Huntington Sprint Triathlon returns to Bay Village after nearly a decade

The Huntington Sprint Triathlon returns June 28 to Huntington Beach Reservation in Bay Village, Ohio, reviving a Northeast Ohio race that ran annually from 1999 to 2017. Grit Races is bringing it back with a limited field, open registration through June 26, and a goal of turning the event into a new community tradition.

Why it matters: - The Huntington Sprint Triathlon is back after nearly 10 years away. - The return gives Northeast Ohio triathletes another local multisport race and revives an event many residents associate with the region’s early triathlon community. - The race also adds another summer sports event for Bay Village, where organizers want to build a new tradition around a familiar course.

What happened: - Grit Races will host the Huntington Sprint Triathlon on Sunday, June 28, at Huntington Beach Reservation in Bay Village, Ohio. - The race was held annually from 1999 through 2017 by NCN Racing before going dormant. - The event starts at 6:30 a.m. and is limited to 400 participants. - Registration is open through midnight on June 26 at more information.

The details: - The course includes a 750-meter swim in Lake Erie at Huntington Beach. - The bike segment covers 13.1 miles through Bay Village and Avon Lake. - The run is 3 miles through Huntington Reservation and Bay Village neighborhoods. - The finish line is near the historic Huntington Playhouse. - Grit Races says volunteers are still needed, and volunteer registration is available at volunteer sign-up. - Media members are invited to cover the swim start, bike and run course locations, and the finish line festivities and awards ceremony. - Grit Races organizers said they can coordinate additional access and athlete interviews.

Between the lines: - Jay Toole, race director for Grit Races and founder of Run the Land, has already built a local presence in Bay Village through the annual Bay Days 5 Miler, 1 Mile and Kids Track Dash. - The company’s pitch is part nostalgia, part community-building: bring back a race with history, and turn it into a recurring summer fixture. - Bay Village’s lakefront setting, residential layout and nearby attractions give the event a strong spectator-friendly backdrop. - Local sponsors, including Chatty's Pizzeria, and volunteers have helped support the race’s return. - Natalie McManamon and Melanie Prohaska said the Huntington race has long been requested by athletes and that Grit Races was launched to preserve and grow multisport events in Northeast Ohio.

What's next: - Athletes can still register until midnight on June 26. - Volunteers can sign up before race day. - Grit Races plans to welcome athletes, spectators and media on June 28 and use the event to reintroduce the race to a new generation of competitors.

The bottom line: - A longtime Northeast Ohio triathlon is making a comeback, and organizers want Bay Village to embrace it as both a race and a community tradition.