Sprinting for Pineapple Classic 5K race

After nearly 30 years of competing in marathons and triathlons, Tim Daly was ready for a change of direction.

So when he heard about the Pineapple Classic, a new 5-kilometer outdoor obstacle race being sponsored by the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society in Old Westbury on April 29, he was stoked.

"This has a different flavor than the typical races I do," said Daly, 57, who has competed in about 20 marathons and Ironman triathlons since 1983. "You can do it individually, you can do it as part of a team. You have these obstacles to contend with."

Daly, a Fort Salonga resident, has also for many years been involved with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society's Team in Training program, which trains individuals (currently about 350 from Nassau and Suffolk) in groups to participate in marathons, triathlons and other endurance events, in return for raising money for the charity.

Daly liked the idea that this Pineapple race -- first held in Seattle in 2006 -- would also help raise money for a cause he has long been involved with.

But instead of doing it by running 26.2 miles or swimming and biking, in this new event, "you're climbing monkey bars" and holding a foam pineapple.

Run or walk

Participants in the 5k Pineapple -- which is being held on the trails of the New York Institute of Technology's campus -- cover 3.1 miles, which they can run or walk. But unlike a typical road race, competitors have to stop every half mile to overcome an obstacle. While the exact nature of these on-course challenges is kept secret until race day, event coordinator Vicki Belegrinos hints at what might be in store.

"Jumping over walls, climbing over bales of hay, crawling through a PVC pipe," she said, adding that "none of the obstacles is so challenging that you'll hurt yourself."

The Pineapple 5k is a more family-friendly version of a new, national trend in races, in which competitors scale cliffs, wade through freezing water, jump over flaming logs and crawl through the mud.

And it appealed to 1 million Americans last year: That's the estimated number who participated in the new, somewhat-vaguely-defined genre of "outdoor adventure races," which include events with names like the Warrior Dash, the Spartan Challenge and the Muddy Buddy.

"They're exploding in popularity," said Ryan Lamppa, spokesman for Running USA, a Santa Barbara, Calif.-based nonprofit organization that tracks trends in the sport. "I'd say a lot of the people who do these off-road adventure races have a 'been there, done that' attitude to traditional road races and triathlons. They want something different, something that is a challenge but will put a smile on their face."

Benefiting leukemia group

The Pineapple Classic is adventure racing for people who want to enjoy a day of activity outdoors with their children, then head home, maybe stopping off at the mall along the way.

In other words, the race is for places like Long Island, one of seven markets in which the Pineapple event is being held this year (Greenwich, Conn., and San Jose, Calif., are two other race locations).

"We didn't want it to seem as scary as some of these events that are more military," said Liza Munsen, national vice president for campaign development for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, which is based in White Plains.

For the Long Island edition of the Pineapple Classic, there will be categories for family teams -- and even kid-size versions of the obstacles (example: a two-foot wall for children, a four-foot wall for adults).

But why a Hawaiian-themed event in Nassau-Suffolk? No good reason, except perhaps that it gives organizers an excuse to throw a luau after the race, at the opulent, decidedly non-Spartan de Seversky Conference Center, also located on the NYIT campus. Finishers get leis.

While it may be a new kind of race, with a laid-back, slightly goofy theme, what the event won't do is dampen the Type A spirit of Long Islanders competing here. Daly for example, is planning to enter as part of a team with his daughter, a college lacrosse player, and one of her teammates.

While he's not training for this event in the way he does for big, traditional races such as the Great Cow Harbor 10k or the Tobay Triathlon, Daly said he is treating the Pineapple Classic like a serious competition -- even if he will have to race with a foam pineapple in his hand.

"We can't help ourselves," he joked. "I just have to make sure I don't knock down any 8-year-olds on the way."