What you need to know about the Patriot Half
This page contains important information and answers to basic questions about the 2013 Patriot Half. Updates will be made to the site periodically so check back often. For details on the swim, bike and run courses visit the Course Info page. The Patriot is a USAT sanctioned events and managed by a USAT certified Race Director. If you have any questions that aren't answered by the information on this website email us at info@SunMultisportEvents.com and stay up to date with the latest news on the Patriot and our other events when you become a fan on Facebook.Additional details on the 2013 Patriot Half are below.
Event Date and Location:
The Patriot Half will be on Saturday, June 15, 2013. The first Patriot wave will be sent off at 7:00AM. The site of the race is Cathedral Camp located at 167 Middleboro Road in East Freetown, MA on the shores of Long Pond.
Parking:
There are two areas to park on the grounds of Cathedral Camp: the EAST and WEST parking areas can be seen on the aerial map you can print with a click here. Note that both lots will be open at 5AM and that cars parked in the WEST lot will be unable to leave until all Patriot Half athletes have completed the bike portion of the race (est. time: 1:00PM).
Beneficiaries of the 2013 Patriot:
A portion of the proceeds from the Patriot Half go to the various community groups that volunteer to help produce the event including the Freetown Youth Athletic Association, Whitman Food Pantry, Middleborough Demolay and East Bridgewater Kiwanis. An official Charity Partner for the 2013 Patriot Half is ReservAid, an organization dedicated to providing financial assistance to US military reservists. Click here to learn more about ReserveAid and how you can help further.
Event Distance:
Swim: 1.2 miles; Bike 56 miles (2-loop course); Run: 13.1 miles (1 loop); Aquabike athletes complete the same 1.2 mile swim and 56 mile bike course.
Entry Fee and the Registration Fee Reimbursement service:
Individual: $200 until 10/31/12, $215 from 11/1/12 to 12/31/12 and $235 thereafter; Relay Teams: $300 until 12/31/12, $325 thereafter. Note that the Patriot Half is a USAT sanctioned event. USAT Annual members will need to have a valid USAT license on race day. If you are not an annual member, you will be required to purchase a 1-day USAT license for $12. Your entry fee includes a free pass to the post-race catered meal and eligibility for giveaways from our sponsors. Register on Sunday, November 11th (Veteran's Day) and we will donate $25 of each entry that day (up to the first 80 entries) to ReserveAid, an official charitable partner of the 2013 Patriot Half.
As a service to paid registrants in the 2013 Patriot Half, Sun Multisport Events is providing you with the opportunity for registration fee protection -- absolutely free through 365Competitiors, LLC. This service offers you 100% reimbursement of your registration fee and related online processing fee if you get sick or injured and can't race. This service is subject to terms and conditions including submission of a claim form signed by your doctor within 3 days prior to the event. The coverage is applied automatically and effective immediately when you register to participate in the 2013 Patriot Half. However, it's a limited-time offer that is only valid until December 31, 2012. Click here or on the logo at left for important coverage details. Please note the registration fee protection service will NOT be available if you register AFTER after 12/31/12.
Note that we offer an Active Military Personnel Registration Discount. To claim this discount email Mark at info@SunMultisportEvents.com for details. You must provide proof of your current active service.
Awards and Cash Prizes:
Awards will be given to the top 3 male and female finishers in each age group as well as to the top 3 Athenas, Clydesdales, Paratriathletes and Male and Female Aquabike participants. All 3 members of the 1st place male, female and mixed relay teams will also receive an award.
A cash prize purse of $1,000 will also be distributed to the first ($300) and second ($200) place male and female finishers in the Open/Elite category. You MUST race in the Open/Elite category to be eligible to win prize money. If you race as an age grouper and still finish as one of the two fastest overall males or females you still won't be eligible to win any prize money. If you think you have a shot at prize money, register in the Open category.
