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Important 2011 Columbia Triathlon Participant Information
Greetings!
Welcome to the "Main Event." Race Day for the 2011 Columbia Triathlon is almost here! The water temperature in Centennial Lake as of Wednesday, May 18th at 10 am was 73.4 ' F. Pros and Age Group Athletes charged up and ready to go!
Please read the important information in this email, and remember to download the 2011 Columbia Triathlon Athlete's Guide and other resources located on the Columbia Triathlon event page of our website to address questions or concerns you may have. Remember that there will be an opportunity to ask questions at the Pre-Race Course Talks on Friday, May 20th at 5:00 pm or Saturday, May 21st at 12 noon or 5:00 pm at the Sheraton Columbia Host Hotel.
If you need to speak to TriColumbia Staff on race day, please go to the TriColumbia tent located on the grass island near the Swim Start.
See you at the finish line!
Celebrate Life,
Robert Vigorito and The TriColumbia Team
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 PLEASE AVOID THE CONGESTION ON RACE DAY BY TAKING THE FREE TRICOLUMBIA SHUTTLE
There will be a free shuttle service to take athletes, family, friends and volunteers to and from the host hotel, The Sheraton Columbia Town Center Hotel and Centennial Park beginning at 4:30 am on Sunday and running continuously every 15-20 minutes until 2 pm. The actual shuttle bus stop at Centennial Park will be across from the main entrance located on Rt. 108 on Ten Mills Road. Please note that you will not be able to transport your bike on the shuttle. If you pack a backpack, you can bike back to the Sheraton after the race to access your car.
Race Staff and Police strongly encourage use of the shuttle to facilitate entrance to the park and to help avoid traffic and race delays.
Parking at Centennial Park is EXTREMELY LIMITED. If someone will be driving you to the venue, they MAY NOT stop in the driving lane to drop you off. The Centennial Park entrance on MD Rt. 108 will close to vehicles at 6:35 am. Please plan on early morning traffic delays, and prepare to arrive earlier than you may have initially planned. There are thousands of athletes and their fans attending this event. Don't miss your swim wave - BE THERE EARLY! Transition will close with the first swim wave at 6:40 am, so be sure to arrive in time to get body marked and set up your gear in transition. Transition will open and body marking will begin at 4:45 am.
For more information including the schedule of events please download the Athlete's Guide
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Important Race Information
Be sure to take a look at all the important information about the 2011 Columbia Triathlon on our website.
Please note that there will be a TriColumbia table at swim start for athletes to leave medical devices such as prescription glasses, limbs, etc. for transport to the swim finish area. These items will be placed on a similar table at swim finish.
And don't forget to attend one of the Pre-Race Course Talks given by Race Director, Robert Vigorito, which provide important information about the race, and include a question and answer segment.
When: Friday, May 20, 2011, 5:00 pm
Saturday, May 21, 2011 12:00 pm & 5:00 pm
Where: The Official Host Hotel, Sheraton Columbia Town Center Hotel
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Meet & Greet The Pros
You will be on the race course with an amazing line up of professional triathletes, including Tim DeBoom, 2-time Ironman World Champion, and 2002 Ironman 70.3 EagleMan Champion (EagleMan course record holder,) and 2010 Columbia Triathlon Champions, Andrew Yoder, and Laurel Wassner. Laurel's twin sister, Rebeccah who won in 2009, will also be racing.
Join us for a unique opportunity to hear from a panel of Columbia Triathlon Pros, including Tim DeBoom, Andrew Yoder, Laurel Wassner, Rebeccah Wassner, James Cunnama, Richie Cunningham, Jasmine Oeinck and Courtenay, on topics such as the Columbia Triathlon race course, how the pro's prepare for events, what motivates them, etc. Bring your questions, and get advice and autographs.
Event: Meet & Greet The Pros
When: Saturday, May 21, 2011, 2:00 pm
Where: The Sheraton Columbia Town Center Hotel, The Merriweather Room |
Athlete Check-In, Packet Pickup & Expo
While you are picking up your packet, be sure to visit the TriColumbia Health & Fitness Expo to explore a full array of triathlon and fitness products.
