Push Fitness triathlon moves to North Minneapolis for seventh year, adds new scholarships

Push Fitness is bringing its annual triathlon to a new home this year, moving the swim leg from Lilydale Pool and Yacht in St. Paul to V3 Sports in North Minneapolis, a shift organizer Connie says will give the growing event more room to expand.

For six years, the triathlon was held at Lilydale, which Connie credited with taking a chance on the event when it launched in 2020, in the middle of the pandemic. But last year’s field of 100 participants pushed the pool to its limit, she said, and V3’s newer, wider 25-yard pool offers space for more swimmers, with access to V3’s Olympic-sized pool opening up opportunities for future expansion

“Their mission aligns very much with my own mission, which is to give people of color access to movement,” Connie said of V3.

Now in its seventh year, the triathlon remains built around accessibility rather than competition. Participants can complete the full swim-bike-run course solo or split it with teammates, an entry-level format Connie said has helped first-time athletes build confidence over multiple years.

“Many folks aren’t familiar with the triathlon,” she said. “They say, ‘I can’t do a swim, a bike, and a run,’ and I say, ‘Great, do one of the three,’ and then I find other people to do the other two legs.”

The run is a three-mile route that many participants walk, Connie said, encouraging anyone hesitant about the distance to sign up regardless.

Community partnerships fueling diversity and access

This year’s event is supported by longtime sponsor Healing Justice Foundation, led by Dr. Joy Lewis, which has partnered with Push Fitness for four years and funds full participation fees for scholarship recipients, along with Old National Bank. Push Fitness has set aside two scholarship slots this year specifically to support its ongoing goal of having at least 50% of participants be people of color, a mark the event surpassed last year.

The triathlon takes place Saturday, Sept. 12, starting at 6 a.m., opening with the Black National Anthem before the swim, bike and run legs, and typically wraps by 9:30 a.m.

“It really isn’t a competition,” Connie said. “It is people cheering you on … community saying, ‘You got this.'”

Registration remains open at and Connie encouraged anyone unsure about their ability to complete the course to sign up anyway. Community members who aren’t participating can also support the event by attending to cheer on athletes; a food truck will be on-site with nutritious options.

Push Fitness organizers say the goal isn’t to create triathletes, but to show people different ways to move. “Some of us swim, some of us bike, some of us run, some of us do all three,” Connie said. “Lots of options.”

Editor’s note: This article will be expanded next week, Sept. 8, to include comments from V3 Sports, Push Fitness’s collaborator on this year’s triathlon, who were not available for comment at the time of this article’s publication. 

Jasmine McBride welcomes reader responses at jmcbride@spokesman-recorder.com.