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The 2007 CELT Challenge Tri/Duathlon Thank you for signing up for the CELT Challenge Triathlon and Duathlon. This letter will outline, in detail, many of the important parts of the race and hopefully your questions. Please read over the whole document and contact us with any concerns you might have.
REGISTRATION Registration will be held at the Cape Elizabeth Land Trust office at 330 Ocean House Rd (Route 77) on Saturday, September 29th from 5pm-7pm and again on Sunday September 30th from 6am-7am at the race site. We highly encourage you to register on Saturday (especially if this is your first triathlon), both for your own peace of mind and so that we can figure out any issues that may arise. Race numbers and wave/lane assignments will be posted next to the registration table, along with the estimated time of wave starts. When you check in, you will be asked to sign some waivers and forms (including a one-day USA Triathlon membership if you are not an annual member). Remember that if you are an annual member, you MUST bring your current USAT card AND a photo ID. If you forget, you will be charged for a one-day membership ($10). If you are not an annual member of USAT, you have already paid for your one-day membership as part of your entry fee, so you do not need to bring any money to registration. Also at registration, you will receive a race packet, which will include a race number, a T-shirt, safety pins, and other goodies. Please double-check that you have all of these things before you leave registration. PRE-RACE Parking: All Athletes and Spectators must park in the upper Middle School Lot. Please do not drive down to register and/or drop off bikes - too many cars were stranded last year. Parking signs will be visible from all points of entry. The transition area will open at 6:30 am and will close at 7:45 am. Body marking will begin at 6:30 am and will take place next to the Transition area for both Tri and Duathletes. You must get body-marked before you can enter Transition. Warm-up in the pool will be available from 7:30 am until 7:50 am. After this time, competitors must clear the pool and make their way into the stands. There will be a MANDATORY PRE-RACE MEETING at 7:50am in the pool area, so you must be in the stands at this time. Duathletes should plan to attend this meeting as well. The first triathlon wave will start at 8:00 am. An announcer will keep you informed as to how long until your wave starts.
Estimated Start Times: POST-RACE Following the race be sure to stay around for the Harvest Festival. The Muddy Marsh Ramblers are coming back with live Bluegrass music and we will have a complementary BBQ for all racers as well. In addition to the awards ceremony there will be a local farmer's market, kids activities a Best Pie Contest. Be sure to stay around after the race and bring friends or family! COURSE DETAILS Swim (425 YARDS) The swim will take place in the Cape Elizabeth High School pool, which has six (6) 25-yard lanes. Each lane will be split between two competitors. There will be twelve (12) waves, beginning at 8:00 a.m. Your heat will comprise competitors of similar estimated swim time. Please note that the waves are not fastest to slowest or vica versa, they are mixed. Athletes should remain in the stands at the pool prior to your wave until you are let down onto the deck for your wave start. You are responsible for knowing what wave you are in and when it is scheduled to start. Your official race time begins when your assigned wave goes off, whether you are in it or not. We cannot wait for athletes who are delayed getting to their lane. Not only does it negatively impact your time, it also has the potential to interfere with the remaining waves, so please pay attention! You have been assigned to your wave based on your reported swim time. When you arrive at your lane, sign in with your lane's designated volunteer. Listen for the command to enter the water, which will be given about 30 seconds before your wave's scheduled start. Once in the pool, you must hold onto the wall until the start signal goes off. This is an in-water start -there is no diving! It is required that competitors stay in their assigned half of the lane during the entire swim. There is no rule against drafting, but you must remain on your side. Both flip-turns and open-turns are legal. Each lane will have a volunteer counter at the start end keeping track of your progress. He or she will notify you before your last length by waving a pole back and forth in the water. Try to keep track of your progress - every year, there are always athletes who don't see the pole and swim an extra 50 yards. Remember that you finish at the opposite end from where you started (17 lengths!). We will start the next wave as soon as all of the athletes in the current wave have exited the pool. When you climb out of the pool, be aware of other athletes making their way to transition. Follow the carpeting towards the rear exit of the building. Do not run at any point when you are in the pool complex, as it is a major safety hazard. The deck will be carpeted, but can still be very slippery. If you wish