Thank you to all 2013 Pieathlon participants!
Pieathlon Honorary Chair Jonathan Miller participated in the bike portion of the tri on the FES bike.
Cancer Survivorship and the Y
The Pieathlon is an event operated by the YMCA of Greater Des Moines to support cancer survivorship. The Y is focused on supporting the health and well being of all; including those with cancer. By forming meaningful relationships, creating supportive communities, and equipping staff with the skills and confidence to serve, we are strengthening our community by meeting the needs of individuals and families experiencing cancer.
The Y is proud to include Livestrong, Mercy Hospital, and IA Health Des Moines as partners in this cause.
The Event
The Pieathlon is an event similar to a triathlon, you might think of it as a tri al a mode. The annual Pieathlon is a Sprint Triathlon with Chip Timing. No prizes are awarded but everyone feels good about helping fight cancer and gets a slice of pie as a little reward. The TRI is an 400 yard swim(indoors), 12.2 mile bike ride and 5K run. The main focus is to get some vigorous physical activity, not how fast or how long it takes.
The idea of the event was created by Penny and Dave Milburn after they discussed the importance of raising money to fight cancer. Penny lost her mother and aunt to ovarian cancer, and has taken several steps to reduce her own risk of getting the disease.
“We love RAGBRAI, homemade pie and helping people for a good cause,” says Dave Milburn. “After putting all these together, we came up with the idea of the Pieathlon. The purpose of the event is to have fun, promote healthy activities and raise money to fight cancer.”
Participants will start and finish the Pieathlon at the Waukee Family YMCA and will use the YMCA pool for swimming. Bike route starts at the Y, follows Waukee streets, Dallas County roads and the Raccoon River Trail. The 5K Run/Walk is on Waukee trails and streets. Pie is served at the Y along with food and drinks for sale. Pie, food and drinks will also be for sale.
“Every pie-athlete wins by decreasing their risk of cancer, heart disease and diabetes through increased exercise,” says Milburn. “And you can eat pie without getting fat after burning all those calories!”