2 0 1 9 A T H L E T E G U I D E
Table of Contents Race Director Welcome 3 Schedule of Events 4 Pre-Race Information 5 Athlete Responsibilities 6 Travel Information 8 Transition Area Information 11 Race Day Information 12 Swim Wave Allocations 13 Swim Course Description 13 Bike Course Description 14 Run Course Description 16 Rules 17 Post-Race Events 18 Thank You to All Sponsors 19 Printable Athlete Gear Checklist 20 2
Welcome to the Third Annual Strive Olympic Triathlon! Athletes, Welcome to the Strive Olympic Triathlon at Beech Mountain Lakes! We are very excited and proud to welcome you to the Strive Multisport triathlon! We hope you are inspired by the scenic beauty of NEPA. Our host, once again, for the race is Beech Mountain Lakes where you will swim in a pristine mountain lake and then bike through 3500 acres of wooded and wild Nescopeck State Park. Make sure to take a minute and enjoy the views. This race started because a group of local triathletes felt that they wanted to give back to their triathlon community. We all agreed that athletes had a unique understanding of what other athletes wanted when looking for an ideal race. We hope that this came across in the final product. We hope our race will be fun, safe, and fast. We are committed to making sure that you have a great experience. This year we will crown new individual champions in both the Men's and Women's division. As of this writing, neither of our returning champions will be able to return. Our course records were set pretty high in 2016. Will they be broken? Who will get their name inscribed on the Strive Olympic Triathlon trophy of champions this year? Thank you to all our committee members and volunteers, Vision Imaging, our primary sponsor, and all of our other generous sponsors. Without all of you none of this would have been possible! Thank you to all the athletes for choosing to participate in our small town race. For athletes by athletes. Let us know what you think. Be safe. Be smart. I hope you set a PR! See you at the post race party! David Bass Race Director Strive Olympic Triathlon 3
Schedule of Events All times are tentative based on arising circumstances. Please check the Strive Olympic Triathlon Facebook page for up to date information. *All events take place at the Beech Mountain Lakes Beach Area unless otherwise noted* Saturday, July 27, 2019 12:00pm 6:00pm Registration and Packet Pick-Up 3:00pm Optional Pre-Race Meeting 7:00pm Lake Area Closed to Athletes Sunday, July 28, 2018 5:30am 6:45am Transition Area Open Packet Pick-up available *All athletes must check-in, be body marked, and have helmets inspected* 6:45am Pre-Race Meeting at Beach 7:00am Race Start 7:25am First Swimmer Finishes (Estimated) 8:10am Swim Course Closed 8:25am First Biker Finishes (Estimated) 9:15am First Athlete Finishes (Estimated) 10:00am Bike Course Closes 11:10am Run Course Closes TBA Awards Ceremony from Restaurant Deck 4
Pre-Race Information Venue: Beech Mountain Lakes, Lake of the Four Seasons, Drums, PA 18222 Sanctioning: USAT Sanctioned Water Temperature: Historic range of 67 F - 78 F. Exact temperature will be recorded closer to race day Air Temperature: Historic low-high average of 57 F - 80 F Weather Expectations: As a late July event, we expect high temperatures, high humidity, and mostly sun. However, in the event of rain the event will carry on as planned. Please plan travel, race, and nutrition arrangements accordingly. Wetsuit Usage: Athletes will be permitted to use wetsuits as per the USAT rule of water temperature being 78 F or less. Timing: Timing will be provided by Second Wind Timing Systems All athletes and relay teams will be provided with ONE timing chip in their athlete packet Timing chip is to be worn on the ANKLE ONLY at all times during the race Chips will be removed by a volunteer at the finish line 5
Athlete Responsibilities Packet Pick-Up o Athlete packet pick-up will take place on Saturday, from 12:00pm- 6:00pm. Packet pick-up will also be available on race day until 6:45 a.m. o Each athlete must pick-up his/her own packet and all relay team members must be in attendance for the team to receive their packet. o As per USAT Rule, all athletes and relay team members following at the time of packet pick-up 1. Form of Photo ID 2. USAT Membership Card / Purchase USAT (one day pass) during online registration or packet pick-up ($12) o In the event that an athlete cannot produce a valid ID or proof of USAT Membership, that athlete will not be permitted to race the event. PLEASE ensure you have eac these documents when travelling to packet pick-up! Pre-Race Swim, Bike, and Run Course Safety o Athletes will be permitted to preview each course prior to race day. Please ensure that you follow all precautions throughout your training. The beach will open be on Saturday, July 28 th for swim warm-up. All athletes must wear brightly colored caps for proper ID. o Athletes riding or driving the bike course in Beech Mountain Lakes as well as State 6
