Submitted photo The photo is of a previous CassadagaMan event held in the village.
CASSADAGA – As summer enters its final stretch, Wilson Endurance Sports has a strong finale of events lined up for this month and into September.
On Saturday, the Frickin’ Hot 50K event will return for another year, with proceeds from this event going to the Chautauqua County Fire Police. Mark Wilson, head of Wilson Endurance Sports, said he is grateful for everything the organization does for them throughout the year during their events, and looks forward to giving back each year.
“They are great friends and give us great support,” said Wilson. “We give them a nice check every year.”
Next Saturday will feature one of the best atmospheres you’ll find at a Wilson Endurance Sports event, with the Cassadaga Kids Triathlon. Youth ages 4 to 14 can participate in the event, which includes a 100-yard swim, a three-mile bike ride and a one-mile run. Wilson said they have kids from a tri-state area of
“It’s always a lot of fun” said Wilson. “At the end we have pancakes for the kids and local sponsors donate juice boxes.”
The event has grown from 15 kids in the first year of the event to 100 kids now as we move into the fourth iteration.
For safety reasons, Wilson said parents can participate with their children at any part of the event and provide fluorescent orange vests to help with safety with any potential traffic. Wilson also wanted to thank the Chautauqua County Fire Police for their help with this event.
Finally, during the Labor Day weekend, September 3rd, the CassadagaMan Half Triathlon will be held for the third year. Around 130 athletes from as far away as California with several states in between will be on hand to participate in the event. Wilson said they’ve made a big push in national advertising and even being featured in USA Triathlons magazine and Montana’s Hammer Nutrition also gave Wilson Endurance Sports a big boost.
“We hope it will grow in the future,” said Wilson. “We’re in no rush, but we’ll do what we do.”
A half triathlon includes a 1.2 mile swim, 56 mile bike and 13.1 mile run. Teams can compete in the event, along with individuals.
CassadagaMan’s first year was 2020, which was right in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic. Because of how well they were able to follow both local and national guidelines, CassadagaMan was the only half triathlon to run in 2020 in the United States.
While there will be about 130 athletes competing, Wilson said the limit for the event is 300 runners, meaning there is still plenty of room to grow.
More information about Wilson Endurance Sports, including its full schedule of events, can be found at https://coachmarkwilson.com/.
