Plenty of flat-landers participating in the 3rd Annual “GAT” were treated with the City of Auburn’s information and giveaways from their foothill neighbor’s Endurance Capital of the World™ team. The Great American Triathlon is the new edition of the 45-year-old “Eppie’s Great Race”, advertised as the World’s Oldest Triathlon, before it closed its “doors” in 2018, following the passing of its founder and owner restaurateur Eppie Johnson. This unique event has always featured run, cycle and paddle legs for both iron persons and teams, with many divisions in both. It draws people who enjoy avoiding a swimming leg while they show off their paddling skills in everything from streamlined racing kayaks to canoes, rafts and paddle boards. This provides a perfect event for the Endurance Capital, which is all-inclusive for everything “endurance”, although it is sometimes incorrectly viewed as focusing only on equestrian and running activities.

The Endurance Capital Committee members in our distinctive tent enjoyed meeting and offering our literature and cool swag to the GAT participants. We usually find some fun coincidences to connect us to new faces and their corresponding activities. GAT was no exception. ECC member Phil Sayre who represents boating and cycling sports had conversations with several kayakers, and Cynci Calvin, an ECC runner rep, reconnected with some of her running club’s old timers. We both enjoyed meeting Ken McGuire, one of the event’s owners, who lives in Auburn, and is quite the restaurateur himself. He is the owner of the Tin Lantern restaurant in Meadow Vista, and adding to our small world coincidences, Phil and his wife had enjoyed dinner there the previous night! Ken is in the process of purchasing the old Sizzler restaurant in Auburn, and turning it into McGuire’s Sports Bar and Grill. Good luck Ken!