Organizing a Triathlon in 10 Easy Steps

Thank you for organizing a Triathlon to support Surmang in Tibet! Here are some suggestions on how to organize the event in 10 easy steps!  Please feel welcome to tailor any and all of these suggestions to local conditions.  

Step #1 - Setting the Date

Set a date for the Triathlon in consultation with the Director of your center.

Step #2 - Contacting Captains

Identify and contact 2-3 team captains in each age group. The number of teams and age groups will depend on the size of your center. Here's an example of how you could divide the Triathlon:

                Tiger             Ages 5-9             Teams of 6          1 mile bike or run, 2 mile walk, 1 hour 20 min sit

                Lion              Ages 10-13          Teams of 4          3 mile bike or run, 2 mile walk, 1 hour 30 min sit

                Garuda         Ages 14-17          Teams of 3          5 mile bike or run, 2 mile walk, 1 hour 40 min sit

                Dragon         Ages 18-30          Teams of 2          9 mile bike or run, 2 mile walk, 2 hour sit

The idea is that each group completes a "team marathon" that adds up to 26 units of biking, running, walking and/or sitting.

Step #3 - Charting the Route

Chart a route. You may want to delegate this to someone in your center who is athletic, perhaps a biker or runner. Here are suggestions for organizing the route:

·         The biking/running routes could converge at a sangha member's household who lives approximately 2 miles from the Shambhala Center. Teams could enjoy refreshments, store their bikes safely, and then gather for a 2 mile walk to the Center and 1-2 hour sitting period.

·         Urban centers may want to hold the entire event in the countryside at a sangha member's house that is large enough to accommodate the teams in the final 1-2 hours of sitting.

In either case, you may need to get a permit for the biking, running and/or walking portions of the Triathlon from the town or city where the event is held. You may also want to involve the Rusung of your Center in planning the route, as kasung may be needed to help on Triathlon Day.

Step #4 - Creating a Webpage

Create a web page! We have launched a collaborative wiki at shamthalatriathlon.pbwiki.com for the Triathlon. Within just a few minutes, you can create a page for your Shambhala Center and post the names of Triathlon teams there. It's also easy to create pages for each team, if you would like to.

Step #5 - Assembling Teams

Ask the team captains to come up with a team in their age group. Each team captain is encouraged to create their own webpage on shambhalatriathlon.pbwiki.com with photos and aspirations from each team member. 

Step #6 - Emailing Family and Friends

Contact the teams and ask them to email their family and friends with a link to their team's webpage or to the Shambhala Center's webpage. Family and friends can sponsor a "team marathon" with a pledge of $1 to $5 per unit (mile or hour).  A $1/unit pledge adds up to $26. A $5/unit pledge adds up to $130. We will provide a link for pledges to add to each team's page.

Step #7 - Announcing the Event

You can announce this event on April 4th at the Parinirvana Day celebrations and follow up with occasional email blasts to invite the community to join a team, sponsor a team, and cheer the teams on the day of the Triathlon.

Step #8 - Finalizing Logistics

As the date draws near, you may need to find helpers to umdze and shop for refreshments. You may want to provide lemonade/gatorade and fresh fruit at the resting point between the biking/running portion and the walking portion. You could offer something more celebratory at your end point.

In addition, you may need to organize a group of volunteers who will be stationed at the starting point(s) and along the route. These could be kasung or civilians, dressed in a white top and khaki trousers. For the younger teams, you could ask an adult to accompany them.

Step #9 - Hosting Triathlon Day

This event could have a celebratory feeling. At the end, you might invite team captains to say something about their experience. You may also want to invite someone at the center to say a few words about Surmang Monastery in Tibet and its educational projects. We can send you information. Be sure to have a basket out for donations in case there are some spectators who did not have a chance to sponsor a team online.

Step #10 - Getting Reimbursed

The Konchok Foundation would like to reimburse you for the cost of refreshments. Please try to keep the costs between $200 and $300. Be sure to have your shoppers save receipts and send these along with any donations on Triathlon Day to Ginny Lipson at the following address:

Ginny Lipson, Shambhala Center

1345 Spruce St., Boulder, CO 80302

Once again, thank you for your time and energy in organizing this event. Kiki soso!

If you have questions, contact: ginnylipson@gmail.com

Proceeds from the event help to support education projects in Tibet.

Konchok Foundation | www.konchok.org