Community turns out for Stroke-n-Croak Triathlon

Ten community members of all ages took to the pool, roads, and trails on Saturday, July 25, for the annual Stroke-n-Croak Triathlon, a fundraiser benefiting the Nome Northstar Swim Team and the Nome-Beltz High School Nanook Swim Team.
Under blue skies, cool temperatures and a stiff southern breeze made conditions for competing both challenging and pleasant.
The Stroke-n-Croak challenges participants to complete a half-mile swim (16 laps), an 8-mile bike ride, and a 4-mile run. Participants completed the entire course individually or competed as relay teams.
The weather provided comfortable racing conditions, although competitors had to navigate around numerous trucks along the bike course as heavy gravel and rock haul traffic shared Greg Kruschek Avenue and the Nome-Teller Highway with the competitors.
The overall winning team was Lathen Ahmasuk, Kerry Ahmasuk, and Harrison Moore with a winning time of 1:26:70.
Top individual finishers were Rolland Trowbridge (1:33:42), Liz Korenek-Johnson (1:34:86), Rachael Scholten (1:45:29), and Deb Trowbridge (2:02:05).
One of the highlights of the day was the under-12 relay team of Theo Sparks, Adrian White, and Tessa Timbers-Payenna, who finished in 1:49:91.
Fastest split honors went to Liz Korenek-Johnson with the fastest swim (13:49.7), Rolland Trowbridge with the fastest bike (31:34), and Harrison Moore with the fastest run (31:03).
The event, started sometime in the 1980s, usually takes place earlier in May but organizer Melissa Ford explains why it was postponed to July. “Kirsten Bey has been the person who put the Stroke-n-Croak on for a long time,” Ford said. “She was our also our high school swim coach and just an amazing asset to the pool.” However, Bey moved last year and due to scheduling and other commitments, Ford could accommodate only a July date to organize and hold the event. Ford said next year, they will try to hold the Stroke-n-Croak in June as a July event is amid subsistence season and people are putting up fish.
Helping Ford with the event were Diana Adams and Lily Fawn White.
The Nome Northstar Swim Team and the Nome-Beltz High School Nanook Swim Team thank all participants, volunteers, sponsors, lap counters, and spectators for supporting this annual fundraiser. Proceeds from the Stroke-n-Croak help support local swimmers with equipment, training and travel to competitions.