to have a towel on hand, you must leave it against the building wall at the finish end of the pool. You cannot leave any items at the end of your lane. Note that we will not be providing swim caps, so if you want to wear one you must bring it yourself. The time cut-off for the swim is 20 minutes. If you have not completed the distance in that time you will be required to exit the water at the nearest end of the pool. You will be allowed to continue the race - however, your time will be considered "unofficial" and you will not be eligible for awards. In previous years, no one has gone over the cut-off time. REMEMBER - SEND IN YOUR MOST ACCURATE SWIM TIME. Please go to a pool and time yourself for 17 lengths (8.5 laps). We will be accepting updated times through noon on Wednesday, September 20th and you can e-mail them to Chris at chris@capelandtrust.org. Duathlon Duathletes will gather at the starting line (next to the Transition Area in the parking log) at 8:10 am. There will likely be 2 waves based on gender categories and the first will begin at approximately 8:20. The second will start approximately 5 min later. The first run course is an out-and-back on trails. Both running courses are shown on the map below. There will NOT be a water station on the first run of the duathlon. You will enter the Transition area from the same end as the triathletes (opposite where you leave on the bike). Be aware that some of the triathletes may be dazed from the swim, so pay attention to where you are going! Transition Rack space will be given on a first-come, first-serve basis. Everyone travels the same distance through transition, so it doesn't make a difference where your bike is racked. Since the Transition zone is a high traffic area, you must be aware of other athletes at all times. Related to this, be sure to respect other competitors' space. Please do not move anyone else's stuff without permission and do not to let your belongings take up more than your fair share of space (typically a couple of feet on one side of your bike). When you are ready to begin the bike leg of the race, go out the opposite end of the TA from where you entered. Do not mount your bike until you have left Transition and reached the designated mount/dismount line. You MUST have your helmet buckled before you get on your bike. If you mount your bike without your helmet fastened on your head, you risk disqualification. The same is true if you take your helmet off before you dismount your bike. When you return from the roads, you must re-rack your bike in the same spot where it was originally racked. It is a very good idea to know the flow of the Transition area before the race begins. Bike (14 miles)
The bike is relatively flat, with some rolling hills. It is a double loop course on country roads that will be open to traffic. Police and volunteers will control major intersections. Please pay attention to the signs and volunteers warning you about upcoming changes in speed and bumpy/uneven pavement. You must obey the volunteers, for your own safety and that of everyone else in the race. Give plenty of space between yourself and other competitors, especially going around tight corners. Drafting is illegal during the entire race. You are responsible for knowing what drafting means (it is described in the rules section below). Stay as far right on the road as possible (for your own safety) and obey all rules of the road regarding cycling. A couple of the turns are very tight (more than 90 degrees), so you need to exercise extreme caution. There is no water station on the bike course. When you finish the ride, you will have to dismount your bike on the pavement before the mount/dismount line, and make your way up a ramp onto the grass before getting to the Transition Area. Remember - rack your bike back in your assigned spot!! Run (3.1 miles)
The course is entirely off-road, mostly flat, and about half on grass and half on trails. Some portions of the course are one-way, while others are two-way. Some roots and rocks are present so please use caution. There will be some volunteers around the route to make sure that you stay on-course and don't cut corners. Follow the volunteers, signs, arrows, and flagging to stay on-course. Water will be available at approximately Mile 1 and Mile 2. POST-RACE Following the race be sure to stay around for the The Muddy Marsh Ramblers are coming back with live Bluegrass music and we will have a complementary BBQ for all racers as well. In addition to the awards ceremony there will be a local farmer's market, kids activities a Best Pie Contest. Be sure to stay around after the race and bring friends or family! RULES 1. DRAFTING - This is definitely the most oft-broken rule in triathlon. You may not draft on your bike at any time during the event. According to the USA Triathlon Rule Book, "a participant is not permitted to position his/her bicycle in the proximity of another moving vehicle so as to benefit from reduced air resistance" (Sec. 5.10). In terms of other bikes, this translates into a rectangular "drafting zone" seven meters long and two meters wide around each bicycle. Unless you are passing, you should not be in this area. When