We will also offer Fastest Split awards to the male and female with the fastest splits in the swim, bike and run. Athletes racing in the elite/open, aquabike and relay categories are not eligible for performance awards.
The awards ceremony will take place at approximately 2:00pm on race day.
USA Triathlon Membership:
The Patriot is a USAT sanctioned event. All athletes must (a) present a valid, current USAT Annual Membership Card at registration OR (b) purchase a 1-day USAT license. If you are an annual member, but forget to bring your card you will be required to purchase a 1-day license.
Age Groups:
Standard USA Triathlon age divisions in five year increments (e.g. 17-19, 20-24, 25-29, 30-34, etc.). Your age group is determined by your age on December 31, 2013! MINIMUM AGE: 16 years old as of December 31, 2013. Minimum age requirement: 17.
Special Divisions:
There will be Clydesdale (Men, 220+ lbs), Athena (Women, 165+ lbs), Paratriathlete, Aquabike (swim and bike only) and Elite/Open divisions in the Patriot Half. The Elite/Open and Paratriathlete categories will be in the first wave sent to start the race.
The Aquabike category is for athletes that only want to swim and bike. Aquabike athletes start in a swim wave with other athletes in the aquabike category and swim and then bike the same course as other athletes doing all three legs of the triathlon. Aquabike athletes receive a finisher medal and the same swag as athletes doing the full triathlon. Awards will be given to the 3 fastest males and females in the aquabike category.
The Patriot will also offer the the Aquabike category. Aquabike consists of the swim and bike legs of the triathlon: a 1.2-mile swim and 56-mile bike. Participants receive three official split times (swim, T1, and bike). Aquabike athletes will be given the same support as all Patriot athletes on and off the course.
Event Timeline:
Wednesday, June 12, 2013:
VERY IMPORTANT: YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO PICK UP A RACE PACKET FOR ANYONE BUT YOURSELF AND ALL ATHLETES MUST PRESENT A PHOTO ID... NO ID, NO RACE, NO EXCEPTIONS. Athletes that indicated they were USAT Annual Members must show a valid USAT license or will be required to purchase a 1-day USAT license. All members of a relay team must come to packet pick-up together.
- 5:00pm: Packet pick-up at Landry's Bicycles in Boston (890 Commonwealth Ave, Boston, MA)
- 7:30pm: Packet pick-up at Landry's Bicycles in Boston ends
Friday, June 14, 2013:
VERY IMPORTANT: YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO PICK UP A RACE PACKET FOR ANYONE BUT YOURSELF AND ALL ATHLETES MUST PRESENT A PHOTO ID... NO ID, NO RACE, NO EXCEPTIONS. Athletes that indicated they were USAT Annual Members must show a valid USAT license or will be required to purchase a 1-day USAT license. All members of a relay team must come to packet pick-up together.
- 4:00pm: Packet pick-up/athlete check-in at Cathedral Camp (167 Middleboro Road, East Freetown, MA)
- 5:00pm: Presentation from the coaches at Tri-Hard Endurance Sports Coaching
- 7:00pm: Packet pick-up concludes
Sunday, June 15, 2013 (RACE DAY!):
VERY IMPORTANT: YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO PICK UP A RACE PACKET FOR ANYONE BUT YOURSELF AND ALL ATHLETES MUST PRESENT A PHOTO ID... NO ID, NO RACE, NO EXCEPTIONS. Athletes that indicated they were USAT Annual Members must show a valid USAT license or will be required to purchase a 1-day USAT license. All members of a relay team must come to packet pick-up together.
- 5:00am: Transition opens and packet pick-up/athlete check-in begins at Cathedral Camp (167 Middleboro Road, East Freetown, MA)
- 6:30am: All athletes must be checked-in; pre-race meeting with Race Director (athletes must be in/around transition)
- 7:00am: Race start
- 9:00am: All athletes must have completed the swim course
- 1:00pm: All athletes must have completed the bike course
- 3:30pm: All athletes must have completed the run course
Swim Waves:
Swim waves for the 2013 Patriot Half will be posted within 2 weeks of the event.
