Families go head to head at the Bellingham Traverse

BELLINGHAM, WA, USA – 8 September 2009 – The Bellingham Traverse, known as one of the toughest races for individuals in Whatcom County, also has a family-friendly side. Two families, doing the course as a relay team,will go head to head to vie for backyard bragging rights. "Will and the other Shikanys" VS. The "Fiesty Four" will be the showdown of the day. Will Shikany, Team Captain, is 13 years old and will be competing with a broken toe. Younger Brother, John, 11, will get on the Mountain Bike course for a challenging 6 miles. The youngest of the three children is Natalie, 9, who will be the Trail Runner on their team. Their mom and dad, Teresa and Mike, have participated in the Traverse in the past and now look forward to getting the whole family out there and competing against their good friends the Weeda's.

The Weeda Family, competing as the "Feisty Four" are led by parents Brian and Christie- the children, Brandon, 12, and Karissa, 9, were unavailable for comment.Another family team that is new to the Traverse this year is the dynamic duo of annual participant, Mark Rathkamp. Mark's sons will be competing together as a tandem team- leapfrogging each other through the course. They call themselves the "Stripe Brothers"- Mason, 10, and Dylan, 15. Keep your eyes on these two kids over the coming years as they continue to get stronger and more involved in the race community

The Parents have agreed to release their contact information for interviews:
Mike Shikany: mtshikany@muljat.com 734-8971
Teresa Shikany: tshikany@muljat.com
Brian Weeda: bjweeda@callatg.com 752-1909
Christie Weeda: cweeda@skagitvalleyhospital.org

Another FAMILY enters the mix:

OK, we are adding the following Family team members to our team :
Daniel Probst (age 30)
Virginia Arthur (age 5)
Kai Arthur (age 2)
Our kids (Virginia and Kai) will run the 1/2 mile at the end and they
will be at all legs as we are switching off baby sitting duties with the
different legs.

Deborah Arthur

Media Contacts:Todd Elsworth
info@BellinghamTraverse.com
360.739.8458
PO Box 2771
Bellingham, WA 98227

http://www.bellinghamtraverse.com

###

About the Bellingham Traverse

The Traverse is an endurance multi-sport race that takes inspiration from the life journey of salmon. Soloists, tandem and relay teams compete for survival on the course that demonstrates the urban and natural challenges that salmon face in their journey.

The course follows the urban greenways and roads through Bellingham, showcasing the city's parks including Boulevard Park, Lake Padden, Fairhaven, and Marine Park. The course then heads out into the open water of Bellingham Bay finishing at a hidden beach at the end of Cornwall Avenue that is where all teams gather to finish the last leg together as they "trek" the last 1/2 mile to the finish line at the Depot Market Square and Boundary Bay Brewery. Traverse Ale is fresh and on tap at the Awards ceremony into the evening.

Sign up for the Traverse eNewsletter to stay in the know via email.