Penny’s Pieathlon Saturday May 19th, 2012
Penny’s Pieathlon is an event similar to a triathlon, you might think of it as a tri al a mode. The sixth annual Penny’s Pieathlon will be a Sprint Triathlon this year with Chip Timing. No prizes are awarded but everyone feels good about helping fight cancer and gets a slice of pie as a little reward. The TRI is an 400 yard swim(indoors), 12.2 mile bike ride and 5K run. Participants have the opportunity to choose between the Sprint TRI a 5K Run/Walk or 10 Mile Bike ride. The main focus is to get some vigorous physical activity, not how fast or how long it takes.
The idea of the event was created by Penny and Dave Milburn after they discussed the importance of raising money to fight cancer. Penny lost her mother and aunt to ovarian cancer, and has taken several steps to reduce her own risk of getting the disease.
“We love RAGBRAI, homemade pie and helping people for a good cause,” says Dave Milburn. “After putting all these together, we came up with the idea of the Pieathlon. The purpose of the event is to have fun, promote healthy activities and raise money to fight cancer by supporting the Lance Armstrong Foundation, LiveSTRONG, YMCA, John Stoddard Cancer Center and Mercy Cancer Center.”
Participants will start and finish the Pieathlon at Waukee Family YMCA in Waukee and will use the YMCA pool for swimming. Bike route starts at the Y, follows Waukee streets, Dallas County roads and the Raccoon River Trail. The 5K Run/Walk is on Waukee trails and streets. Pie is served at the Y along with food and drinks for sale. Pie, food and drinks will also be for sale. All proceeds go to the four beneficiaries.
“Every pie-athlete wins by decreasing their risk of cancer, heart disease and diabetes through increased exercise,” says Milburn. “And you can eat pie without getting fat after burning all those calories!”
Our Vision
The Pieathlon vision is to support local agencies and individuals in our community in fighting cancer. This is a family-friendly event in which participants may choose between the TRI and the 5K Run/Walk. One-hundred percent of the proceeds are given back to the following charities: the John Stoddard Cancer Center, Mercy Cancer Center, Live Well @ the YMCA, and Lance Armstrong Foundation.