Not even training wheels can stop some of New London County’s youngest participants from competing in a triathlon that will take place on Sept. 10 at Camp Harkness in Waterford.

For eight weeks, competitors ranging from kindergarteners to high school students have been training since July with New London recreation supervisor Scott Johnson Jr.

Participants in the third annual “Proud to TRI” Youth Triathlon signed up through their park and recreation departments in Waterford, Ledyard, Norwich and New London.

Karen Woodmansee, program manager for the New London recreation department, said people from all four towns have been very willing 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.”

Johnson 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 kids 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 are 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 pace by 10 minutes or more.

New to the triathlon this year is a race clinic 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.

Since parents can’t help their kids during the race, 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 bicycle needs. Wayfarer and Niantic Bay Bicycles will also be present on race day.

The triathlon is the last of the three “Triple Crown” races held by the recreation departments. The “Proud to DU It” Duathlon was held in May at Bates Woods, and the Splash and Dash was held at Mohegan Park in Norwich in June.

“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.

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