About 500 Athletes Compete as TRI Clear Lake Shifts to All-Sprint Race After Storm

CLEAR LAKE — Roughly 500 athletes competed in Saturday’s TRI Clear Lake triathlon after organizers shortened the event to the sprint distance for all participants due to lightning in the area, race officials said.

The race, which draws athletes to Clear Lake each year, was delayed briefly Saturday morning as a storm carrying lightning moved through the region. Organizers asked athletes to stay away from the race site while they monitored conditions and consulted with volunteers and law enforcement partners.

Based on the timing of the storm, organizers decided to move forward with a 9:30 a.m. race start, according to a statement from TRI Clear Lake. All athletes, including those registered for the Olympic distance, competed in the sprint distance.

“We know many of you have traveled a long way to race with us, and our team has been working through every possible scenario this morning to safely give you that opportunity,” organizers said in the statement.

Transition opened at 8:30 a.m., followed by a pre-race meeting at City Beach at 9:15 a.m. Body marking was not conducted. The race began at 9:30 a.m. as scheduled.

Organizers thanked athletes for their patience as they adjusted the event to ensure safety while still allowing the race to proceed.