Winter in Warsaw can be tough. The color and greenery of summer become distant memories, replaced instead by the hovering grey presence of never-ending tower blocks, short days and snow, snow and more snow. But don’t let this bleak picture put you off, there’s a means of escape, and it’s one that will bring you new friends, and ensure you look good in your speedos once the sun makes a comeback.
Started back in 2010 as a way to get groups of likeminded people running together, the Warsaw International Triathlon Club (WITC) has since grown in to a wide-ranging multi-sport community covering all three triathlon disciplines, as well as numerous other sporting activities such as cross-fit training, cross country skiing, and ice skating.
But for those who are slightly put off by the name, it’s not just a group for super fit running machines, with a real mix of people going to meetings: from those who haven’t done any real exercise in years, to the few revered souls who compete in Iron Man triathlons.
My most recent involvement with the club came on a bitingly cold Saturday lunch time, when I met with other members inside the warm confines of Warszawa Powiśle bar, one of the common meeting points. We then went for a 9km (5.5 miles in old money) run through the Powiśle area, then along the picturesque banks of the Wisła, which was full of floating slabs of fast-moving ice. With a lot of snow underfoot it was more like running along a beach and definitely felt like a proper workout once I got back to the bar for a well deserved sit down, beer and a nutritious meal consisting of Bobby Burger’s famous bacon & cheeseburger and chips.
“Looking back, 2012 was an awesome year for WITC,” the club’s founder Ken Globerman told the Insider, during a post run chat. And according to Ken the WITC buzz, awareness and community is only going to get bigger in 2013. “I’m extremely excited for what lies ahead,” he said. For further info, contact Ken via the club’s facebook page. (DI)