April 12, 2015 Dear Kids, Parents and Partners: It is hard to believe we are only 6 days away from the opportunity to meet in person at the Packet Pick-Up & Pep Rally on Saturday, April 18. Hopefully, you and your friends are ready to be the stars of The Biggest & Best Kids Triathlon in the World. We have some very exciting surprises in store, and we know everyone will have a great time! As promised, following is the 2 nd installment of our Getting Ready to Race Email Series. Enjoy all of the details and feel free to link to our website at HoustonKidsTriathlon.org for even more information or to contact us directly with a specific question. And, do not forget to watch your email box for the final installment before race day. It will include a lot of race-specific information such as what to eat the night before and morning of the triathlon. The Texans will be in the House While everyone must come to pick-up their race packet on Saturday, we want to make it fun. Part of the fun will be your opportunity to meet and to get autographs from a number of very special guests from the Houston Texans. This will include cheerleaders, Toro and a couple of players! At the same time, there will be our 2 nd Annual Kids Dance Contest (with prizes), our Academy Cheer Poster Station and lots of inflatables. Many other partners will offer free giveaways and fun activities. Last but not least, we have a number of exhibitors who will join us with special stuff just for kids. Please help us welcome them! $30,000 in Charitable Donations The Houston Kids Triathlon is a primary source of funds for a charitable organization called Kids Triathlon, Inc. Their mission as a 501c(3) is to improve the lives of kids by helping them realize the benefits of being healthy, active and responsible. A critical component of this effort is to support other organizations that do incredible things for kids all year long. We are very proud to be able to donate more than $30,000 from this year s event to the YMCA of Greater Houston and more than 48 schools, teams
and organizations that will receive in excess of $20,000 in donations through our Group Fundraiser Program. Thank you. Your active support is what makes all of this possible. Follow Us on Facebook If you are reading these emails, you will learn almost everything you need to know about the Houston Texans Kids Triathlon. At the same time, we regularly share content on our Facebook page that will help you get ready to race whether it is your 1 st or 21 st triathlon. Our Facebook page will also be where we share any last minute updates regarding weather along with links to the results. If you would like to become our friend and follow us, please CLICK HERE. Bring Your Bike on Saturday As mentioned in our first email, we have new plans in place in an attempt to reduce the lines on Saturday (and Sunday). Most importantly, we are asking everyone to bring their bikes with them to the Pep Rally. We will have transition open at 1:00pm, and we will be ready for you to set up your gear. This will enable you to sleep a few extra minutes on Sunday, and it will allow us to start the races on time. As we did last year, we will have 4 separate registration tents -- so watch the alphabet and get in front of the right tent. And, the packet you pick up will once again include your timing chip. It is up to you not to lose it overnight and to bring it with you Sunday. 2 Sessions on Sunday Going to a kids triathlon is not like attending a Rockets game. It is NOT COOL to be fashionably late. In fact, it will make your entire experience better if you are a little early. Even with all the parking options, there will be 2,000 cars (and 10,000 people) descending on the University of Houston Campus within a very short period of time. If your family is participating in the Junior Session, you should be oncampus walking to transition no later than 6:00am. The participants will need at least 45 minutes to get their bodies marked, organize their stuff and get into the Big Tent. The parents will need time to find a spot in the shade and to enjoy a cup of coffee. The transition area will close at
7:15am, and our mandatory pre-race meeting will start at 7:20am. The first athlete will be in the water at 7:30am. If your family is participating only in the Senior Division (and you bring your bike on Saturday), you have a little more time. In this case, please plan to be on-campus at UH no later than 10:00am. Senior Transition will open at 10:30am, and this will give you enough time to get ready for the pre-race meeting at 11:45am. The first race will start at noon. PLEASE understand parking and traffic will be a little more challenging once the race course is closed and a lot of the spots are taken. Plan ahead! As people who have been to more than 50 kids triathlons, please trust us in saying... your morning will be infinitely more enjoyable if you are not rushing through traffic and hundreds of people at the last minute. We want this to be a very positive experience for everyone! Breakfast & Lunch from Aramark As the official food partner of both the Texans and the University of Houston, Aramark will be making sure we all have good stuff to eat on both Saturday and Sunday. On Sunday, this will include a full selection of breakfast goodies starting with coffee and their menu will expand for lunch. Best of all, a portion of every sale will go to support the Houston Texans Kids Triathlon. Please watch for them near the big tent. What to Bring on Race Day Most of the 3 rd and final edition of our email series will focus on Race Day. However, we wanted to go ahead and answer our most frequent question (and give you a little time to prepare). What do I need to bring on race day? Well, it all starts with a swim suit. We will provide a color-coded swim cap, and many kids wear goggles (which you need to provide). Also, you will need a bike (check the brakes) and a good, safe helmet (these are required). Finally, a brightly colored towel (to mark your spot in transition and to wipe your feet) and a pair of running shoes are important. Many of the kids complete the entire race in their swim suits (though a t-shirt is not a bad idea, as it provides a good place to pin your race number and helps protect you from the sun).
