Washington DC Triathlon Canceled

The National Park Service has denied the required race permit

The Washington DC Triathlon, set to take place on June 17, has been canceled for this year.

The National Park Service has denied the required Park Service permit for the 2012 race.

The NPS has a no foot race policy for the month of June but has issued exemptions in the past for the Washington DC Triathlon.

This year, they are unable to issue an exemption due to the policy, as well as other activities taking place that have already been issued permits for the month of June, NPS spokesperson Carol Johnson said. "We have been very happy to have the triathlon on the mall in the past. It's unfortunate and we feel bad that we are unable to issue an exemption and permit this year."

NPS said it is expecting a lot of tourists to visit the new Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial this summer, and the triathlon would impede access to the memorial Father's Day weekend.

"The National Park Service has a long tradition of working with groups to allow them to hold special events in the National Mall and Memorial Parks," National Mall and Memorial Parks Superintendent Bob Vogel said. "Unfortunately, there are times that we cannot accommodate their requests."

On Feb. 14, NPS sent Washington DC Triathlon written notification that the permit couldn't be issued, according to NPS. NPS also advised that the permit would be denied earlier in the month.

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Washington DC Triathlon staff apologized to the triathlon community on their website for the situation.

They go on to state they will work with those already registered to transfer their registration to another race or provide them with a registration refund.

Those registered for this race should pick one of the two options before the March 28 deadline.
The Washington DC Triathlon was held in the nation's capital the past two years.

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