A sprint tri offering a bike course closed to traffic, spectacular water views and a finish in historic Fort Taber Park.
*********************************************************************************************************
*********************************************************************************************************
CLICK HERE FOR 2010 RESULTS OF THE 2010 WHALING CITY TRIATHLON
RACE PHOTOS FROM THE INAUGURAL WHALING CITY TRIATHLON WILL BE AVAILABLE FROM CAPSTONE PHOTOGRAPHY BY THURSDAY, JULY 29TH. ALL RACERS WILL BE NOTIFIED BY EMAIL WHEN THEY ARE LIVE.
*********************************************************************************************************
*********************************************************************************************************
The Whaling City Triathlon is a sprint distance triathlon to be held on Saturday, July 24, 2010 in New Bedford, MA. With a population of approximately 100,000, the city of New Bedford is the world's most famous whaling era seaport and the number one fishing port in America.
The Whaling City Triathlon will expose athletes to the beauty of New Bedford beginning with a swim in Buzzards Bay on the southeast side of the city in the Clark's Point section and ending with a fabulous finish in Fort Taber Park at the southern most tip of the city. With the support of the town of New Bedford, the bike course will be closed to traffic. Transition will also be on the grounds of Fort Taber Park. See below for more course details.
AT LEFT: Aerial view of Fort Taber Park located in the Clark's Point section at the southern most tip of New Bedford. Athletes will run along the walking paths that line the perimeter of this historic park.
The Whaling City Triathlon is expected to quickly become a favorite on the New England triathlon scene. Don't miss it... CLICK HERE TO REGISTER!
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED! All volunteers receive a technical t-shirt and the satisfaction of helping our athletes complete their race. CLICK HERE to learn more!
Additional details on the Whaling City Triathlon are below...
Event Date, Location and Start Time:
The Whaling City Triathlon will be on Satuirday, July 24, 2010 in New Bedford, MA. New Bedford is located about 60 miles south of Boston and 30 miles southeast of Providence, RI. The first wave of the race will be started at 8:00AM.
Beneficiaries of the 2010 Whaling City Triathlon:
A portion of the proceeds from the Whaling City Triathlon will be given to the Kennedy Summer Day Program for kids age 5 to 13. Camp Kennedy is held at Fort Taber.
Event Distance and Course Maps:
The Swim: The swim will be 0.25 miles in Buzzards Bay. The swim is located on the east coast of the southern most tip of New Bedford, just north of the entrance to Fort Taber Park. After exiting the water, athletes will run 300-400 yards to transition inside Fort Taber Park. Click here to see a map of the swim.
Transition 1: After exiting the water from the swim, athletes will run approximately 300-400 yards along the beach and sidewalks into Fort Taber Park to grab their bikes and head out onto the bike course. Athletes will leave Ft. Taber Park from the main entrance to the park. Click here to see a map of transition including the swim in and bike out.
The Bike: The bike course will be 3 loops of a 3.8 mile course for a total distance of approximately 11.4 miles. Athletes will exit Fort Taber Park and head north on Rodney French Boulevard. They will then turn left on Cove Street followed by a left on West Rodney French Boulevard which brings athletes back towards Fort Taber Park. This loop will be completed three times. After the third loop athletes will return their bikes to transition inside Fort Taber Park. These are 2-way roads, but the right lane (i.e. outside lane) on which athletes will be riding will be closed to traffic (the inside lane will remain open to traffic; traffic cones will be placed down the yellow center line to further delineate between the two). Click here to see the BIKE course.
Transition 2: After completing 3 loops of the 3.8 mile bike course athletes will return to Fort Taber Park through the main entrance and rack their bike in transition. From there they will head out onto the run. Click here to see a map of transition including the bike in and run out.
The Run (pictured at left): The run course is 3.3 miles. Athletes will exit Fort Taber Park, go west (left) on the sidewalk of Rodney French Boulevard which then turns north on West Rodney French Boulevard. At about the 1.2 mile mark, athletes will come to a turnaround and then head south on West Rodney French Boulevard back towards Fort Taber Park. Athletes will re-enter Fort Taber Park at the far west entrance and run along the coastline of the park to the finish. The run inside the park will offer incredible views. The entire run is on sidewalks and walking paths and is flat and fast. Click here to see the RUN course.
Entry Fee:
Individual: $65 until 2/28/10, $75 from 3/1/10 until the close of registration; Relay Teams: $120 until 2/28/10 and then $130 from 3/1/10 until the close of registration.
Awards:
Awards will be given to the top 3 male and female finishers overall, in each age group and in the Athena and Clydesdale categories. An award will also be given to all three members of the fastest relay team.
USA Triathlon Membership:
The Whaling City Triathlon is a USAT sanctioned event managed by two USAT certified Race Directors. 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 and Special Divisions:
Standard USA Triathlon age divisions in five year increments (e.g. 20-24, 25-29, 30-34, etc.). Your age group is now determined by your age on December 31, 2010! MINIMUM AGE: 16 years old as of December 31, 2010. There will be Clydesdale (Men, 200+ lbs), Athena (Women, 150+ lbs), and Open divisions. The Open category will be the first wave sent to start the race.
