A triathlon facility unlike any in the world could break ground soon on a 1,100-acre piece of land adjacent to the northeast Cape Fear River just outside of Wilmington.
Nearly a decade ago, the facility’s chief executive officer Bill Scott first imagined the concept of a self-contained racing and training venue, where triathlons could be held without road closures and other strains put on the residents of the host community. In 2010, he sat down with a civil engineer and an architect to begin turning the idea into a reality. From their efforts emerged TriHabitat, a proposed facility containing a 6.5-mile run loop, 14-mile paved bike loop and 25-acre lake complete with transition areas, outdoor illumination and spectator stadiums.
“It will be kind of the Disney World of the sport of triathlon,” Scott said during a Jan. 10 phone interview.
TriHabitat was still merely conceptual until October 2014, when the Pender County Board of Commissioners granted the project a special use permit for construction and operation of the facility.
During the Oct. 20 meeting, commissioners expressed enthusiastic support for the project and the positive impact it could have on the county’s economy. One of the few questions raised was why Pender County had been chosen for the world-class facility.
Scott said as a Wilmington resident he has seen the area become a hotbed for triathlons over the past 20 years, and North Carolina has the fifth highest number of registered triathletes in the country. The city is also located halfway up the East Coast, making it no more than a one-day drive for athletes traveling from New York City or Miami.
“That’s critical in the sport of triathlon,” Scott said. “Because if you’re packing and shipping a bike on an airplane it’s like buying another ticket. … To be able to drive here in one day is a big advantage.”
Furthermore, Scott said, because the city is a tourist destination, it has the existing infrastructure of hotels, restaurants and shops capable of handling the crowds of athletes the facility will draw to the area. And a large number of those athletes will be coming during the spring and fall, boosting the economy during the slower shoulder season.
While Scott said he plans to hold 15 to 20 triathlons every year at TriHabitat, he also envisions the facility functioning like a gym with yearly memberships and daily fees. The triathletes will have the advantage of being able to run, bike and swim over the lighted courses without worrying about automobile or boat traffic. Scott said not only will this draw world-class athletes — the United States Olympic triathlon team intends to train at the facility, he said — but it will encourage more casual participants to get into the sport.
“Maybe they’ve been a little leery of getting on their bike and riding down Eastwood Road or River Road,” he said.
The safety of the closed course would also allow more young people to get involved, Wilmington-based professional triathlete Matthew Wisthoff pointed out.
“Local high schools can have a triathlon club,” Wisthoff said during a Jan. 11 phone interview. “They can go train on their bikes and swim and the parents won’t have to worry about the kids going out and riding on open roads.”
The races would be more engaging for friends and family, Wisthoff added, because they would able to view much of the racecourse from stadium seating.
“You drag your friends and family to a race and then you’re out there for hours and hours and they don’t see you but for a few seconds here and there,” he said. “This gives people the opportunity to see more of the race and feel like they’re not just sitting there wondering, ‘Oh man, is he okay, did he crash?’”
Scott said in addition to triathlons, the TriHabitat could potentially host a variety of athletic competitions.
“We’ll have some night swim races under the lights … and running races over the bike course because it’s wider and longer. We’re going to build an obstacle course similar to the Spartan challenge … and [hold] stand-up paddleboard races and kayak races,” Scott said.
TriHabitat is still in the final stages of a capital raise, Scott said, but receiving the special use permit from Pender County in October was key to attracting investors.
“We fully expect to break ground in the next couple months, I can’t be exact on that right now but we’re getting close, and we’re looking at a window of 12 to 14 months to build this thing from start to finish,” he said.
For more information visit www.
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