In 1983, Clermont resident, avid runner and nursery owner Fred Sommer participated in his first triathlon and fell in love with a sport so new it didn’t have official rules or distances for each of the three components – swimming, cycling and running. “Back then, triathlons were such a new sport, there were only six in all of Florida,” he said. “So I started one in Clermont so my training buddies would have another race to enter.”
Fast forward 40 years to March 2023 when 600 dedicated, trained athletes and enthusiasts arrive in Clermont to participate in the 40th Annual Great Clermont Triathlon after Fred Sommer turned his one-race experience into a successful business.
Sommer Sports has grown into an award-winning. full-service, multi-sport, event timing and management company that owns and operates 20 events each year and manages several others. “The business grew to meet the needs created by the various races we were organizing.” he said. “We needed bike racks, race clocks and even finish line structures. When we couldn’t find them, we built our own and now we offer those products to other race organizers all over the country.” USA Triathlon sanctions more than 4,300 races each year where more than 400,000 members participate.
Sommer can surely claim a lot of the credit for the development of the sport in Florida, which now offers participants the choice of distance from Sprint to the Ultra 140.6 Mile Triathlon. “We have grown with the sport and changed with the sport.” Fred Sommer said. “We focus now more on the experience and not so much on the speed. It really is part of a lifestyle.” Sommer Sports, with Fred at the helm, has produced nearly 300 triathlons over the past 39 years in Clermont and is the longest-running triathlon production company in the United States. Clermont, with its perfect climate and uncommon in Florida rolling hills, has grown with him into “The World Triathlon Destination.”
No other venue in the country has hosted more triathlons than Clermont. “Just since 2017, we have signed up 136,000 athletes of all ages and from 15 countries and all 50 states,” Vice President Michelle Craske said. “We have been in business long enough to have three generations of families participate in our races. One Clermont resident has participated in all 39 Great Clermont Triathlons and she is registered for this year!”
Looking back, Sommer shares there have been challenges to manage, most due to the population increase and the area’s development. But that is not stopping him anytime soon. “I’m either putting or a race or worrying about putting on a race.” he said. “The best part of it all is seeing how the sport changes lives.” And while he left most of the plants in his nursery business behind, he is still an enthusiast for the Brugmansia (Angel Trumpets) and is one of the leading hybridizers. He most likely has at least one of every variety known to man.
For more information or to register for an event, visit https://sommersportsevents.com/ To connect with the Sommer Sports Team, please call 352-394-1320.
Sommer sports, inc, is located at 1271 Commons Court. Clermont. FL 34711
