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Distances: 1000m swim, 18mi. bike, 5.5mi. trail run, 2mi. run, 18mi. bike, 5.5mi. trail run
500m swim, 12mi. bike, 3mi. run - CLOSED COURSE!
Date/location: Sunday August 29, 8:00am. Holly Recreation area, Holly Mi. is located off of I-75 at the Grange Hall exit. From there head east about 3 miles. Click here for map Click here for park information
Venue/Area Information:Holly Recreation area has served as the sprint series championship every year. The perfect venue for this championship as the park road is closed entirely giving you a totally vehicle free bike course. The park has a nature trail and path it has widened for the event to accomodate the 300 plus athletes to race on every year. It is a beautiful and has a tree canopy virtually the entire run.
***Those who park INSIDE the venue (see map above) WILL NOT be permitted to leave until EVERY Bike is off the course in BOTH events. If you plan to depart before 11:30-11:45 (men) you MUST park outside the venue. There will be no exceptions as the driveway is to be used for bikes and runners IN/OUT only. We will have parking signs marked with EARLY for those men that will not be staying.
Course: Herron lake is a motor free lake, one of the few left out there. It is very clean and clear, you will have a rectangle course straight out, across 30m and back in. Water temp has been 70 every year. The bike is no only 100% closed to traffic, but it is fun and challenging, rolling to hilly at times. The perfect course for a Championship. Communication is needed as it is a 3mi. course, down and back equalling 6 miles. Three loops will complete the bike discipline and it is your responsibility to count laps. A fast downhill turn at the transition area end will require braking and handling and focus. The run course is a trail run, entirely through the woods of the park. The course has been widened to accomodate several hundred runners for passing opportunities. We have added another aid station back there for 2009. This is a challenging run course, with lots of rolling hills, but it is never boring and a lot of fun to run.
Race Tips: Another big beach to use, but don't spread out to far as you could swim through weeds. The swim course is clear but outside of that not to far are weeds. If you have a road bike I would opt for that here. Tri bikes or time trial bikes are not great for climbing, and not to say you are going to be doing large climbs, but the amount of rolling hills on the course would be better suited for a road bike. You need to have your gear switching mind set in place, what I mean by that is you want to keep your cadence and momentum up throughout the entire bike. If you are constantly trying to speed up you are working a lot harder than you need to be. So constantly switch those gears to stay smooth, consistant, and keep the momentum up. That may mean a lot of in and out of the saddle as well. This is important and something a lot of less experienced multi-sport athletes fail to do, especially on hilly courses. It is crucial you use the last mile of the bike to loosen your legs up, you need to pay attention to where that is on the bike course, get into a Spinning gear where you are at 100 rpm's or more for that mile. If you don't do this that firt mile to mile and half on the run can make you very tight and make for a less than comfortable start to your run. Now you need to use your arms and work the hills, let gravity do the work on the downhills don't fight it. Shorten your stride up, lengthen on the way down. It is 1 mile from the aid station at the end of the trail where you come out on the camp ground road, splash a cup of water in your face, take a sip or two of another and focus on the crowd at the end of the road and go. When you get to the hill taking you down to the boat launch let er rip all the way home. That is about 500m.
Packet Pickup/Registration: Day before packet pickup/registration Saturday 2:00 - 5:00pm. Day of Packet Pickup and Registration Sunday 6-7:30 am ONLY under the white tents next to the finish line. Do not arrive late. Registration will close.Remember the $6 park entry fee.
USAT: A $10 one day license fee will be collected AT Registration all NON USAT members. This was not included in your entry fee and must be paid to USAT, not event management. If pre registered please have a check or cash ready.
(remember the USAT age up rule, meaning you will race at the age you will be at the end of the year)
| January 31, 2010 | $60 |
| April 30, 2010 | $70 |
| After May 1, 2010 | $80- 2 or 3 Person Relay $120 |
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Printable Entry |
| On site registration add $10 | |
| Non USAT members must pay $10 onsite at registration. $10 goes directly to USAT! | |
| ***You must be pre registered 14 days in advance to guarantee a shirt. | |
| Online registration closes Thursday 12:00am | |
Accomodations: Coming soon.
Transition Area: Open at 6:00am closes at 7:30am.No Friends or Family members allowed in the transition area for any reason.The race director and race officials will close the transition area 30-45 minutes before race start to ensure all athletes are at starting lines for mandatory course meetings and announcements. Once the transition area is closed you will not be permitted back in before the race starts. Family members will not be premitted in for any reason. In the event of inclement weather it is recommended you have warm, dry clothing outside the transition area to put on following your finish due to other athletes still being on the bike course. Thank you for your cooperation in following these rules. ***You must rack according to your race number based on sequence placed at end of row. Please remember racks will hold 7 bikes racking with seat tip on support bar. Please be courteous to fellow athletes to ensure there is space for 7. Any athletes removing gear from transition areas before the announcer or race director has officially opened the transition area will be DISQUALIFIED from the race! No questions asked, your race number will be taken down and you will be disqualified. The transitionarea is closed until all athletes are off the bike course. Sprint athletes this goes for you as well, you must wait until all the athletes are off the course and race officials open the transition area. All athletes deserve a clear transition. There will be an aid station at the run in/out chute with water and electrolyte replacement. Athletes wearing their own chips, PLEASE remove your chips before re-entering the transition area and exiting again. This can cause a timing error. Run in/out and Bike in/out chutes are clearly marked on the large structures at either end, it is your responsibility to go the right direction.
