Carroll County News: High School Sports: The Eurekan: Triathlon, plus (08/14/12)

The Eurekan Multisport Festival began Friday at the beach on Holiday Island with a triathlon. The first group in the water were "the yellow caps", indicating the men's group 39 and under. They were followed by "the green caps", men 40 and over and lastly "the pink caps", women of all ages. Photo by David Bell [Order this photo]

EUREKA SPRINGS -- Last weekend Eureka Springs again played host to an athletic event featuring two wheels. Only this time the event also included swimming and running. It was the second annual Eurekan Multisport Event. And all of Carroll County shared in the action.

The Eurekan is promoted by All Sport Productions of Fayetteville. All Sport also promotes triathlons, marathons, and multisport events across northwest Arkansas.

"A-w-e-s-o-m-e," is how All Sports owner Bruce Dunn replied when asked how the event went. "We had upwards of 500 athletes came from 11 states." Athletes from New Mexico, Colorado, Oklahoma, Texas, and even New York participated.

Callahan Eckhardt, at left, of Shawnee, Kan. won the men's overall triathlon with a time of 36:53.4. Jane Ziegler, of Tulsa, Okla., won the women's overall triathlon with a time of 40:15.2. Zielgler also won the overall Eurekan event with a combined event total of 6:22:05. Photo by David Bell

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Dunn credited the various communities and civil agencies involved with the success of the event. "I think any kind of recreational promoter [finds that] participants are valuable," he said. "But if you don't have the cities and volunteers {you can't pull it off]."

Saturday the Eurekan continued bike tours and races of from 32 to 100 miles in length. Sunday the event featured a 1-mile fun run and 5- and10K runs.

The Eurekan had something for most athletes.

Triathlon contestants walk down the rocky shore to the starting point of the swim portion of The Eurekan. Photo by David Bell [Order this photo]

"I got by with a little help from my friends," is what Adam McCullough of Beryville could say about the help he received from from Marvin Lee of Tulsa when the McCullough's slipped off. Photo by David Bell [Order this photo]

Jennifer Bussman of Rogers stretches before race. Photo by David Bell [Order this photo]

"Let's do something out of the box to celebrate our anniversary [this year]," Clint Thomas told his wife Kelly. So they did: The Eurekan Triathlon event. Photo by David Bell [Order this photo]

The Eureka Springs Fire Department had a team last Friday. Billy Summers rode the bicycle leg of the triathlon. Photo by David Bell [Order this photo]

Cord Leonhardt, of Seligman, Mo., on the seven-mile triathlon bike route. Photo by David Bell [Order this photo]