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A Must Read for Ironman 70.3 Calgary Athletes Race Week…. Thursday July 29th, 2010
Race week will begin for us on the Thursday. We will begin setting up the expo at the Westin Calgary on Thursday morning. Race Registration and Package Pick-up (at the Westin) will open on Thursday at 5pm*. Your race package will include a schedule for the week, bus schedule, race information, wristband, your race bib, swim cap, Transition bags, race number stickers for bags, helmet, and bike. Friday
There will be an athlete-briefing session, the time for which will be announced. Athletes will be required to attend the briefing to ensure they understand the rules and specifics of the course. There will also be an information video posted on our homepage. Registration and Package Pick-up area will also be open all day as will the expo at the exhibition hall at the Westin. Saturday
The Expo and Registration will continue Saturday until mid-day (approximately 1pm*). Bike drop off is required at T1 (Ghost Lake) on Saturday morning. A bus will be available from the Westin at 9:00am, 12:00pm, and 3:00pm. The bus will have a trailer for bikes. Bikes will be secure overnight. The transition area will have security fencing and lighting and will be continuously patrolled by security guards and volunteers. T2 bags must also be dropped off on Saturday. There will be a truck for T2 bag drop off at T1. Race Day
Your day will start early. Buses will begin at 4:00am* to shuttle athletes from two locations within Calgary (Westin and T2 (North Glenmore Park). Parking will be available near North Glenmore Park. Spectators who have bought tickets in advance will be allowed to take buses - athletes will be given preference and spectators are encouraged to take later buses to give athletes sufficient time to prepare prior to race start. Body marking stations will be available at the Westin, North Glenmore and Race start. Pre race Athletes will be transported to race start where they can drop off their T1 (Bike gear) bags. Athletes can also be dropped off at race start by friends or family, but parking at race start will be very limited and spectators will not be allowed to drive east of Ghost Lake on Highway 1A after race start. Athletes will don their wetsuits, warm-up and perform any pre-race rituals. All athletes will be required to be out of Transition by *6:30am. Athletes will place their pre-race clothing in their dry clothes bag and drop them with volunteers before entering the water. There will be a table for eyeglasses to be placed on the boat ramp. Race start Swim starts will proceed in predetermined waves by age group starting with the Men and Women Pros at 6:10 am. The Canadian National Anthem will be sung. We expect four wave starts which will be staggered by approximately 12 min intervals as per the schedule which will be posted on the website and will be included in your race package. Swim The swim course will start from the vicinity of the boat ramp at Ghost Lake. Swim temperatures are expected to be cool (16-18C) so full sleeve wetsuits are strongly recommended. Neoprene caps can be worn but are not required. Neoprene booties or gloves will not be allowed unless water temperatures happen to be lower. The wave starts will be in the control of the starter who will ensure all athletes are behind the swim start to ensure a fair start. A one-minute warning will be given and a horn will be sounded to start each wave. The swim start line is approximately 5 yards into the water, at the edge of the dock, but athletes can start from the boat launch on dry land. Less confident swimmers may elect to start slightly behind the wave to avoid other swimmers. Kayaks and power rescue boats will be positioned throughout the swim course in the event athletes require assistance. Scuba divers will also be positioned strategically along the swim course. T1 Upon completion of the swim, all athletes will exit and proceed up the boat ramp and over the timing mat. Wetsuit strippers will be on hand on the grass preceding T1 bag pick-up. After wetsuit stripping proceed directly to your bike where you will have left your T1 (bike gear) bags. Athletes will then put on their bike gear and pack their wetsuit and other swim gear into their T1 bags. Volunteers will be on hand to assist. No private change tents will be available at T1. T1 (swim gear) and dry clothes bags will be transported to T2 for pick-up after the race. A medical tent will be located in the T1 area for any emergencies. All athletes will proceed down and into the transition area wearing their bike gear. Sunscreen and water will be available. Athletes will pick up their bike from the rack and proceed on foot to the mount line. Volunteers and race officials will be present at the mount line to ensure all athletes have their helmets on and chin straps attached to ensure a safe and fair bike start. Bike There will be a large number of race officials on course who will STRICTLY apply all rules. Drafting is expressly prohibited and WILL BE closely monitored and enforced on this course. Athletes must ride on the right and pass on the left. In addition, we will have a ZERO tolerance for any safety-related infractions. These violations will result in the athlete's immediate removal from the competition. All rules will be clearly described in the athlete briefing sessions. The bike course has a number of left turns and busy intersections. These areas will have officials, and in some cases, police officers prominently positioned. Athletes must obey race officials and police at all times and especially in these areas to ensure our race is safe. There will be two aid stations on the bike (at approximately 30 km and 63 km). These stations will supply water as well as Gatorade and Power Bar products. Athletes will be able to dispose of empty water bottles and garbage at aid station. Littering on course will not be tolerated. Porta potties will also be available at aid stations. SpeedTheory will also provide mechanical support on course. Several support vehicles and a sag wagon to pick up athletes who do not complete the bike will be on course. Although there will be numerous mechanical support vehicles, athletes are encouraged to have sufficient equipment to address any minor mechanical issues (such as flats) as support may not be on-hand when you need them. Athletes will proceed along the course as outlined on the maps on the website. There will be distance signage at 10 km intervals. The bike course ends at the entry to North Glenmore Park. Volunteers will be on-hand at the dismount to assist you in dismounting but you will rack your own bike in the appropriately numbered rack in T2. T2 Athletes will rack their own bikes and T2 bags will have been positioned at your bike number. Removed bike clothing will be placed in the T2 bags. Volunteers will be on-hand to assist. Athletes will proceed to the run course. An aid station, medical tent and washroom will be available in T2. Run The run will progress on a closed road and pathways within North Glenmore Park and around the Glenmore Reservoir. The run course will have distance signs posted every kilometre and aid stations positioned approximately every 2km. The aid stations will provide water, Gatorade & Power Bar gels and other assistance. There are a total of 10 aid stations. Finish Line The finish line will be located on the ring road in North Glenmore Park near T2. The finish line will have a clock displaying the total time from the first elite wave start. Smile as you cross the finish line because you have just had a great race and you are on camera. Volunteers will be holding a finish line tape for you to cross. After you cross the finish line volunteers will be available to assist you. Post Race Recovery food and drinks will be available immediately after you finish the race. You will be able to collect your bike, T1 (swim gear) bag, T2 (Bike gear) bag and dry clothes bag from T2. An awards ceremony will be held in North Glenmore Park after the race (anticipated start time of 3:30 pm). Athletes who are parked near North Glenmore Park can then leave at their leisure. Other athletes and spectators will be bused to the Westin Hotel. One bus will also return to Ghost Lake for those athletes who camped at the Ghost Lake camp ground. **Times are tentative and subject to change. Times will be confirmed and a scheduled will be prepared and distributed to all athletes by email and included in your race package. |
