By 2 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 11, 84 people, both children and adults from Pennsylvania, New York and Delaware, had registered to participate in the 15th Annual Step Outdoors TRYathlon and 5K Trail Run/Walk being held this Saturday, Sept. 16 at Hills Creek State Park, 111 Spillway Road, Wellsboro, PA 16901. The park is seven miles northeast of Wellsboro in Charleston Township via Charleston Street and Hills Creek Lake Road.

That’s 21 more than had registered by this same time last year.

Of the 84, 29 have registered for the 5K only; 36 to run all three legs of the TRYathlon solo and 19 on a two- or three-member team to do the TRYathlon.

Online registration at www.stepoutdoors.org closes at noon this Wednesday, Sept. 13. Most who register by then will also get a free event T-shirt. Extras are ordered and assigned to entrants based on the date they register.

Both check-in and in-person registration will be from 8:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. this Saturday, Sept. 16 in the tent between the park’s bathhouse and concession stand.

Individuals who register in person for the 5K Trail Run/Walk will pay a $25 entry fee; to do the three legs of the triathlon solo, a $30 entry fee; and to do the triathlon as a member of a two- or three-person team, a $65 entry fee. Any surplus event T-shirts will be available while supplies last. 

The pre-race talk for all entrants, especially those participating for the first time, will be at 9:45 a.m. 

The TRYathlon & 5K Run/Walk begin at 10 a.m. this Saturday.

The triathlon starts with the 5K on park roads and trails around the perimeter of Hills Creek Lake. All runners and walkers, whether they are participating in the 5K only or the triathlon, will start at the same time and location and follow the same course. 

The next leg of the triathlon is paddling on the lake with competitors either kayaking or canoeing a 1.75-mile course identified with temporary markers.

The triathlon ends with bikers traveling 8 miles on a course of dirt and hardtop roads in and around the park.

The focus of the Step Outdoors TRYathlon is on trying rather than winning, on camaraderie rather than competition and on personal challenge rather than place of finish. That is the reason age and gender categories were eliminated in 2015.

More information and past results are posted at www.stepoutdoors.org.

To find out where to rent bikes, kayaks or canoes, contact Tim Morey by calling 570-724-8561 or emailing tmorey@pa.gov