by Dennis Dalman
Scores of runners, bikers and swimmers will converge in Sartell May 19 to take part in the Apple Multisport Festival, the first such festival in the city’s history.
To register, go to activecentralmn.org/events/apple-multisport-festival/
Apple Multisport Festival is being billed as a “rain-or-shine” event.
One of the four events of the festival is the annual Sartell Apple Duathlon, now in its 42nd year. That widely renowned race involves a 5k run, a 20-mile bicycle race, followed by another 5k run to the finish line. Participants can compete as individuals as well as two- or three-person relay teams.
The other events are as follows:
Apple Triathlon
A brand-new event, it involves three activities: a swim (school’s indoor pool), a biking stretch and a distance run. Competitors can be individuals or relay teams of two or three persons. The triathlon is being run in conjunction with the annual Sartell Apple Duathlon.
Apple Relay Marathon
Teams of two or four runners will compete while running a half-marathon distance (13.1 miles) or full-marathon distance (26.2 miles).
The event will be broken down in increments of 5k distances that can be completed as each relay team desires. A support person will be required for each relay team to transport gear and teammates to the 5k checkpoint locations throughout the course. A support person does not need to pay a registration fee.
Apple Team Cycling
The Apple Cycling Team Time Trial is for teams of two, four or five team members who will each bike a distance of 20 miles. For a two-cyclist team, the total distance is 40 miles, for four cyclists 80 miles and for five cyclists 100 miles.
To find out details about those four events, go to the website noted in the second paragraph of this story.
The Apple Multisport Festival is sponsored by an organization called “Active Central MN,” which is dedicated to encouraging and supporting physical and mental well-being at the individual, organizational and community levels.
The organization strongly believes active lifestyles bring multiple benefits. The organization notes that physically active employees increase overall organization well-being through good health and increased productivity, and active organizations and their members enhance community well-being and bring prosperity.
In 2021, five events managed by Active Central MN engaged more than 3,600 participants and generated more than $1 million in estimated economic impact to the central Minnesota area. The collaborating cities in Active Central MN are Sartell, St. Cloud, Buffalo, Big Lake and Clearwater.
Active Central MN was founded in 2018 by a man named Bill Corcoran with support from funding partners that included Williams Integracare in Sartell, Viking Coca-Cola, Granite Partners and Rollga (a foam-roller company).
Corcoran had been the founder/president of Graniteman Inc., and he managed the Graniteman Triathlon series beginning in 2004. In 2019, Graniteman Inc. transitioned its brand and assets to the non-profit Active Central MN.
Corcoran is the president of Active Central MN.
