Annual Sacramento triathlon returns, bringing sense of ‘normal’ to American River Parkway

Sara Pagano had always known of the annual no-swim triathlon on the American River Parkway. She knew it was something of a Sacramento institution. So, early this year, she decided it was finally time to sign up, get active and cross it off her bucket list.

Pagano, 36, eased into training and was feeling confident about her mileage going into June. Then, as a surge in COVID-19 cases swept across Sacramento, she tested positive. It confined her to the couch for two weeks and forced her to adjust her goals for Saturday’s big race — keep moving forward and stay upright.

“Make sure that I stay up,” as she put it.

More than 600 people ran, biked and paddled along the American River Parkway Saturday during the Great American Triathlon. Known for 45 years as “Eppie’s Great Race,” the 24.4-mile no-swim triathlon returned after a two-year pandemic-induced hiatus.

More than anything, Pagano summed up the event at the start in three reassuring words that were on the minds of many who toed the line: “It feels normal.”

Normal as it felt to be involved in racing and among other athletes, overall participation was down by about one-third compared to 2019, said Ken McGuire, board chair for Reach Your Potential, the nonprofit that runs the Great American Triathlon.

“Nothing’s changed,” McGuire said. “I think a lot of it is just folks are focused on a lot of different things these days with getting out of the COVID mode, and then the economy and travel and so forth.”

Unlike most triathlons, Saturday’s event did not involve a swimming portion. It’s what makes the long-standing race a stand-out in the sport and a more accessible option for runners and cyclists more interested in being on the water than in it.

The course starts with a 5.82-mile run downriver from William B. Pond Park in Carmichael to California State University, Sacramento. From there, athletes jump on their bike and race 12.5 miles to the Sunrise Bridge in Fair Oaks where they transition into what makes the event stand out in a field of competitive triathlons: a 6.1-mile paddle to River Bend Park in Rancho Cordova.

It was only a matter of time before Jason Lanthier signed up. His wife, Whitney, was the second-place female in 2019, and his father, a four-time race finisher, has more than 60 years of insight paddling that stretch of the American River.

“I’d been meaning to do it for a while,” Lanthier, 37, said Saturday after strategizing with his dad about river navigation. He placed sixth overall.

What is the history of Eppie’s Great Race?

Eppie’s Great Race became an institution in Sacramento sport. But it started on a whim.

Eppie G. Johnson, a then-prominent Sacramento restaurateur, was kayaking in the 1970s with a friend who floated an ambitious, if half-baked, idea: ski from Squaw Valley, run to the Truckee River and kayak into Truckee. There was a problem though, Johnson replied. He didn’t own any restaurants in the mountain town.

The Sacramento race was off and running in 1974 though and soon became a summer tradition. Johnson died in 2013, but the race carried on in his name for five more years. After declining participating levels, some 2,500 people competed in what was to be the final running in 2018 — a record participation level.

McGuire, who is also the CEO of Citrus Heights-based Innovations Health Systems, was driving toward Sacramento from the Bay Area when he heard on the radio that Eppie’s Great Race was ending its four-decade run. The race is considered to be the oldest triathlon in the country. He thought it would be a chance to carry on the tradition.

“It was a no-brainer,” McGuire said. “Having been there for 40 years, it was an opportunity for us to pick up something that people already knew about without having to do a ground-up construction

Top finishers of the 2022 Great Race

Ben Lawry, 55, of Folsom, won the overall race, completing the full course in 1:47:58. Kristi Capello, 24, of Carmichael, was the first place female — and seventh overall — with a time of 2:07:50.

A three-person team calling themselves the Fantastic Beasts won the relay division. Ryan Ioanidis ran for the team, Lee Piercy pedaled and John Easterbook paddled with a combined time of 1:33:58.

“It’s a great community event,” said Easterbrook, the team’s captain. “It’s not just for the superstar athletes here. It’s for everybody.”

Event proceeds support the American River Parkway Foundation, Child Advocates of Placer County, Child Advocates of El Dorado County and the Reach Your Potential Foundation.

Saturday was Steve Willick’s second time running the race — his first was the final year it was run under the Eppie’s name. It felt similar, he said. Mostly, it was great seeing hundreds of people out on the shaded Parkway on what was expected to be a blazing 105-degree day.

His message to anyone on the fence about participating next year?

“Just sign up.”

This story was originally published July 16, 2022 at 2:14 PM.