Coach Kevin says:

Jason is the fabric of triathlon in our community. Whether it is T3, the Saratoga Tri club, or beyond…he is a champion for the sport. Always encouraging and motivating, you will leave a conversation with Jason wanting to be a part of it.

This season Jason earned many great results, but the one I am most proud him for was swimming the length of Lake St. Catherine. Not a race. No awards. No fan fair. Just a challenge. I felt honored and fortunate to spend this day with him. It was a huge accomplishment to an already impressive season.

Coach Carl says: As Jason's coach from 2022 through 2025, what I observed was growth in so many aspects. The obvious areas of growth were in fitness and athletic skills, but what isn't so visible is equally important. Jason gained a lot of perspective allowing him to expand his comfort zone, compete at a high level, and handle adversity gracefully. In 2026, he went out with the intent of trying new things and experimenting. It's no surprise to me that he had a great season! Congratulations Jason!

A:   Jason Hare, Wilton, NY

A:   49

A:   Director of Patient & Employee Experience at Glens Falls Hospital

A:   My first race was the NYC Triathlon in 2010. I took a break between 2013-2018 but have been racing ever since.

A:   I joined T3 in 2021.

A:   I still love my Assioma bike power meters, my Stryd footpod, and my Garmin Varia. But thinking about bang for the buck...in 2010, I did the Nation's Triathlon in DC. The blue race shirt was so nice that I bought a second one (in red) at the expo. Those two shirts have lasted me 16 years of weekly use with no wear and tear. (And they don't smell, either!)

A:   Dark maple syrup, light maple syrup, and at least one type of flavored maple syrup.

A:   The older people around here may remember the radio show "American Top 40 with Casey Kasem." I listen to old '70s and '80s episodes. It doesn't get any cooler than this, folks.

A:   How much time do you have? Long story short: I was not an athletic kid (or teenager, or young adult). I was a theater kid, as far away from athletics as humanly possible. I completed my first triathlon at 33 and was thrilled to find that I loved it, and that I could do something that I never thought I could/would ever do. That's the high I keep chasing: I just try to push myself to do hard/unexpected things and see where it takes me, and what I can learn.

A:   After two consecutive full-distance Ironman years, both of which had some serious pauses for injury, I decided to try something different in 2026:

1) Focus on half-distance (70.3) and shorter, especially the shorter, with a focus on going harder to find my upper limits (instead of the long, slower, full-distance simmer)
2) Support local races
3) Do a bunch of them, so that I get more comfortable in race situations

A:   Six races -- which is more than I've ever done in a season before, and three were on back-to-back Saturdays -- and six podiums: five age-group and one overall win at the Ticonderoga Triathlon sprint, which was completely unexpected. I set a PR for 60-minute bike power in an August race, which I'm proud of as I tend to be less aggressive outdoors. It was a good season to experiment without the pressure of a long-distance race, to approach each race with curiosity, and to step back and see all of these races and training cycles as part of a larger, long-term body of work. I'm learning that from Coach Carl, who has shown me that with more years and races comes greater perspective.

I did learn that I probably will not do six races in one season again. But a lot of us in this sport say "never again" and then do it again, so we'll see!

A:   T3 has changed so much about my life and perspective. From an athletic standpoint, I don't think I would have been able to have such a successful first Ironman race (Lake Placid '22) without Coach Carl's expert guidance.

T3 has also taught me about the importance of community and accessibility. When you lean into community, you realize that you don't have to do this alone; there are always people who are willing to step up and support you, and the T3 community has shown that to me countless times. Coach Kevin has a way of making every athlete feel not only part of that community, but also individually welcome and important, no matter their skill or fitness level. I'm going into my fifth season as President of Saratoga Triathlon Club and my whole mission is basically to give to others what Kevin and T3 have given to me.

A:   Closing out 2026 with my first standalone marathon in Philadelphia, then looking forward to racing Ironman Lake Placid in 2027 with my T3 friends. And hoping to continue learning & growing the body of work.