"There is an incredible energy. It's incredibly fun to watch the little ones, especially the 7, 8, 9-year-olds get out there and try something maybe they have never tried before," said Dave Kappas with Voice of Chicago Triathlon.
Kids from across Chicagoland and around the country met at Foster Beach for the start of the Triathlon.
Saturday's event started with either a 100-meter or 200-meter swim portion at Foster Beach followed by either a 2.2-mile or 4.4-mile bike ride, and then a .62-mile or 1.24- mile run. It was all age dependent.
Nace Muller Jr. and his son traveled from Philadelphia to compete in the kids race on Saturday and the adult race on Sunday.
Chicago Triathlon kicks off this weekend
"I love the city. The setting is as beautiful as it gets. The race course is as nice as it gets," Muller said.
For some kids, this was their very first triathlon.
ABC7 caught up with 10-year-old Simone Davisson from Tinley Park at the end of her first triathlon.
"It went well. I'm really happy that I actually finished," Davisson said.
Davisson's father, Josh Worell, also weighed in.
"This was fantastic. This was so cool. This was her idea. She wanted to do this. She was the one who did all the training and all the work," Worell said.
Organizers gear up for Kids Triathlon
Others, like 9-year-old Teddy Curtis, are more experienced up-and-coming triathletes.
He said on a hot day like Saturday, the swim is refreshing.
"Normally, I like the swimming, because you have to go through all the water, and you get cooled down, and it's so tiring after that," Curtis said.
Professional triathlete, Olympic silver medalist and Memphis native Seth Rider was also on hand Saturday, fresh from the Olympics in Paris, to offer some pearls of wisdom to these young rising athletes.
"It's just amazing. This is where I started my triathlon career, races just like this. It's just really nostalgic and an amazing feeling to be here handing out the medals," Rider said.
Sunday is the big Chicago Triathlon. It begins at Foster Beach at 6 a.m. The course runs from Randolph and DuSable Lake Shore Drive South to Waldron for the 5K turnaround and 31st Street for the 10K turnaround.
Full list of closures beginning Saturday:
- Columbus from Balbo to Roosevelt starting at 5 a.m. Saturday to Sunday at 7 p.m.
- Randolph Exit from Lake Shore Drive Northbound starting at 11 a.m. Saturday to Sunday at 5 p.m.
- Simonds Drive from Foster to Montrose from 5 a.m. to 12 p.m.
- Lower Wacker from Randolph to Adams 5 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Full list of closures beginning Sunday:
- Columbus from Randolph to Lower Wacker from 6:30 a.m. to 11:45 p.m.
- DuSable Lake Shore Drive Southbound Lanes from Randolph to Hollywood from 5 a.m. to 12 p.m.