Swim: 1000m/500m - Herron lake is clean, clear and motor free. Starting onthe beach we will make a rectangle course for you straight out, across30m, and back in. Life guards and search and rescue will be on the water for your safety.Sprint course will turn at the Yellow buoys and head in. Water temps have typically been low 70s for this event every year.
water temp as of:
Special Thanks:State of Michigan, Holly Recreation Area and their staff, Fraser Bicycles, Hammer Nutrition,
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Rules: Event management reserves the right to post pone, change format, or cancel the event at any time if the safety of athletes, staff, support crew, and officials is or could be in jeopardy. THERE WILL BE NO REFUNDS FOR ANY REASON!!! Event management is NOT responsible for late arrivals, athletes not finding a venue, etc. Late arrivals will NOT be issued a chip and strap and you will not be allowed in the transition area once it is closed. Again, there will be no refunds for any reason. If an event has mandatory bike check in you must check in your bike during the alotted check in times. Failure to do so will mean you are not going to race and again no refunds will be given. These rules are in place for a reason and deviation of them is not fair to the hundreds of athletes that follow the rules. Profanities on the course, directed at support crew, staff, or fellow athletes will not be tolerated and will result in an Automatic Disqualification and could result in further suspension. If you are caught throwing trash on the course you will receive a 5 minute penalty for the first offense and the second will be a disqualfication. There are garbage bins everywhere, use them. Kids 17 and under may not compete in half ironman distance events. Kids must be 10 yrs. of age to compete in adult sprint events. The race director will have final say for anyone racing at any event. Athletes experience will be considered in a personal interview with the race director on site if a question of ability to safely finish is at stake. Failure to comply will result in a change of event or disqualification if there is an un-willingness on an athletes part. Safety will NOT be compromised under any circumstances. A lost chip will be billed directly to the athlete for a $40 fee and may result in no times for event.
Bike: 18mi./12mi.- A great 100% closed rolling bike course! You will exit the transition area in the parking lot directly up the hill and follow the park road to the dead end in the back of the park. This is a 6mi. course so it will be 3 laps. 2 laps for sprint athletes. You will not have a hairpin turnaround like most turnarounds. It is a loop turnaround so you can keep your speed and focus. The entire course will be closed to all traffic. We will have cones down the middle ensuring you do not cross the middle line as this is a rolling, sweeping, fast and exhillerating course.After completing your 3rd lap you will head down the hill back to the transition area. ***This is a closed course but use caution at all times. It will be your responsibility to print maps, and know the courses. It is the athlete's responsibility to know and understand the courses. Helmets are a must. No helmet - no race. MP3 players on the bike course are an automatic disqualification. Due to a few athletes actions in the past during an event we are making you aware not only in this event but ALL events whether hosted by us or any other event management company YOU MUST OBEY ALL OFFICIALS and EMERGENCY VEHICLES on the course AT ALL TIMES!! The bottom line here is your race is not more important than an EMERGENCY or OFFICIAL on the course. In the event of an emergency you MUST obey officials requests, and you MUST STOP and pull off the road for any and all EMERGENCY VEHICLES to get by. This is not only to ensure the emergency vehicles can proceed, it is for your safety as well. Any athlete that does not adhere to this rule will be disqualified and will not race in a 3 d event for the rest of the year. This to us is common sense and should not have ever came to this point.
Run: 5.5mi./3mi.-Exiting the transition area out the back end opposite of bike, you will follow the chuteup the beach entrance, through the crowds watching the bike discipline and intoto woods on the trail.You will follow the groomed trail along the lakesaround the camp ground and back. Again, rolling, fun and fast. Sprint athletes you will make the left turn before heading into the second set of trails, heading down the dirt road back into the park.
Duathlon run 1: Starting next to the beach ALL duathletes, male and female will start at 9am, out to the last aid station at mile 4.5, turnaround and head back the same way.
COURSE MAPS: Run BikeSwim Transition Area
Relays: At registration you will receive ONE bib number and ONE chip/strap. The bib number goes on the runner as that is who will be crossing the finish line. All relay members must be body marked with that number. The Chip/Strap will be securely fastened around the person competing in the first discipline. There will be a designated spot for All Relays at one of the entry/exit points in the transition area marked RELAYS. All staging and chip/strap exchanging is to be done at this point. Not on the course. The Chip/Strap must be securely fastened to each athletes ankle, do not grab it and go, do not put it on the wrist. Upon finishing it is the last athletes responsibility to return that chip/strap at the finish line. (one athlete may do more than one discipline)
Finish/Awards: Upon finishing you will receive a finishers momento, after you have returned your chip and strap you will proceed to the post race snack tent for refreshments. Raffle and Awards will begin AFTER the last person finishes. If you chose to leave event management will not be responsible in any way for mailing your award or raffle prize.We will crown the 2009 Sprint Series Champions first, followed by the race winners and age groups. **You may click here to print awards form and mail in a check for $10 within 2 weeks after the event to get your award mailed to you. If your envelope is postmarked after 2 weeks or does not contain a check for $10 we will not send the award
Amenities:
