Due to the threat of the coronavirus spreading on the island, the upcoming Lavaman Waikoloa Triathlon, an annual event that more than 1,000 local and visiting athletes compete in, was canceled Friday.
The 23rd edition of the Lavaman Triathlon, which was to be held in Waikoloa with the starting line at Anaehoomalu Bay, was originally scheduled for Sunday, April 5. The events that were scheduled to run alongside the triathlon that same weekend — the Lavaman 5K Sunset Run, the LavaKid’s Aquathlon, and the Lavaman Sports and Fitness Expo — have all also been canceled due to the virus that has now spread throughout the world.
“After a great deal of thought and research on the potential impacts of COVID-19, we have decided to cancel the Lavaman Triathlon,” race director Gerry Rott said in a press release. “The safety and well being of the athletes, volunteers, sponsors, spectators, and the Big Island community must be our primary concern. With this in mind, we cannot in good conscience expose everyone to the potential spread of COVID-19 through a large-scale event such as the Lavaman Triathlon.”
The Lavaman Triathlon has close to 1,800 athletes compete annually, with two-thirds of those athletes traveling from states on the mainland. In last year’s Lavaman, Big Island athletes David Wild and Rani Henderson took first place.
The registration for the 2020 event was sold out.
Rott told the West Hawaii Today on Friday night that Lavaman is not offering refunds to those already registered, but the registration will roll over into next year’s event, and possibly 2022.
The Lavaman Triathlon and all of the triathlon-related events were scheduled to take place at the Waikoloa Beach Resort and the Hilton Waikoloa Village.
“We will continue to help support local nonprofits, especially youth programs, throughout the year, although the dollars may be smaller than in the past,” Rott said in the organization’s statement, also available on their website. “We consider ourselves a community event, and as such, we are determined to be of value to our island and our local community now and in the future.”
Next year’s triathlon is scheduled for Sunday, March 28, 2021.
“There’s still a lot of things we need to figure out but we felt that it was best for all considered,” Rott told the West Hawaii Today. “And hopefully we get through this ordeal, not just for Lavaman, but for the community.”