passing, you have 15 seconds from the time you enter the "drafting zone" to overtake the other cyclist before it is considered a drafting penalty. You must pass on the left and the cyclist being overtaken should give you adequate room. 2. HELMET - Your helmet must be functional and must meet the safety standards of the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPSC) (if the helmet was made before 3/99 it must be certified by ANSI, SNELL, or ASTM). Your helmet should be securely fastened under your chin before you mount your bike. You must wear your helmet at all times when you are on your bike at any point in the day - not just during the race. 3. HANDLEBAR PLUGS - There must be plugs in the ends of the handlebars. If you are missing one or both, get some at your local bike shop or buy them when you come to the race. If you don't have bar-end plugs, you could be disqualified. 4. SPEED - It is very important to keep a safe speed at all times during the bike, especially when being told to slow down by volunteers. Some corners may be marked with cones; if so, you need to stay between the cones and the shoulder of the road. 5. STAYING ON COURSE - You must stay on the marked course at all times when making forward progress. If you have to leave the course for any reason, you must restart from the point of departure. Walking is permitted, if necessary. 6. ABANDONMENT - Do not leave any trash or race materials anywhere on the course other than the designated water stations or the Transition area. If you leave anything behind you can be penalized. Also, it is rude to leave trash on the road and it gives a bad reputation to this race and the sport of triathlon. * Failure to abide by USA Triathlon rules will result in a penalization, which is a set amount of time added your finish or disqualification. First Aid If you have a small first aid concern before or during the race (i.e. blisters, sore muscles, cuts), you can use the designated medical station. There will be ice and basic first aid equipment there. For bigger emergencies, an ambulance will be on site. Volunteers and police who are in close contact with the medical team will monitor the bike route. If you have any pre-existing conditions that race management should know about, please make us aware before the race. OTHER CONSIDERATIONS Age Groups - USA Triathlon has changed to a format of determining age groups for awards. You will be assigned to an age-group based on your numerical age as of December 31, 2007, so if you are going to turn 50 at any point in 2007, you will race in the 50-54 group. Age-groups are every 5 years male and female starting at 19 and under and going up to 80+. There will be awards for the top three finishers in each age group and the top 3 overall (male and female). Bathrooms are available at race site (portable) and in the pool facility. Bike racks - The racks being used are not meant to be permanent, so please be careful when setting up your transition area. Do not use more than your fair share of the rack or the ground. You must stay within the area immediately surrounding your bike. Splits - Our volunteer teams will be taking your race number at various parts of the race to get your splits, however, it helps immensely if you shout your number as you go by. Both transition times will be added onto the bike split. Updates on this Website - All the information regarding the CELT Challenge can be found on this website. Please continue to check the website for updates as we approach race day. Weather -The event will not be cancelled for any reason other than severe conditions that pose extreme danger to athletes and volunteers. Race management reserves the right to alter the course in whatever way they deem is in the best interest of the athletes and volunteers. This includes, but is not limited to, shortening or changing the course, removing one of the sports, postponing the start, etc. There are no refunds in the case of weather-caused changes or cancellations. If cancelled, the 2007 CELT Challenge will not be rescheduled. Volunteers - Be sure to thank the volunteers who are working the event. Without them, the race could never happen! If you know someone who wants to be a volunteer, please have him or her contact Chris at CELT. DIRECTIONS From the South take Route 95 to exit 44 (Route 295) Exit 4 off 295 to Commercial Street (bearing Right at light). As you approach the Casco Bay Bridge get in the left lane to access onramp. Once on the bridge take a right at the 2nd set of lights, this is Route 77. Follow Route 77 all the way to the blinking light in the center of Cape Elizabeth (approx 4 miles.) Take a right onto Scott Dyer Road and follow signs for parking. From North on 95 follow same directions. From North on 295 Exit on the Forest Ave South exit and follow signs for Route 77 over the Casco Bay Bridge. Take a right at the 2nd light past the bridge and follow Route 77 approx 4 miles until the blinking light in the Center of Cape Elizabeth. Take a right onto Scott Dyer Road and follow signs for parking. Finally, Thank you to all our participants and Sponsors - Let's be Safe out There! Chris, Will, Ted, Sue and the whole planning team. |
