Course
Olympic: 1.5 K swim, 40 K bike, 10K run
Sprint: 1/2 mile swim, 16 mile bike, 3.1 mile run
Super Sprint: 1/4 mile swim, 16 mile bike, 3.1 mile run
There are colors that will help you navigate all three courses on race day. Memorize your color!!!
Transferring to a different race distance is allowed at any time prior to the event starting. Please contact us to make this happen.
Swim
The swim start is a deep-water start about 50 yards from shore. c Our race announcers will help you get to the right place at the right time. Be sure you’re in your wetsuit (if you’re wearing one) and ready to leave shore 5-10 minutes before your wave starts.
Both full or sleeveless wetsuits are allowed but not required. Water temperature is typically in the 60's in June and 70's in August. Warming up is strongly encouraged to the right of the start area. The course is clockwise around large brightly colored tetrahedron buoys.
To keep everyone safe on their bikes at the park entrance, It's imperative that we get all of you out of transition prior to the first cyclist returning to the park, and because you guys are getting faster, we've had an overlap of exiting and entering cyclists the last few years. If, for any reason, our swim course director determines you won't make it out of the water in time, you'll be given the opportunity to get a ride to the swim finish in a boat, where you can continue your race. You can also opt to continue swimming to the end, but may lose the opportunity to continue onto the bike if the cyclists are already returning to the park for T2.
Historically the Sprinter and Super Sprinters have no problem with this - but it's happened quite often with our Olympic swimmers. Please - if you are signed up for the Olympic and think this might affect your race, you are more then welcome to transfer to the Sprint or Super Sprint. Email Patty at patty@weraisethebar.com with questions or race changes.
We love for everyone to cross the finish line at RTB Events. If you're signed up and nervous about your swim and how it might keep you from a happy finish, we want to talk to you!
Water temperature information can be found here.
Bike
Bike Mechanics will be onsite before the race starts to make minor repairs or adjustments for bikes in ride-able condition. Please bring a bike to the race that is ready to go. But just in case something comes up, they’ll be bike mechanics close to transition. There will also be race support on the bike course to help you out if you run into trouble out there. But make sure you are prepared to fix a flat or put a chain back on. If we can’t get you up and going again, we’ll give you a lift back to transition.
The bike course is OPEN to traffic. Police Officers & volunteers will be stationed at intersections where bikes will be crossing traffic. The shoulders on the roads are wide. Obey all rules of the road when riding your bike - including staying as far to the right as possible. Crossing the center line at any time is an automatic disqualification. As a USAT sanctioned race, all USAT rules apply.
There are some rolling hills on the course - primarily on Lake Holm road on the Olympic Course. We recommend you pre-ride the course before race day, but at the very least take a look and/or ride the hill on mile 7 of the Olympic Course is highly recommended.
There will not be an aid station on the bike course for the Super Sprint or Sprint but the Olympic will have one on the bike course at mile 9 with water and sports drink only - no food. Super Sprint and Sprint athletes: make sure you bring what you need to fuel and hydrate your ride.
Run
The course is 95% paved. The first and last .25 mile outside the park is on the shoulder of an open road. There's also a stretch on the shoulder of SE 256th on the Sprint & Super Sprint run course. City of Police Officers and volunteers are spread throughout the course to make sure you are safe and going the right direction!
There is one very good hill on the Soos Creek Trail that you’ll arrive at .5 miles into the run. It’s a very nice steep downhill. Since the course is out and back, it will also occupy your attention when you’re .5 mile from the finish.
