Meredith Strang Burgess feels she has one of the most important roles to play in the Tri for a Cure, the all-women’s triathlon that serves as an annual fundraiser for the Maine Cancer Foundation.

A breast cancer survivor, Burgess has participated in all 14 Tri for a Cures, and she is the designated last-place finisher.

“Women are really funny. We’re very self depreciating. It was funny to talk to women about (the Tri) and hear ‘Oh, I couldn’t do that. I’d be last,'” said Burgess, a Cumberland resident. “I’m last. Period, the end. It’s caught on, and people get a charge out of it, to know they will never be last.”

On Sunday, the 15th annual Tri for a Cure will take place as an in-person event for the first time 2019, after being held as a virtual event the past two summers because of the coronavirus pandemic. This year the event is back at Southern Maine Community College in South Portland, and again features a 1/3 of a mile swim, a 15-mile bike ride and a 3-mile run.

Burgess’ last-place approach speaks to the nature of the event, which is far more about camaraderie than competition.

“It’s a true honor for me, because I get to talk to lots and lots of people throughout the day,” she said. “I’m the last one out of the water. I stay in the water with people as long as they’re in the water, then I work my way through the course.”

In years past, Tri for a Cure has included close to 1,300 entrants, many of them cancer survivors like Burgess. This year, organizers decided to keep the field smaller as people readjust to larger events. Entries were capped at 850, said Allison Richards, events manager for the Maine Cancer Foundation. Of those, approximately 100 will compete virtually.

“It’s really exciting. So much of this race is about being together and the community aspects of it,” Richards said.

Tri for a Cure typically accounts for 50 percent of the Maine Cancer Foundation’s annual budget, and all of the money raised stays in Maine in the fight against cancer. The foundation funds programs dedicated to cancer screening, prevention and care across the state.

Organizers are hoping to see donations rise this year, even with a smaller field of entrants than normal. In 2019, the triathlon raised just over $2 million. As virtual events, Tri for a Cure brought in $1.3 million in 2020 and $1.1 million last year. In all, the event has raised $19.75 million over 14 years, Richards said.

Participants are asked to raise a minimum of $500, though at least 10 of this year’s participants have raised at least $10,000.

Jen Tarr of Augusta will be taking part in the Tri for a Cure for the first time. Tarr will race in memory of her mother Nancy Tarr, who died eight years ago from esophageal cancer at 62. Shortly before he mother was diagnosed, Jen mentioned she was interested in competing in triathlons, and she and her mom encouraged her.

Two years ago, Tarr began training and competing in triathlons, and plans to race in the Ironman 70.3 triathlon in Augusta on July 31.

“She planned on doing all these 5Ks with me,” Tarr said of her mother. “Doing this one (Tri for a Cure) makes it all the more important.”

Tri for a Cure entrants are excited about the opportunity to gather again for an in-person event.

“I’m very glad, although it feels funny. It feels like we’ve been away a very long time,” Burgess said. “There was a routine where, you kind of got going (training) in the spring. It gets you up and out, which was one of the goals and objectives of creating the Tri in the first place.

“It’s a fundraiser, but equally important it’s a women’s health activity. It’s so not about the competition. It’s about showing up and giving it your best, and whatever it is is just fine.”

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