Galena Triathlon

On Saturday, May 19, 6 members of the Dubuque Phlockers volunteered 30 hours of service for the participants of the local "Galena Triathlon/Duathlon" and raised $172.50 for the Dubuque Regional Humane Society.

Our volunteer shifts started at a very early (and chilly) 6:00 a.m. and continued through the conclusion of festivities at 3:30 p.m. Throughout the day, the members of the Dubuque Phlockers assisted with such activities as directing race participants to ground transportation, monitoring intersections to ensure the safety of the athletes and spectators alike, staffing the race entrances and assisting with the return of race gear at the conclusion of the race.

The Galena Triathlon has been named one of the "top 10" sprint triathlons in the U.S. by USA Triathlon and had nearly 1400 participants that braved a 660-yd swim in 60° water, then biked 16.8 miles and completed the race by running 4.3 miles up and down terrain that would give some 4x4 vehicles difficulty! Although we worked hard, it was nothing compared to the "thoroughly spent" bodies that crossed the Finish line.

The Dubuque Phlockers did our best to keep the participants in that "tropical spirit" by requesting various Buffett tunes from the local DJ that was keeping the crowd entertained. The best part of the day was hearing the many gratification comments of the racers (and not even a single complaint or gripe) as they thanked us for helping make the event one that they enjoyed very much!

The Dubuque Phlockers would like to thank club members Rob McWilliams, Nicole McWilliams, Ron Markus, Barb Markus, Laura Schauer and Ladd Nelson for contributing their time and resources to this successful project!