane River in Wandermere, opens its pools to the community 3 to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday through Aug. 19. There are two pools, one a standard pool with lanes, a deep end and diving board; the other a zero-entry wading pool with water features.

Kimberly Lusk