Wet Suits:
All participants may wear a wet suit and be eligible for rankings and prizes if the water temperature is less than 78 degrees F. If the temperature is between 79 and 84 degrees F, participants wearing a wet suit will not receive a ranking or be eligible for awards (they will still receive split times). If the temperature exceeds 84 degrees F, no participants will be allowed to wear a wet suit. Water temperatures of Long Pond are typically in the 70s and wet suits have been allowed each year of the event. As race day draws near, a water temperature read will be posted to our Facebook page.
Swim Caps:
All participants will be given a swim cap that must be worn during the swim.
The Patriot Half will begin at 7:00AM. Cut-off times for each leg of the Patriot race are as follows: All swimmers must be out of the water by 9:00AM, all cyclists must be off the road by 1:00PM and all runners must be off the course by 3:30PM. Athletes that do not complete the swim or bike leg by the specified cut-off time will be stopped in transition and not allowed to continue on in the race. Athletes that do not complete the run by 3:30PM will be pulled from the course. Race Management and medical personnel reserve the right to pull any athlete from the course if it appears they are not sufficiently trained to complete the remainder of the course in a safe manner.
Race and Recovery Nutrition:
Hammer Nutrition and Muscle Milk are nutrition sponsors for this year's Patriot Half. The Patriot Half will feature a water bottle exchange stations on the 28-mile bike course (to be completed twice; see below for details on the water bottle exchange stations). Water and Heed from Hammer Nutrition will be available in water bottles -- you must throw a bottle to get a bottle. The Patriot Half run course will offer aid stations at every mile. All aid stations will offer water, Heed energy drink from Hammer Nutrition and flat cola. Oranges, pretzels and energy gels will be offered at every other aid station on the run.
The Muscle Milk Rejuvenation Startion will be located in an area adjacent to the finish line of the Patriot Half and will feature free bottles of Muscle Milk to all participating athletes. Muscle Milk is the Official Performance Protein Drink for all 2013 races produced by Sun Multisport Events.
Water Bottle Exchange Stations on the Bike:
The Patriot will feature a water bottle exchange station on the 28-mile bike loop (to be completed twice; 56 miles total) offering you opportunity on your ride to re-fuel (exact location of the water bottle exchange stations to be announced). The water bottle exchange station is designed to be an additional resource for athletes. Athletes are encouraged to have 2 bottle cages on their bike to start the race filled with their preferred hydration drink. If they need to refuel the bottle exchange stations are available as your resource. Bottle exchange stations will feature water bottles with water and bottle with Heed electrolyte drink for you to choose from. If you would like to receive a bottle of water or Heed you will need to discard a water bottle as you approach the bottle exchange (there will be a soccer net set up for you to toss your water bottle into) and then call out to a volunteer what you want (water or energy drink). The volunteer will jog along side of you and hand you your bottle. If you do not need anything from the bottle exchange we encourage you to stay left as you approach the bottle exchange to avoid cyclists that will be requesting a bottle. Athletes should assume any water bottle discarded is gone forever (while we will bring the discarded ones back to Cathedral Camp for proper diosposal there will be hundreds of sticky, used bottles to go through to find your own).
Post Race Meal, Music and Giveaways
All athletes are invited to enjoy the post-race catered meal brought to you by Riccardi's Italian Restaurant of New Bedford, MA (included in your race fee). Friends and families of Patriot participants may purchase tickets to the dinner for $15 per plate. Vegetarian and gluten free food options will be included. The Patriot 2012 menu featured vegetable lasagna, baked glazed ham, Boston baked beans, chicken salad andwiches, antipasto salad, watermelon, canteloupe, fresh pastries and drinks (the Patriot 2013 menu will be announced about 1 month prior to the race date). There will be plenty of picnic tables to sit at as well as some shady spots to enjoy a well-earned feast! The post-race meal will be accompanied by music from our DJ, live music from the 2012 Patriot "house band" (to be announced), the awards ceremony and valuable giveaways from sponsors.
