Submitted Photo
Pictured is a previous CassadagaMan event held in the village.
CASSADAGA — As the summer gets into the home stretch, Wilson Endurance Sports has a strong finish of events lined up for this month and into September.
On Saturday, the Frickin’ Hot 50K event will be back for another year, with proceeds from that event being donated to the Chautauqua County Fire Police. Mark Wilson, the head of Wilson Endurance Sports, said he is thankful for all that the organization does for them throughout the year during their events, and looks forward to giving back to them every year.
“They’re great friends and they give us great support,” said Wilson. “Every year we give them a good check.”
The next Saturday will feature one of the best atmospheres you’ll get at a Wilson Endurance Sports event, in the form of 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 coming from a tri-state area of New York, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey, with kids from Ohio coming as well.
“It’s always so fun,” said Wilson. “We have pancakes at the end for the kids and local sponsors give out juice boxes.”
The event has grown from 15 children the first year of the event to 100 kids now as we come up on the fourth iteration.
For safety reasons, Wilson said parents are allowed to participate with their kids in 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 assistance with this event.
Finally, during Labor Day weekend, on Sept. 3, 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 for national advertising, and were even featured in USA Triathlons Magazine and Hammer Nutrition from Montana gave Wilson Endurance Sports a big push as well.
“We expect it to grow in the future,” said Wilson. “We’re not in a rush but we’ll do what we do.”
A half triathlon features a 1.2-mile swim, a 56-mile bike ride, and a 13.1-mile run. Teams are welcome to 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 that ran in 2020 in the United States.
While there will be around 130 athletes competing, Wilson said the cap for the event is 300 runners, meaning there is still plenty of room to grow.
More information about Wilson Endurance Sports, including their full event schedule, can be found at https://coachmarkwilson.com/.
