The Lake Tahoe Triathlon returns to Kings Beach on Saturday

There will be a familiar sight Saturday when the second annual Lake Tahoe Triathlon returns to Lake Tahoe's North Shore of Lake Tahoe.

"Cowman," a well-known endurance athlete around Lake Tahoe and worldwide over the past 30 years, will be on the starting line at 8 a.m. on the sandy shores of the Kings Beach State Recreation Area. The triathlon will consist of a 1.5K swim, a 40K bike and a 10K run.

Cowman, 62 years young, is known for competing in races while wearing buffalo horns on his head in such venues as the Hawaii Ironman Triathlon and the Boston Marathon. He has spent the summer on the North Shore and has already participated in the Western States 100-Mile Endurance Run, Donner Lake Triathlon and the Death Ride.

"The Lake Tahoe Triathlon people have been very good to me. They invited me up here for the first one and they invited me to come back this year," he said. "I love it up here. I love the area and I love the people. Lake Tahoe is a special place and it always has been."

Saturday will be one of his last tune-ups before the Ford Ironman World Championship Triathlon Oct. 21 on Kona. This will be the 29th year Cowman has competed in the Hawaii World Championship event.

The man with the buffalo headgear now races under the nickname Cowman A-Moo-Ha, symbolic of his current residence in Kona, Hawaii. He has also competed under the moniker Ken "Cowman" Shirk.

"In Hawaii, they say, 'Aloha,' so this is kind of a play on words. I'll go with it until somebody comes up with a better nickname," said Cowman, who first began running with his buffalo horns in 1976.

Nor is he showing any signs of slowing down.

"People ask me how old I am and I tell them how young I am. I'm 62 going on 32," Cowman said.

The Olympic distance triathlon will take place primarily in Kings Beach, Tahoe Vista and Truckee. After swimming a triangular course in Lake Tahoe, participants will get on their bicycles and embark on an out-and-back course from Kings Beach to Truckee and back. The 10K run will be an out and back course through Kings Beach and Tahoe Vista with competitors finishing at the Kings Beach State Recreation Area.

Registration for the Lake Tahoe Triathlon will remain open through today. For further information, please go to www.laketahoetriathlon.com, the official web site of the Lake Tahoe Triathlon or contact Todd Barber at Global Event Management of Tahoe City (530) 583-4638.