When: Friday, May 20, 2011 from 2:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Saturday, May 21, 2011 from 10:00 am - 7:00 pm
Where: The Official Host Hotel, Sheraton Columbia Town Center Hotel
Please note that there is NO RACE DAY CHECK-IN/PACKET PICKUP. All registered entrants, including all relay team members, MUST attend packet pickup on Friday or Saturday in person. Per USAT rules, each participant MUST pick up his/her own packet. If you do not check in during the designated check-in times in person, you will not be able to participate in the event.
All participants, including youth (16 and under) must bring the following to packet pickup:
- A photo ID
- USAT membership card to show proof of annual membership unless you purchased one-day USAT event insurance at the time you registered for the event. Note that USAT youth annual memberships are available for only $5.00 per year via USAT website at http://www.usatriathlon.org/member-services
Special Notice Regarding USAT membership cards for check-in
Athletes MUST bring proof of annual USAT membership or purchase one-day USAT event insurance. Failure to do so will disallow participation in the race. (Athletes may have purchased one-day event insurance at the time of registration. Staff will have a list of those one-day USAT participants at check-in.) Athletes who forget their USAT membership card will have the following options:
- Go to your home or hotel and retrieve your card.
- Print a temporary membership card from the USAT website, www.usatriathlon.org
- Show a current membership card on a smart phone or PDA.
- Purchase one-day event insurance for $10.00 at the USAT desk at check-in. Payable by cash or check ONLY.
- Renew your annual membership at the USAT desk at check-in.
- Renew your annual membership online and bring proof of renewal.
Race staff and/or volunteers cannot search for USAT membership information or allow use of staff computers by athletes to retrieve information.
Please remember to pack your USAT membership card. Don't leave home without it!
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 Mandatory Pre-Event Bike Racking
All bikes must be racked on Saturday ONLY at the Transition Area in Centennial Park between the hours of 11:00 am - 8:00 pm. To enter transition for racking you must be wearing the security wristband received at packet pick up. Please note that the transition area is RESTRICTED TO ATHLETES ONLY. Any accompanying friend, spouse, parent or child WILL NOT BE ALLOWED into the transition area. Please make appropriate arrangements to have children supervised while you are racking your bike. Once racked, your bike cannot be removed. Full security is provided overnight. NO exceptions!
For a great way to protect your bike, check out the RackJacket below.
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Race Day Notes
 Located on the grassy island adjacent to Swim Start, along with the TriColumbia information tent, will be Einstein Bros. Bagels; a great place for friends, family, fans and volunteers to grab coffee and bagels. The Athlete's Food Tent, featuring all natural food from David's Natural Market will be located up on the hill above Swim Start, and your athlete wristband will provide you access to that tent all day. TriColumbia's Complementary athlete post race massages are also available in the massage tent near the Athlete's Food Tent.
 After the race be sure to visit the Refuel Zone up on the hill above Swim Start, near the Athlete's Food Tent. The Refuel with Chocolate Milk team and your local dairies are proud to support local athletes at the Columbia Triathlon. We'll have free lowfat chocolate milk - ideal for repairing muscles - and athletes & families can be their own celebrity by getting a free milk mustache photo! While you're over there make sure to get a free five minute massage and recovery tips from an athletic trainer - all at the Refuel with Chocolate Milk Zone!
Columbia Presbyterian Church (located across Route 108 from Centennial Park) will also be supplying coffee (donations welcome to support a mission trip to Belo Horizonte, Brazil) on race morning until 10 am. Stop by the main entrance at Rt. 108 and grab a cup a joe. For more information on Columbia Presbyterian, visit their website.