Timing:
Athletes will receive 6 time splits: (1) the swim, (2) transition 1, (3) the bike, (4) transition 2, (5) the run and (6) overall time.
Accommodations:
Click here to see this year's recommended hotels. Note: Unfortunately, we are no longer to offer accommodations at the Cathedral Camp Retreat Center.
Parking:
Click here for an aerial map of Cathedral Camp that provides details of set-up including the location of the east and west parking lots. Note that cars parked in the west parking lot will not be allowed to leave until all Patriot Half athletes are off the bike course and onto the run (1:00PM).
Important Rules:
USA Triathlon rules will apply. Please review the rules at www.USATriathlon.org. There will be USAT Officials present at the event. Three areas of common violations are (1) Drafting, (2) Blocking and (3) Centerline. To avoid drafting violations you must stay at least 3 bike lengths behind the competitor in front of you. When attempting to pass you must do so within 15 seconds. Blocking violations are assessed for failing to ride to the right (except when passing). Centerline violations are incurred when cyclists cross the yellow centerline of the road. HELMETS ARE REQUIRED. Chin strap must be buckled at ALL times you are on the bike even in the transition area. Handlebars/aerobars must have bar-end plugs securely inserted into the bar. Taping over bar ends is not permitted. Lack of bar end plugs will result in disqualification.
Policies:
Event cancellation: If a race is cancelled due to inclement weather, acts of God, or unforeseen circumstances beyond the control of Event Management, refunds will not be given; however, a partial credit will be offered to the following year’s race. A significant amount of time, effort and expense is invested by the day of a race (e.g. shirts, medals, awards, signage, supplies) that can not be recovered and for this reason a 100% refund is not possible.
Please note: We love what we do and what we do is put on events. After months and months of planning, coordinating and making our very best effort to create a race experience that we consider the best in New England the last thing we ever want to do is cancel a race. We also understand that athletes devote a significant amount of their time, money and effort preparing for a race. So, if we need to make the difficult decision to cancel a race it’s a great disappointment for us and we know it’s a great disappointment to you. Unfortunately, though, that is the risk we share. You may feel you are entitled to a full refund if we cancel a race, but this is not feasible given the costs incurred by race day. If you can’t accept the terms of this partnership, we respectfully ask that you don’t register for our events.
Course changes: Event Management reserves the right to alter, cancel or eliminate any portion of a race at any time in the interest of athlete safety or for other reasons beyond our control. No refunds will be issued if changes are made to a race due to these circumstances.
Refunds due to Injury or sickness: As a service to paid registrants in the 2013 Patriot Half, Sun Multisport Events is providing you with the opportunity for registration fee protection -- absolutely free through 365Competitiors, LLC. This service offers you 100% reimbursement of your registration fee and related online processing fee if you get sick or injured and can't race. This service is subject to terms and conditions including submission of a claim form signed by your doctor within 3 days prior to the event. The coverage is applied automatically and effective immediately when you register to participate in the 2013 Patriot Half. However, it's a limited-time offer that is only valid until December 31, 2012. Click here or on the logo at left for important coverage details. Please note the registration fee protection service will NOT be available if you register AFTER after 12/31/12.
Other refund or deferral requests: Refunds will not be issued. Deferral requests must be submitted in writing to info@SunMultisportEvents.com no less than 60 days in advance of an event. Deferrals may be granted under certain circumstances (e.g. pregnancy, military transfer) at the discretion of Event Management. Any deferral granted will require the athlete to pay $20 to cover administrative fees when they apply the deferred entry the following year.
Exchange and transfer of entries: The exchange or transfer of entries to other athletes is strictly prohibited.
