Charlotte Dequeker and Cookie, athletes.
Cookie is about to run his first doggy duathlon. The sleek golden retriever has been running with his family all his young life – he will be 2 years old in November-and he loves to go for runs. That is not surprising, because his owner Charlotte Dequeker, from Greenwich CT, is also a serious runner. She has conquered the New York City marathon twice, and the Boston once, and as a triathlete, has weathered the NYC triathlon 3 times, and just did her first Ironman in France this June. She found in Cookie a kindred soul. Cookie has been running with Charlotte’s husband Raphael, a pastry chef at the Greenwich restaurant Valbella, every morning, and with her every evening. Even their sons Kelian, 12, Bastian 10, and Titouan 8, love to race around with Cookie.
Cookie gets in the grove, Charlotte said. “It looks like he gets into a zone where only the running matters. He has a very concentrated look on his face and can keep going forever, even though he is not the fastest.”
So when she saw the announcement from Nautica New York City Triathlon, about the July 26 Doggie Dash, it was a no brainer to sign up. “Here was a way to enjoy two of my favorite things: racing and being with my dog,” she explained.
The 9th Annual Nautica NYC Triathlon attracts 3,400 athletes who will swim .9321 miles, in the Hudson River, along Manhattan’s West Side, bike 24.85 miles, and run 6.2 miles. They claim to be the only Olympic-distance triathlon in New York City.
The dogs, however, are treated to a much kinder run. The Iams Doggie Dash, which is in its second year, is 5 miles long and ends in Central Park with all the triathletes under the finish structure. Each mile, the dogs must stop for a mandatory exam by veterinarians. There is also a check with the veterinarians the day before the race to make sure that the dogs would be ok to run.
The prize for the winning dog/runner is a fire hydrant. I guess this is for the NYC dogs, who would appreciate having one of their own. But quite possibly, Cookie will get, winning or not, some kind of delicious treat from the pastry chef Raphael, Charlotte and his family.
Charlotte and Cookie on a run.