Route 309 and Honey Hole Road. Please use proper judgement and practice safe riding techniques when on your bike. Helmets must be worn at all times when an athlete has mounted their bike, regardless of location or speed. Failure to do so will result in immediate disqualification from the event no matter when the incident occurs while on Beech Mountain Lakes property or on the Strive Olympic Triathlon race course. o The run course will be open for practice until 6:00pm on Saturday, July 27 th. Please use caution when running on the trail as adverse weather may have had an impact on the trail quality. It is advised that all athletes obtain copies of the course maps to ensure proper navigation. Please contact Dave Bass for further course explanation. 7
Travel Information Directions: From Motel 6 Upon exiting the Motel 6 parking lot, turn left to PA 93 North Take the right on-ramp to I-80 East Take Exit 262 to PA309 South, Hazleton Turn right at the stop sign to continue onto PA309 South Continue on 309S for 1.4mi Beech Mountain Lakes will be on your left (must turn from center turning lane) Present some form of race information to the guard on duty Continue on Edge Rock Drive for 1.2mi (through 3 stop signs) Bear right onto 4 Seasons Drive at the fourth stop sign Follow 4 Seasons Drive for 1mi and parking is located in the grass in front of the old ski hill on your right. From North... Follow signs to I-81 South towards Hazleton Take exit 155 - Dorrance Turn left at the stop sign, pass the Sunoco on your right, and turn right at the T intersection (Main Rd). Climb the hill and you will reach State Route 309, turn right at this intersection to begin on State Route 309 South. Continue on 309S for 3.0mi Beech Mountain Lakes will be on your left (must turn from center turning lane) Present some form of race information to the guard on duty Continue on Edge Rock Drive for 1.2mi (through 3 stop signs) Bear right onto 4 Seasons Drive at the fourth stop sign 8
Follow 4 Seasons Drive for 1mi and parking is located in the grass in front of the old ski hill on your right. From South Follow signs to I-81 North towards Hazleton Take exit 151b I-80E to Mountain Top Once on I-80 East follow signs to Exit 262 to PA309, Hazleton, Mountain Top Take Exit 262 to PA309 South, Hazleton Turn right at the stop sign to continue onto PA309 South Continue on 309S for 1.4mi Beech Mountain Lakes will be on your left (must turn from center turning lane) Present some form of race information to the guard on duty Continue on Edge Rock Drive for 1.2mi (through 3 stop signs) Bear right onto 4 Seasons Drive at the fourth stop sign Follow 4 Seasons Drive for 1mi and parking is located in the grass in front of the old ski hill on your right. From West Follow signs to I-80 East towards Hazleton Take Exit 262 to PA309 South, Hazleton Turn right at the stop sign to continue onto PA309 South Continue on 309S for 1.4mi Beech Mountain Lakes will be on your left (must turn from center turning lane) Present some form of race information to the guard on duty Continue on Edge Rock Drive for 1.2mi (through 3 stop signs) Bear right onto 4 Seasons Drive at the fourth stop sign Follow 4 Seasons Drive for 1mi and parking is located in the grass in front of the old ski hill on your right. 9
From East Follow signs to I-80 West towards Hazleton Take Exit 262 to PA309 South, Hazleton Turn left at the stop sign to continue onto PA309 South Continue on 309S for 1.4mi Beech Mountain Lakes will be on your left (must turn from center turning lane) Present some form of race information to the guard on duty Continue on Edge Rock Drive for 1.2mi (through 3 stop signs) Bear right onto 4 Seasons Drive at the fourth stop sign Follow 4 Seasons Drive for 1mi and parking is located in the grass in front of the old ski hill on your right. From Parking to Race Area Turn right after leaving your car to continue on 4 Seasons Drive towards the lake. Turn left and go down a short hill and the race area will be just after the small playground, in front of the Beech Mountain Lakes Administration Building. 10