Some of the optional equipment (helpful, but not required) that you will see includes: a race belt (used to hold your race number if you do not want to wear a t-shirt); water bottle (kept in the transition area); elastic shoe laces (save time if you do not have to tie); hat or visor; sun screen; and post race clothes / shoes (that are not hot & sweaty). The Giant Raffle You are hearing it here first! We have revamped our Raffle, and it will now include more than $4,000 in prizes including 2 new bikes & much more. At the same time, we have changed the format of the raffle to give you a better chance to win while helping us raise some money to help fund all the great things our non-profit does across Greater Houston. This means you can buy as many chances to win as you want. Starting Saturday afternoon, you can buy 1 chance for $2; 3 for $5; 7 for $10; or 15 chances for $20. Currently, we are finalizing our list of raffle prizes, and we encourage you to check-out your goody bag on Saturday for all the details. Watch for more information and bring your spare change. Your support will help a great cause, and you will have multiple chances to WIN BIG! Location, Location, Location In an effort to minimize confusion, we have put together the attached map CLICK HERE to see it to supplement the various course maps on our website. The center of all the action for Saturday and Sunday will be a big tent in the grassy field adjacent to the Campus Recreation and Wellness Center on the University of Houston Campus. If you are utilizing GPS to get to the campus, please input the following address: 4500 University Drive, Houston, TX, 77004. The campus is a big place, and you do not want to end up on the wrong side. All of the surface parking lots that are OUTLINED IN RED on the map are open all weekend for free parking. Check them out on Saturday and finalize your plan for Sunday morning.
On Sunday, however, you will need to be careful. All of the roadways involved in the race will be COMPLETELY CLOSED starting at 7:00am. You will NOT be allowed to enter or exit onto the course from 7:00am to about 3:30pm. Most lots have alternate entrances / exits, but PLEASE be aware of this when selecting one. On Sunday, the Big Tent is where all of the kids will get lined up to race and where the raffle and awards ceremony will take place. 3,000 Medals & 120 Awards are Ready Without a doubt, every kid who finishes is a winner and will be recognized with a cool medal (along with FREE Blue Bell ice cream and a big bottle of Dasani Water). In addition, the 3 fastest racers in 10 different age groups (both boys & girls) will be presented with a newly-designed award at the end of the day Sunday. In addition, separate awards will be presented to the top finishers in the XClass. Not only will you want to stay for the raffle (see above), but also you will want to be on-hand to recognize the fastest triathletes in South Texas. Once again, we want to say thanks for your support of our event. It would not happen without the interest of the kids and the encouragement of the parents. The Houston Texans Kids Triathlon is the ultimate family event, and we sincerely appreciate your support. Feel free to contact us via our website with additional questions and stay tuned for the 3 rd and final edition of our email updates. The start of the 1 st race is less than 168 hours away! Sincerely, The 2015 Organizing Committee