Puget Sound area racing: New RDs for BuDu Racing Multisport events

Triathlon Forum
1

As some of you may know, Rory and Deanna Muller, owners of BuDu Racing, are retiring from all aspects of their business. They have broken up BuDu Racing into different functions and sold them, and up until recently, the portion of their business that put on the multi-sport events Mt. Rainier Duathlon, Bonney Lake Triathlon, and Lake Stevens Triathlon, remained unsold.

After much discussion at home, and with Rory and Deanna, my wife and I have worked out the purchase of these events, and we are forming a new company, Trio Multi Sport, LLC. It was announced to a gathering of BuDu friends, volunteers, and sponsors yesterday.

Who are we? I am Dave Tollefson, long-time triathlete, bike racer, runner, and more recently a sponsor of BuDu Racing’s multi-sport series through my bike framebuilding business. I have known Rory Muller since well before BuDu Racing was formed, when we were rivals (and often break-mates) in the local bike racing scene. My wife, Lisa, has competed in triathlon and running events, and more importantly worked directly with BuDu Racing as an employee, race timer, and event day volunteer over the last 12 years. We’re not going into this completely blind.

We will also be working side-by-side with Rory and Deanna throughout the 2023 race season to ensure that we can, as much as possible, duplicate the winning formula that the multi-sport community has come to expect from their events.

We look forward to continuing the tradition of these events, to bringing our own energy to the multi-sport community through Trio Multi Sport, LLC, and eventually expanding into more, and unique, events on the calendar.

Look for the Facebook page and website to go live soon.

Mt Rainier Duathlon will be on May 7th, 2023
Bonney Lake Triathlon will be on September 2nd, 2023
Lake Stevens Triathlon will be on September 9th, 2023

2

This is exciting news, Dave. I have long left that area, but it is exciting to see that somebody is keeping it alive.

For what it is worth, there are a few communities that used to have races in Washington with a previous race company. This race company closed and instead of selling off those races, they just poof disappeared.

It may be of value to look into starting these races up again. The communities liked them and the athletes liked them. It was sad to see the only 140.6+ races in Washington shut down.

I know a new race company can be a lot to take on, but if you want to re-start some races that have died without reason send me a PM and I will give details. Good luck to you and Trio Multisport!

3

Glad to see these events carry on. Been to many of Budu’s events and will miss Rory & Deanna.

4

As some of you may know, Rory and Deanna Muller, owners of BuDu Racing, are retiring from all aspects of their business. They have broken up BuDu Racing into different functions and sold them, and up until recently, the portion of their business that put on the multi-sport events Mt. Rainier Duathlon, Bonney Lake Triathlon, and Lake Stevens Triathlon, remained unsold.

After much discussion at home, and with Rory and Deanna, my wife and I have worked out the purchase of these events, and we are forming a new company, Trio Multi Sport, LLC. It was announced to a gathering of BuDu friends, volunteers, and sponsors yesterday.

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Mt Rainier Duathlon will be on May 7th, 2023
Bonney Lake Triathlon will be on September 2nd, 2023
Lake Stevens Triathlon will be on September 9th, 2023

Dave,

Congratulations – this is great news for all of us who participate and support local events here in the Puget Sound area.

I had heard rumors last summer that BuDu was closing up shop, and I was bummed when Deanna confirmed that when I spoke with her at Lake Stevens event. She mentioned that they had sold the timing business (did you buy that, too?), but that the event side of the business was still up in the air. Glad to see it landed in a good spot. Our local event calendar is slim enough as it is – losing 3 more events would have been a significant loss.

Between you guys and Patty Swedberg’s Raise the Bar group, that seems to be almost half of the local multisport events still ongoing here in Western WA. To the best of my knowledge, the RDs for other local events (Lake Wilderness, Lake Tye, Seafair, etc) are all just producing one event per year these days. I think it’s the same for the events a bit farther from Seattle, like Lake Padden, Lake Whatcom, Whidbey Island, OnionMan, etc. And there are no longer any local non-IM brand events longer than Oly these days (IM 70.3 WA pretty much killed off the last remaining one, Black Diamond).

The local RDs around here all seemed to coordinate to ensure that no one’s events conflicted with anyone else’s events. I hope you will continue that practice. At the same time, it would also be great to see you add any additional events to the local calendar. There seems to be a lull in events early in the season, after Lake Wilderness at the beginning of June. Maybe another event in mid to late June? I know – one step at a time…

Just curious… If my memory is correct, the Mt Rainier Du used to generally be the last weekend in April. Looks like you moved it back just a bit (May 7th). Is that to improve the likelihood of decent weather? (I’ve done that event a couple times in weather conditions that were a bit less than pleasant…)

Again, congrats! Thanks for stepping up and helping to keep a robust local tri environment for us here in Puget Sound!

Michael

5

The timing portion and mtb series were bought by Michael Copenhaver from Bay View Bicycles, and is forming Bell Lap Promotions (I think that’s it). The only outstanding portion is the Pacific Raceways road races.

I’m also starting up a Facebook group for the area RDs to coordinate, share information, etc. Puget Sound Race Directors.

For the Mt Rainier Duathlon, it’s varied around the end of April/first part of May, though I can’t remember when it was last in May. When we were talking about the schedule, there was something else on the calendar April 30th, so we went out a week.

6

Rory and Deanna Muller, and BuDu Racing were the face of Washington State triathlon - I wish them well!

Happy to see Mt. Rainier Duathlon, Bonney Lake Triathlon, and Lake Stevens Triathlon and continuing on! I love local triathlons, I plan to do at least 2 of your events in 2023!

7

Rory and Deanna Muller, and BuDu Racing were the face of Washington State triathlon - I wish them well!

Happy to see Mt. Rainier Duathlon, Bonney Lake Triathlon, and Lake Stevens Triathlon and continuing on! I love local triathlons, I plan to do at least 2 of your events in 2023!

Awesome!

8

And we are LIVE!

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100087472358733

https://triomultisport.com/

9

And we are LIVE!

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100087472358733

https://triomultisport.com/

Dave,

Just curious…

Per the Mt Rainier Du page on BuDu’s site, the bike course is changed significantly – eliminating the flat portion of the course thru Enumclaw farm country, as well as the signature climb up Mud Mt Dam road. If I understand that new route correctly, the vast majority is now out and back (or, more appropriately, up and down) highway 410.

Can you educate us on the reason for the course change? Permit issues? Neighborhood complaints? Safety concerns? More challenging bike route by eliminating the flat sections? Something else?

Thanks,
Michael

10

Can you educate us on the reason for the course change? Permit issues? Neighborhood complaints? Safety concerns? More challenging bike route by eliminating the flat sections? Something else?

Thanks,
Michael

The out-and-back course was used in 2022 due to a landslide on the Mud Mountain climb, and the road is still only open one-way now. We’re hoping to use the traditional course and we’ll be working with DOT and the City of Enumclaw to get that in place, but as a backup plan we may need to go with the out-and-back. Stay tuned.