One truth that we know about ourselves is that we are an organization that never slows down. This past year was busier than ever: we moved to a new location, added six new events to our roster, and extended our race season into December. Yet as we become busier, we are grateful not only for opportunities to grow the multisport community but also to provide a space for athletes to connect, compete, and ultimately thrive while racing. Thank you to anyone who stepped up to one of our start lines in 2025. 2025 was another step along our journey, and we have no plans to slow down in 2026. We hope you’ll be along for the ride!
In no particular order, here is our list of the top 10 moments from 2025. Moments that challenged, humbled, and ultimately inspired us to keep delivering the best race experience possible.
Moving into our new home in Walker.
Just before the 2025 race season began, Tris4Health’s headquarters moved to a new permanent location in Walker to accommodate company and race growth. This new location features additional warehouse and office space, as well as a community space. Stop by to visit when you are in the area!
Launching Live For, our women’s only apparel line.
We debuted a new women’s apparel line, “Live For,” at the Women’s Sport & Health Expo last Winter. Created by our female team, the line poses the question: “What do you live for?” For many women in the endurance community, it’s about more than race times; it’s about celebrating personal moments like family, self-care, morning coffee, and achieving goals. Live For aims to celebrate these experiences by offering hoodies, crewneck sweatshirts, T-shirts, and custom hats.
The waterslide triathlon.
We still can’t believe we put on a triathlon starting with a 240-foot slide, but Tris4Health embraces what seems impossible, and this one paid off. The Lake Arvesta Sports Complex was spectacular. It was thrilling to see the joy as athletes slid and splashed into the water. We aimed to bring fun back to the sport, and we succeeded. We are excited to offer a Super Sprint Slide Triathlon at the USA Triathlon Multisport National Championships Festival in May 2026.
Things heat up at the KeyBank Gran Fondo and Michigan Titanium.
This year, extreme heat challenged us, especially at the KeyBank Gran Fondo in June and Michigan Titanium (MiTi) in August, with heat indexes reaching 100+ and the high 90s, respectively. Our teams excelled, providing extra hydration and cool-down resources. We credit our medical partners, including the University of Michigan Health West Sports Medicine team with Dr. K (MiTi) and PTSportsPRO, our official medical partner (Fondo & MiTi), for outstanding work ensuring athlete safety.
Two races in two states on the same weekend.
This year, we expanded the Tris4Health footprint by producing our first race outside Michigan: La Porte Triathlon in La Porte, Indiana. This historical sprint triathlon is the state’s longest-running triathlon, and we welcomed it into our family of events with the help of fantastic new crew members.
Acquiring La Porte Tri, which takes place on the Saturday before Grand Haven Triathlon, meant our small team had to divide and conquer for our first-ever double-header weekend. Despite the logistical challenges of splitting our team, we successfully pulled off both events without a hitch.
Taking part in the PRSU Wellness X MiTi documentary.
In late 2024, new sponsor, PRSU Wellness, proposed a documentary following athletes tackling the Michigan Titanium (MiTi) long-distance course, fully supported by PRSU. Our team helped with casting and interviewing the selected athletes: Julia, Brad, Jay, and Allison, learning their personal MiTi stories. Seeing them finish on race day was a highlight. The documentary, now released, captures the spirit of the athletes and the event as they become full-distance triathletes. Watch it here, especially as MiTi approaches its final Ultra year in 2026.
The new Trifecta at The Dirty Mitten.
The Dirty Mitten, Tris4Health’s evolving event, became even bigger this year. Once the self-proclaimed Gravel Triathlon World Championship of the Universe, it grew into Dirtfest Weekend with a Saturday gravel bike race. By adding a Saturday morning 5K trail run, we created the Greenleaf Trust Trifecta, allowing athletes to complete all three events in one ultimate gravel weekend.
Heading north to carry on the Peak2Peak legacy.
Earlier this year, Tris4Health made a significant move in the endurance sports community by acquiring the renowned Peak2Peak Mountain Bike Classic. The acquisition was made from the race’s esteemed founder, Tad Peacock, who had not only established but also meticulously cultivated and directed the event for close to twenty years at the scenic and challenging Crystal Mountain Resort.
Peak2Peak is more than just an addition to the company’s portfolio; it represents a pivotal moment in our growth strategy. This expansion has directly led to the launch of the Boundless Race & Ride Company. This new entity is our exclusive, dedicated cycling brand, created to focus entirely on organizing, promoting, and elevating premier cycling events, with Peak2Peak serving as one of its flagship events.
Crowning a negative four-hour 5K because of generosity at The Leftover Run.
The second annual Jon and John’s Tris4Health Grand Rapids Virgil and Louise Phelps Memorial Celebrity Leftovers Awareness Pro-Am Fun Run Race to End Hunger (also known as “The Leftover Run”) in November was a 5K fun run for North Kent Connect, designed to ensure everyone in the community has leftovers during the holidays. Participants donated canned goods and frozen turkeys, earning time deductions of 30 seconds per canned good and 1 minute per pound of frozen turkey. This year, participants’ incredible generosity resulted in over 2,000 pounds of canned goods and 1,900 pounds of frozen turkeys, enough to feed more than 100 Kent County families. Destiny Smith set a “world record” with a negative four-hour 5K time by donating 285 pounds of turkey.
The Santa Dash: a new holiday tradition in Ada.
The Santa Dash, a new “fun run” we created this year, closed our race season and helped to kick off the holidays. Participants received a full Santa suit and opened the Ada Santa Parade by running the route. Seeing hundreds of Santas of all ages dashing through the snowy parade brought immediate joy. We believe this event will become a cherished new family tradition every December.