Waterford -- Four recreation departments in the region have pooled their resources this summer to get youngsters outside and moving.

Departments in Waterford, Ledyard, Norwich and New London are recruiting youngsters 5 to 17 from throughout the region for a Sept. 10 children's triathlon at Camp Harkness in Waterford. The race, which includes swimming, bicycling and running, will start at 8 a.m.

Participants for the third annual "Proud to TRI" Youth Triathlon can sign up through their recreation departments. It is open to children from any town.

Karen Woodmansee, program manager for the New London department, said people from all four towns have been working to help make the program a success.

"The more the area parks and rec departments can collaborate, the greater the events will be for the children of this area and beyond," she said. "It's a great partnership."

The September race is the third of the "Triple Crown" races sponsored by the departments. A "Proud to DU It" Duathlon was held in May at Bates Woods in New London, and "Splash and Dash" was held in June at Mohegan Park in Norwich.

Competitors ranging from kindergartners to high school students have been training since July with New London recreation supervisor Scott Johnson Jr. He said the triathlon program started last year after he ran a successful kids' marathon program.

"The families really enjoyed that, the structure of that, and we thought, 'Why not just start something to prepare for the race?'" he said. "They're excited about it, they're part of a team, they get to meet other kids and practice, and it takes some of the nerves away, too."

Johnson meets with the racers in New London three times a week – Bates Woods on Monday evenings, Ocean Beach Park on Wednesday evenings, and Caulkins Park on Friday evenings – to work on running, swimming and biking.

They also discuss nutrition and hydration. Participants will make T-shirts for the race and will have a pasta party the night before the big day.

Ultimately, he said, the goal is promoting fitness in a fun way.

"We really want them to get the accomplishment and promote the fitness aspect of it," he said, "... especially these days when childhood obesity is on the increase."

Each of the kids is timed so they can see how much progress they've made during the eight-week program. Johnson said it wasn't unusual for kids to improve their times by 10 minutes or more.

New to the triathlon this year is a race clinic Sept. 8 at Camp Harkness, which allows the participants to see and walk through the real course a few days before the race to calm their nerves. The clinic will take place 5:30 to 7 p.m.

Volunteers will be placed throughout the course and at transition points to guide the kids and help them get to the next part.

Woodmansee said representatives from Wayfarer Bicycle in New London will be at the clinic to address any last-minute bike needs. Wayfarer and Niantic Bay Bicycles will also be present on race day.

The Splash and Dash in June was the first one held by the departments, but both the duathlon and the triathlon had more than double the number of kids registered.

"It's such a huge increase in the number of kids doing all three races, and they're from all over the place," Johnson said. Participants come from all over the state and around New England.

Kids who finish all three races get a special trophy for their dedication, Woodmansee said.

Lengths of races will depend on the child's age. To date, 108 children have signed up. Last year more than 170 participated.

Registration for the triathlon is open to anyone ages 5 to 17, regardless of whether they participated in the training program. The cost is $25 per child with a maximum of $50 per family and is open until Aug. 26. Online registration and information about the course is available at runsignup.com.

a.hutchinson@theday.com