We are just over a month and about 10 days away from the 10th annual Buck Hurley Triathlon presented by Larry Cloninger Ford and Toyota.

I can’t believe it has been 10 years. Sarah Busby is the main reason we have this triathlon. and I thank her tremendously for that.

The Busbys are also the presenters for the Little Buck Triathlon held the day before the main Buck triathlon for our younger triathletes, ages 8 and younger. They swim 25 yards, bike a half mile and run about 275 yards, all May 4 on YMCA property.

The Little Buck and Buck Hurley triathlons are part of our Annual Giving Campaign. All proceeds from the Buck Hurley Triathlon go to the same cause as our annual campaign — families and individuals (young and old) in need. The YMCA will never turn anyone away because of an inability to pay.

Are you interested in doing the Buck Hurley Triathlon? It consists of a 300-yard swim followed by a 10-mile bike ride (11 miles including coming and going to transition area, which will be located on the field behind the YMCA).

We want this event to be exciting for everyone in this community but as with any event, local traffic will be affected for a short period of time. We made some changes two years ago and it helped that fewer people were affected.

The Buck Hurley Triathlon will start at 7:30 a.m. with the pool swim followed by the bike ride, then the 5K. Everything should be done by about 9:30 a.m.

You can get more information or sign up (online only) on runsignup.com. The triathlon is only $40 until March 29. It goes up to $50 on March 30. 

Again this year, the course is USA Triathlon-certified. If you do not have a USAT membership, no worries. A day pass is only $15.

For the triathlon, the swim is a 300-yard “zig zag” through the pool. Your time doesn’t start until you cross the mat where your chip picks up the signal before you go in the water. The bike course comes out the gate on Life Church side and Juice Life on Jake Alexander Boulevard, takes a right and goes all the way to Statesville Boulevard, turns right and goes all the way to Brenner, turns right and right again on Jake for the second loop, making it 10 miles.

Riders will then enter back through the gate at the Life Church side and Juice Life back to the transition.

The 5K goes through the gate at the Harris Teeter side behind Harris Teeter on Brenner Avenue Greenway, staying on Brenner going toward Calvin Presbyterian Church where the turnaround is.

Go back the same way you came, behind Harris Teeter turning to go through the gate behind the Y at the  same side and the finish line.

It’s not too late to start training for the Buck Hurley Triathlon as an individual or as a team (one swims, one bikes and one runs). This year for our 10th anniversary, the race gear is an awesome custom-designed “headsweats” visor, compliments of the Hurley family.

The Buck Hurley Triathlon is held in memory of their son, Buck. If you need any additional information on how to get ready or  how you can volunteer, email me at emarsh@rowanymca.org or call J.F. Hurley Family YMCA at 704-636-0111, Ext. 212.

I hope to see many of you on Sunday, May 5, at our 10th annual Buck Hurley Triathlon or Saturday, May 4, for our Little Buck Hurley Triathlon. So get ready to “Buck Up”!

Ester H. Marsh is health and fitness director of J.F. Hurley Family YMCA and race director of the 10th anniversary Buck Hurley Triathlon.