The Goshen Parks Department will hold its eighth annual Kerry’s Kids and Teens Try-Athlon July 14.

The event, open to ages 5-18, will be held in and around Shanklin Park. Cost to enter is $25 and the registration deadline is Friday, July 6 with the field being limited to 600 entries.

The Try-Athlon is open to serious competitors, as well as those just wanting to have fun. Last year’s event drew about 300 young people from four states and 20 different cities.

Competiors will compete in the following age groups by gender: 5-6, 7-8, 9-10, 11-12, 13-14, 15-16 and 17-18. Ages 13-18 begin at 8 a.m. with ages 9-12 starting at 9 and 5-8 at 10.

The event begins with participants swimming one length (25 meters) of the Shanklin Park Pool for those ages 5-12 or three lengths (75 meters) for ages 13-18. Then, competitors will bike 1.2 miles  on their own two-wheeled, self-propelled bikes. No scooters or tricycles are allowed, but training wheels can be used for the 5-6 age groups. The run is the final part of the event with a half mile for ages 5-12 and 3.1 miles for ages 13-18.  A parent can run alongside their child throughout the run course, which is at the north end of Shanklin Park and on the Millrace Trail.

There is a mandatory packet pick-up and bike inspection for participants from noon to 6 p.m. on July 10 at Rieth Interpretive Center in Goshen.

For more information or to volunteer for the try-athlon, contact Tanya Heyde at the Goshen Parks Department at (574) 534-3003.