Timberman Triathlon is running toward four decades

This July, the Timberman Triathlon will run, bike, and swim in the Grand Rapids and Cohasset area for the 39th time.

Organizers believe it’s the oldest triathlon in the state of Minnesota. It was started by a forester who worked for Blandin, which provided the seed money to get the race off and running.

It will be held Saturday, July 13, at the Sugar Lake Lodge in Cohasset.

“We have people who have been coming for 20 years, 25 years. So we have definitely a following,” Co-Race Director Amy Dettmer said.

Dettmer and her husband have been heading up the race for 10 years. She says they describe the course as having “rustic beauty.”

“The lake is amazing. You would think you were in the Caribbean. It’s so completely clear. You can see the bottom. The lake is blue-green. It’s amazing,” she said. “So the swim just itself is an incredible event.”

The bike and run are on rural roads. There are three different race distances. They can all be done as an individual, or two of them can be team events.

Spots are still open on timberman.org.