SLO Triathlon replaced with new recreation events, activities
Triathlon has been an annual event held by the city’s parks and recreation department since 1980
– The City of San Luis Obispo Parks and Recreation Department announced last week that it will replace the SLO Triathlon with new events, community-focused services, and expanded programs starting this year.
Parks and Recreation Director Greg Avakian announced the decision at the Parks and Recreation Commission meeting last week:
“We can’t thank the SLO Triathlon community enough for supporting 40 years of this event,” Avakian said. “After careful analysis of declining SLO Triathlon participation and consideration of our new 20-year blueprint for Parks and Recreation services, we made the difficult decision to replace this single event with several new low-cost and no-cost public events and we’re expanding recreational activities and opportunities that focus on stewardship and help build community.”
The triathlon has been an annual event held by the city’s parks and recreation department since 1980. City parks and recreation officials say the triathlon’s participation continued to decline year over year and saw a multi-year pause in activities due to the pandemic. The city also discovered that replacing the event will have little to no impact on tourism.
The decision comes on the heels of the creation of the “Parks and Recreation Blueprint for the Future,” which was finalized last year and serves as the plan for meeting parks and recreation needs of the San Luis Obispo community for the next 20 years. In place of the SLO Triathlon, the Parks and Recreation Department is bringing new public events, recreation programs, and services to a wider range of the community.
“This is a bittersweet decision,” Avakian said. “It’s sad to say goodbye to an event like the SLO Triathlon, and we’re excited about creating new recreational opportunities for community members.”
New activities and programs include:
- New Super Rec Saturdays at the SLO Swim Center, which includes a full day of recreational swim with superhero themes over the summer season.
- Fit ‘N’ Fun Camp at the new outdoor Fitness Court at Emerson Park.
- Monday Meet Ups and other recreation in the parks events this summer.
- Expanding sports and fitness clinics for youth.
- New five-week summer sports camp at Laguna Middle School.
- An expanded Spring Concert Series at the Historic Jack House
- Park and neighborhood activities throughout the summer
- Enhanced senior programming
- New and revitalized fall community events
Avakian added that staff will reach out to organizations and companies that may want to continue this event and, if there is enough interest, may publish a request for proposals for taking over and continuing the event in the future.
For new or expanded activities and events planned for this summer, download the summer activity guide at www.slorecactivities.org.
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