Transition Area Information The transition area will not be open on Saturday, July 27 for bike racking. Please plan to arrive early on Sunday morning for ample preparation time including review of transition entrances and exits to course areas. There will not be assigned bike rack areas, but be sure to give yourself and your fellow athletes enough space to alleviate crowding. Transition areas operate smoother with less clutter, so please do your best to remove all non-race essential items before exiting transition. This includes any and all bags. The only things that should be at your transition area are race items. NO ONE will be permitted to enter the transition area once it closes at 6:45am. It is at this point that athletes will only have access to transition throughout the course of the race. Please do not ask or allow any family members or friends to manipulate your transition area at this time or for the duration of the race. Upon finishing the race, ATHLETES ONLY will be allowed to retrieve their gear from the transition area. Volunteers will check that an athletes bib number and bike number match. Please cooperate with all volunteers at this time and at all times during the event. 11
Race Day Information Parking will be located in the grass field in front of the old ski hill, only a five minute walk from transition. Please plan to arrive early to avoid any traffic or other time back-ups. Beech Mountain security will be aware of race weekend festivities and will be monitoring traffic flow in and out of the area. Ensure that you bring all required items out of your packet including your bike number, bib number, swim cap, and timing chip. Do not forget other race day essentials such as your race gear, wetsuit, bike, bike shoes, helmet, run shoes, and nutrition. There will be nutrition available for purchase but it is best practice to not rely on race day materials. Train with what you plan to race with! Body marking will take place outside of the transition area as athletes come in. Please refrain from applying sun screen or Body Glide until your numbers have been applied to your arms and legs. It is YOUR duty to remember to have your numbers and age marked before the start of the race! As stated previously, transition will close at 6:45am and all athletes will be required to move to the beach area. The only athletes permitted within the transition area at this time are cyclists and runners belonging to relay teams. There will be a short time for swim warm up before the start of the race; please use this to your advantage. There will be no swim warm up after the first wave of athletes has entered the water. With all of the commotion going on it is easy to forget the most important aspect of race day HAVE FUN! 12
Swim Wave Allocations Wave 1: Men Wave 2: Women and Relays Swim Course Description 7:00am 7:10am The swim course is a 1500 meter clockwise out-and-back loop in the Lake of the Four Seasons. There will be two right hand turns marked by orange buoys with yellow sight buoys along the way. All buoys must be kept to your right. See course map below. Transition 13
Bike Course Description Turn by Turn: 1. Exit transition and continue up 4 Seasons Dr (small hill) 2. At the top of the hill continue right to stay on 4 Seasons Dr 3. Continue on 4 Seasons Dr to the third stop sign. Make a left to get on Edge Rock Dr. 4. Continue on Edge Rock Dr to the exit of Beech Mountain Lakes. Turn right to exit Beech Mountain Lakes and continue on PA309 North. 5. Follow PA 309N to the first light where you will turn right onto Honey Hole Rd. 6. Continue on Honey Hole Rd to the turnaround point. 7. Return on Honey Hole Rd after the turnaround to the same traffic light on PA309. 8. Turn left to go on PA309 South. 9. Continue on PA309S up a short climb to the entrance to Beech Mountain Lakes. 10. Turn left to enter Beech Mountain Lakes. 11. Continue on Edge Rock Dr to the intersection of 4 Seasons Dr. 12. Turn right onto 4 Seasons Dr and continue past the old ski hill. 13. Turn left to descend back towards transition. Map on the next page 14
Bike Course Map 15