Event Check-in and Race Start Time:
Racers can check-in on Friday, July 23rd from 4:00PM to 7:00PM and Saturday, July 24th from 6:00AM to 7:30AM. Check-in will be at the Community Center which is immediately on your right as you enter Fort Taber Park. All racers must be checked in by 7:30AM on race day. The first wave will go off at 8:00 AM. The mandatory pre-race meeting was originally scheduled for 7:45AM on the beach at the swim start, but has now been changed. THE MANDATORY PRE-RACE MEETING WILL NOW BE AT 7:30AM and will be held near transition on the grounds of Fort Taber Park.
Swim Waves:
Swim waves for the inaugural Whaling City Triathlon are below. All athletes should report to the swim start at 7:45am for the mandatory pre-race meeting. The first wave will be sent off at 8am and waves will be sent 4 minutes apart. Here's the schedule:
- WAVE 1 (8:00AM): Elites and Relays
- WAVE 2 (8:04AM): Women 34 and under and Athenas
- WAVE 3 (8:08AM): Men 44 and under
- WAVE 4 (8:12AM): Women 35+ and Paratriathlete women
- WAVE 5 (8:16AM): Men 45+, Clydesdales and Paratriathlete men
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 are expected to be less than 78 degrees F. As race day draws near, an exact water temperature read will be communicated to registrants.
The water temperature as of Thursday morning, July 22nd, was 78 degrees F.
Need a wet suit? We are pleased to announce XTERRA WETSUITS as the official wetsuit and wetsuit rental sponsor for our 2010 race series. As part of our partnership, race participants will receive exclusive discounts on the XTERRA WETSUITS product line, receive $10 off wetsuit rentals, and have the opportunity to win XTERRA WETSUITS at the race. Visit www.xterrawetsuits.com and use coupon code R-SME to purchase or rent the fastest, most flexible triathlon wetsuits on the market today. Receive up to 50% off the Vortex 3 and Vector Pro X2 product lines!
Swim Caps:
All participants will be given a swim cap that must be worn during the swim.
Course Nutrition:
Hammer Nutrition is the official nutrition sponsor and will provide Hammer gels and Heed energy drink for racers. Gels will be available to you at check-in and Heed will be available at the finish.
Timing:
"Winning Time Chip" timing to be provided by Bay State Race Services. Athletes will receive time splits for the swim, transition 1, bike, transition 2 and the run.
Pledge of Sustainability
Sun Multisport Events has made a commitment to implement more environmentally responsible practices at our events. To that end, we have taken the Pledge of Sustainability administered by Athletes for a Fit Planet. As part of this committment we will implement a comprehensive recycling system, the use of eco-friendly port-o-potties, the use of plates and utencils for our post-race BBQ that are made of bio-degradable products, athlete t-shirts made of recycled material and more. This is just a start... creating more sustainable events is our long term goal. To learn more about what we're doing and what you can do to support us in these efforts visit our Sustainability page.
Accommodations:
The nearest and best priced hotel is the Day's Inn New Bedford. They can be reached at 508-997-1231. For more information visit their website.
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 can be avoided by not crossing 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.
Refund Policy:
Refunds are not permitted. Be sure you can and will race prior to registering. The exchange of entries is strictly prohibited. See USAT Rule #3.5. If the race is canceled due to weather conditions or other acts of God no refunds will be issued.
Volunteer:
Not racing but want to get in on the action? Consider volunteering! Got family or friends coming to cheer you on? Invite them to volunteer! All volunteers receive a technical t-shirt and the satisfaction of helping our athletes complete their race. CLICK HERE to learn more!
Directions and Parking:
From Boston, MA and points north: Take I-93 South to Rte 24 South. Take exit 12 off Rte 24 South to get on Rte 140 South. You'll travel on Rte 140 South for about 18 miles and then merge onto I-195 East via exit 2A towards Cape Cod. After traveling on I-195 East for 1-2 miles you will get off at exit 15 for downtown New Bedford which puts you onto Rte 18 South. Rte 18 South becomes John F Kennedy Memorial Blvd. Continue south on John F Kennedy Memorial Blvd for 1-2 miles and then turn left at the intersection for Cove Street (this left is at a traffic light). Cove Street becomes East Rodney Frendch Blvd (the beach and Buzzards Bay will be on your left). Take East Rodney French Blvd to the entrance to Fort Taber Park.
From CT and RI: Take I-95 North to exit 19 for I-195 East. Take I-195 East to exit 15 for downtown New Bedford which puts you onto Rte 18 South. Rte 18 South becomes John F Kennedy Memorial Blvd. Continue south on John F Kennedy Memorial Blvd for 1-2 miles and then turn left at the intersection for Cove Street (this left is at a traffic light). Cove Street becomes East Rodney Frendch Blvd (the beach and Buzzards Bay will be on your left). Take East Rodney French Blvd to the entrance to Fort Taber Park.
Parking: Limited parking will be permitted within Fort Taber Park, but this lot will be closed when full (we expect by 7am) and will not re-open until the conclusion of the race (est. 10am). If the Fort Taber Park lot is full there are public parking lots just outside the park along East Rodney French Blvd.
