The pandemic had changed a lot of things, but it couldn’t stop one group of hardcore triathletes from competing this summer. Last Sunday, just over 100 participants showed up at a park in Hendersonville, NC to do something that most athletes used to take for granted: toe the line at an in-person race. 

The Asheville Triathlon, held at a new location in Hendersonville’s Patton Park, is setting an example of what in-person events may look like in the future during the time of COVID-19. “This coronavirus has really forced us to make some big changes in the endurance event industry,” said Daphne Kirkwood, owner of iDaph Events and Race Director for the Asheville Triathlon. “There just isn’t a cookie cutter way to design and produce an in-person event during a pandemic. But I’m really happy with how safely everything turned out.”

Race participants wore face coverings before and after the