Run Course Turn by Turn: 1. Exit transition and continue along the left edge of the park. 2. Turn left and cross a small bridge to enter the trail. 3. Continue on the trail and make a right onto the center campground path. 4. Follow the path past the set of restrooms until you reach 4 Seasons Dr. 5. Turn left on 4 Seasons Dr and continue following the road for about 1.5mi. 6. Turn left onto the trail break-off towards the Viewpoint Dam. 7. Once at the turnaround, follow 4 Seasons Dr and race signs. 8. Continue past the turn that was made at the beginning of the run course near the campground. 9. Turn right to continue down the hill (same hill towards transition as end of bike) towards lap 2 or the finish. 10. If lap 2, follow race signs and volunteers back past transition to complete your second and identical lap. 16
Race Rules 17 No outside assistance will be permitted on any part of the course throughout the race. This includes family or friends giving extra fluids or nutrition at any time before you finish your race. Absolutely no headphones, ear buds, or music listening devices at any time while on course. This includes any and all Bluetooth enabled ear devices. Cheating or cutting the course at any point will not be tolerated and will result in an immediate disqualification. Swim o Sight buoys are for guidance only, and as an out-and-back swim, athletes may swim to the left or right of the sight buoys. o ALL ORANGE TRIANGLE TURN BUOYS MUST BE KEPT TO THE ATHLETE S RIGHT HAND SIDE. Failure to do so will result in time penalties and/or disqualification. o Wetsuits shall only be used in water temperatures equivalent to or below 78 F as per USAT rule. o If you choose to wear a wetsuit when the water is not in the wetsuit-legal range, your time will not be considered for awards. o Please follow all volunteers and course markings when exiting the water and making your way to transition. Bike o Any athlete seen on their bike without a helmet will be immediately disqualified from the event. o While on course, please remain as far to the right as possible to avoid a blocking penalty.
o All athletes must remain at least 3 bike lengths away from any athlete in front of them. If at any time you enter this zone, you have 15 seconds to complete a pass. o A pass is considered complete when an athlete s front wheel has passed another athlete s front wheel. o Failure to pass within the allotted time or maintaining position within the 3 bike length zone may result in a drafting penalty. o Use safe riding practices during the entirety of the event. Run o Please be courteous to other athletes on course by running on the left side of the trail/road. o All athletes must wear their bib numbers during the run portion of the race. Do your best to ensure that it is facing front, especially for the finish area. All USAT Sanctioned races follow the complete list of USA Triathlon rules which may be found here: www.teamusa.org/usa-triathlon/about/multisport/competitive-rules 18
Post-Race Events All athletes are permitted to remove their bikes from the transition area after the last athlete has exited transition to complete the run course. Athletes are welcome to stay after their finish for food and drinks provided by the Beech Mountain Lakeside Restaurant. The race expo will still be underway as well, so be sure to check out all of the tents. Awards will be held on the deck of the Lakeside Restaurant at a time TBA. Thank You to All Sponsors Vision Imaging Strive Multisport Move Better Yeager Insurance igourmet FJ Whitehall Cartridge World Edwardsville AB Photography Prudential Advisors Fronzoni Pools BMR Checkpoint Software The Shay Agency Minuteman Press North Branch Land Trust Encore Therapy Services Knot Just Any Day Strive Multisport Payne Printery JMF Computer Services Attorney Jim Bobeck Motorworld Step by Step Inc. Forbo Flooring Henningsen Cold Storage Pittston Ketchup City Brokers Benchmark McCabe Mortgage Raymond James Independent Graphics Cohen & Haydu Norm s Pizza Luzerne County Visitors Bureau Harrolds Pharmacy Snips and Tips Nucleus Raw Foods James Albert Law Offices DBI Shannon Sweitzer / Lewith & Freeman Dunkin Donuts Metz Food
Athlete Checklist Swim Other Swimsuit, Wetsuit, and/or Trisuit Goggles Cap (Supplied by Race) Body Glide Towel Pre and Post Race Clothing Extra Towel Extra Nutrition Double Check Chip, All Race Numbers Good Attitude Pre-Race Nutrition Timing Chip Bike Bike (with race number) Bike Helmet Bike Shoes Bike Pump Tool Kit and Spare Tube Water Bottles Sunglasses Bike Course Nutrition Run Run Shoes Hat or Visor Race Bib Number Sunblock