Smoke stops Tin Foil Man triathlon

Smoke and dust fill Colfax skies Saturday morning, creating hazardous conditions.

Wildfires claimed another victim Saturday: Endicott’s Tin Foil Man race.

Smoke from nearby wildfires significantly worsened the air quality across the Palouse region, even reaching the hazardous level in Pullman and drawing close to hazardous rankings in LaCrosse and Rosalia, according to Department of Ecology readings.

The hazardous rating forced a cancellation for the event with the air deemed unsafe for all populations.

The Tin Foil Man was supposed to be an informal mini triathlon relay race. Teams of three would have completed a 250-yard swim (10 laps of the Endicott pool), six-mile bike ride and two-mile run.

“It didn’t quite work out this year,” said Jamie Misner, one of the organizers for the event. “It would have been a lot of fun, but you can’t control the weather or the wind or the smoke.”

Heavy smoke in the area Saturday morning included a 308 particulate reading for Pullman on the Department of Ecology web site. Readings over 300 are rated hazardous.

Misner, who earlier this summer participated in Coeur d’Alene’s Iron Man race, previously told the Gazette the idea of the race was to get the community together to do something active that any skill level could participate in.

“We wanted it to be feasible for people who maybe are not in the best shape,” she said. “We wanted something that anyone could come in and do.”

Despite the conditions Saturday, Misner said several still showed up to participate. People came from St. John, Rosalia and Garfield, indicating there was excitement across the county for the event.

“The people who showed up were the people who couldn’t get the word of mouth,” Misner said.

The informal race did not have a registration process, and if teams wanted to know their time, they would have had to keep it themselves. The race was meant to be spontaneous and fun for all.

“People are here to be active and healthy and do something as a community,” Misner said. She noted the competitive nature of timing could have kept some people from participating, but teams were also welcome to keep their own times.

Though it will not be rescheduled for this year, with the Endicott pool now closed for the season, the race is expected to happen next summer.

“I think it’s going to have to happen at least once,” Misner said.

Misner said she estimated about 50 people to attend the Tin Foil Man this year, and with time to prepare, even more could be ready to participate next summer.

“The more the merrier,” she said. “It’s just let’s have fun.”

Misner said everyone was really understanding of the cancellation, and Whitman County Parks and Recreation Director Tim Myers, who showed up for the event, said he agreed with the decision.

Misner said anyone interested in participating next year need not register, but instead should look at the Endicott Parks & Rec. Facebook page where event details will be posted.

Misner said the aim would again be to schedule the event toward the end of August. She said there were some farmers who were interested this year, so scheduling the event toward the end of harvest would be ideal.

She also said she plans to apply for a small grant through Thrivent Financial, a Christian financial group, so items such as Gatorade and granola bars could be purchased for participants. She would also use the grant to purchase cones to mark transition zones for the race.