July 1, 2008
Press Release

Cohasset, Massachusetts — On Sunday, June 29th, Jarrod Shoemaker, raced through the roads of Cohasset, Massachusetts, a small seaside New England town, finishing his first Cohasset Triathlon in 50:43. Next stop for Jarrod, Beijing. Shoemaker was one of at least 36 of the US's top elites who came to compete at the 2nd Annual Cohasset Triathlon. Among the other world class elites were Alicia Kaye, who came in 1st for the women. The field of 36 elites were joined by more than 850 "weekend warriors" who also took part and represented 15 states. The Cohasset Triathlon has a heart as impressive as its field of competitors. Bill Burnett, founder and race director of the tri presented a check to the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation for $279,000 making it the largest volunteer driven fundraiser for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF) in the country.

"From start to finish, it was first class. The race was so well organized and the drive to raise money for juvenile diabetes was inspiring. The post race ceremony was unlike any that I have been a part of before, and the number of people who stayed for the post-race festivities was remarkable. I'm not sure how Bill Burnett managed to pull together the elite field that participated in the race, but it was probably the most competitive New England race I will compete in all season!" said Kim Webster, who came in third among Sunday's elite female competitors.

The weather was questionable on Sunday morning and safety was the number one concern of the race organizers, USTA and the local Cohasset authorities. A decision was made to bring the swim buoys closer to shore so that swimmers would be clearly seen by the numerous kayakers and boats whose job it was to ensure the well-being of each participant. The cloud covering for the bike and run kept the heat at bay for all the athletes and the sun never showed itself.

This 2008 event grew by 200 participants in only one year and had a waiting list of 152 people. It drew national sponsors like Nike, and Dunkin Donuts, O Water, and enjoyed incredible media coverage form a partnership with local radio stations including Mike 93.7 FM and boston.tv... The pre-race and awards ceremony were held on a sound stage worthy of a rock concert... and it all took place in a beach parking lot in a town with little more than 7,400 residents.

"The town of Cohasset... the police, fire, businesses, local media, residents, and especially my team of volunteer coordinators, all embraced this event in way I never dreamed possible. A few years ago this tri was just an idea spun around in my head. This year's race showed me what is possible... and next year we hope to do even more for our athletes. We hope that Cohasset is the first sprint triathlon that athletes of all levels and abilities think of when they are looking to put a tri on their calendar," says Burnett.