DC Triathlon Club

2020 Member Spotlight – Marisa Harrington

April, 2020

How did you get involved in triathlons?

I talked with a stranger at Birchmere one night. The bar was out of Kona beer and he said “oh, maybe because today is the Kona Ironman!” He ended up telling me about the club and about NTP. The next year, I joined NTP class of 2014!

What was your first triathlon?

Black Bear, Leighton PA (2014). I registered for the oly but I cut down to the sprint after a flare up of a chronic low back issue.

What is the biggest mistake you’ve made in a triathlon?

Nation’s Tri 2014. I took off out of T2 still wearing my bike gloves. OK, happens to a lot of people; I stuffed them in my top and ran on. The kicker is this – when I told my sister about it later she said, “oh, I thought your race belt had a little pocket where you could store things.” And it wasn’t until that moment that I realized I could have put them in the little zipper pocket of my race belt. That was the whole reason I bought that model of race belt – for the pocket. Face palm!

Do you have any memorable races or experiences?

Each one is memorable in some way. I’ve raced with my mom on mother’s day (where she took the podium as the only one in her AG), with my dad at Naylor’s Beach, and with my sister at West Point.
But the first race that came to mind as memorable was Rumpus in Bumpass 2016. The weather was wet. REALLY wet. At the pre-race briefing the day before the race, I was feeling reluctant; but when the RD mentioned that they would have to cancel the race in the event of lightning, my perspective changed from “I can’t believe I have to do this” to “damn, I hope I get to do this”. It’s funny how often a change of perspective drives a change in attitude. It ended up raining the whole race. I slowed my pace on the bike and really took in the experience and the feeling of the rain on my face and arms. The run had an off-road portion that was a complete mud course by the time I hit it, and I had to walk/slog through many spots. But at every spot that was especially slippery, racers were calling out to each other with words of caution and encouragement. When all was said and done and I got back to my car caked in mud, I realized it was the most fun I’ve had at a race.

What do you enjoy outside of triathlon?

The beach, and being outside in general. I’m solar powered and I’m always in a better mood when I get fresh air.

Any fun facts about yourself that you’d like to share?

I volunteer with a Siberian Husky rescue and I’ve fostered 43 dogs.