A HUGE thank you to ALL our 2011 Columbia Triathlon Sponsors, including Gatorade, Hammer Nutrition, TYR, Princeton Sports, Subaru, Xterra Wetsuits, Endurafit, David's Natural Market, Fitness Concepts, Sketchers, and RackJacket, ASI Photo, The Sheraton Columbia Town Center, and MPT. Thanks as well to our community supporters and volunteers including Howard Conty Police, Howard County Fire and Rescue, Howard County Recreation and Parks, Howard County General Hospital, and all our charity team, Tri Club and community partners who help make the event great!
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Princeton Sports Special Offer
Now through May 22, 2011, Princeton Sports is offering an additional 10% off all Tri and bicycle clothing, bicycles, and bicycle parts and accessories to anyone registered for The 2011 Columbia Triathlon. Why not stop into Princeton Sports, and have your bike checked out for safety? And while you're there, take advantage of this special offer. |
Follow All The Excitement On Race Day With TriColumbia TriLights
Once again, TriColumbia will be live blogging all the race excitement. Friends and family can follow the race on our website. Go to Tricolumbia.org, and click on the TriLights Drop Down under the News tab. Check out the TriColumbia Facebook page for updates as well.
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 TriColumbia Protects The Environment
As many of you know, we have banned the use of plastic bags of any kind on bikes stored overnight in the transition areas. The bags fall off, blow off, or are simply left behind. If you attempt to use plastic bags, staff will remove them.
TriColumbia and Endurafit are pleased to announce a brand new product, The Rack Jacket, an alternative to using trash bags to cover your bike. We fully embrace the "leave no trace behind" concept, and strive to eliminate litter produced at our events. You may also use an old swim cap to over your bike seat if you like.
The Rack Jacket is the essential item for those of you who wish to protect your bike from the elements.
Key Benefits of the Rack Jacket are:
- Designed specifically for triathlon bike racks
- Made of highly water resistant ripstop nylon
- Environmentally friendly
- Reusable
- Cord locks and Velcro straps keep it securely fastened in windy conditions
- Reasonably priced
- Available in a variety of colors
- Team orders are welcome
Click here to order
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Please Respect The Area And Thank Our Volunteers
PLEASE respect both the environment and the areas that this event travels through. Do not drop trash anywhere other than aid stations and use the portable toilets, not the neighborhoods. The County and Columbia Triathlon Association take pride in the designation of Centennial Park as a, "leave no trace" park. Help us to maintain this special facility. We encourage you to use trash receptacles and to take your trash with you when you leave the park in order to protect the environment.
Remember, the use of profanity or disrespect of any staff, volunteers or other officials who are there to assist you can be grounds for a USAT official to disqualify you - this includes packet pick up and the bike racking stages.
Thank you for your cooperation.
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2011 Event Schedule
May 22, 2011 - Columbia Triathlon - General Registration is now closed.
June 12, 2011 - Subaru Ironman 70.3 EagleMan Triathlon General Registration for the triathlon is now closed, but there are limited additional Charity slots available.
**The EagleMan 2011 Aqua Velo has been named by the USAT Mid Atlantic Regional Committee as the 2011 Regional Championship for 2011. Registration is still open for EagleMan Aqua Velo.
June 26, 2011 - Celebration Sprint Triathlon Registration is open.
September 24, 2011 - ChesapeakeMan Endurance Festival featuring the Ultra Distance Triathlon named by Triathlete Magazine as a "Best 140.6", Skipjack 75.2 Triathlon, and Aqua Velo, and The Bugeye Sprint
** The ChesapeakeMan Ultra Distance Triathlon has been designated as the 2011 USAT Mid Atlantic Championship. Registration is open.
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FIND US ON THE WEB
Columbia Triathlon Association is now on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube. Please join us on these site for daily updates, special offers, and race reports.
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Frequently Asked Questions & Resources
If you're not sure about some of the rules & regulations for CTA's races or if you're just looking for answers to commonly asked questions, download the FAQ
Nutrition is a key component to proper training and racing. TriColumbia sponsor, Hammer Nutrition, has an extensive resource page
If you still have questions about specific races, feel free to email us |
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