2023 Athlete Guide
Welcome to the 2023 Pocomoke Triathlon, a TCR Event Management event, and the third of five events in the Eastern Shore Triathlon Series (www.EasternShoreTriSeries.com)
This event is a SPRINT distance event (.5 mile swim, 16 mile bike, 3.1 mile run) as well as a KIDS event (100 yard swim, 2 mile bike, 1 mile run).
Special thank you to our sponsors, Sheehy Lexus of Annapolis and APH
COURSE MAPS
Please be sure to check out the top of our website at www.PocomokeTriathlon.com for updated course maps. Our swim is in the protected pond behind the Lower Shore Family YMCA while our bike takes you out on the beautiful country roads in Worcester County. Our run course changed from previous years and now stays completely on the grounds of the YMCA. No more road running!!!
PARKING
There is ample parking BEHIND the Lower Shore Family YMCA, located at 1900 Worcester Highway, Pocomoke City, Maryland, 21851.
PACKET PICKUP
There is RACE DAY packet pickup ONLY for this event. There WILL be day of registration.
Packet pickup begins at 6:30 am on Sunday, June 18th, 2023. We ask participants to park behind the Lower Shore Family YMCA at 1900 Worcester Highway, Pocomoke City, Maryland, 21851. We will be at the entrance to the transition area behind the YMCA, and will maintain in that area for awards/food/etc.
Packet pickup for adults will be continuous, from 6:30 am to 8:30 am, but everyone is encouraged to arrive before the youth race at 8am, so as to stay out of the way of our athletes.
Please be sure to bring identification. Your USAT number has been verified prior to packet pickup, but we will need a photo ID to verify your identity.
If you are going to sign up on race day, and do not have a USAT membership, you will be asked to complete a separate form for a one-day license, before you are allowed to compete.
SCHEDULE
6:30 am Packet pickup and on site registration
8:00 am Youth Triathlon begins (mass start)
9:00 am Adult Triathlon/Duathlon begins (Wave 1 – 9:00 All males/Duathlon Wave 2 - 9:05 All females)
All aquabike athletes will start with their appropriate gender wave
10:05 Estimated first finisher
11:30 Estimated last finisher and awards
SWIM
The water is a freshwater pond behind the YMCA. The swim will be an in water start and the course will be marked with yellow and orange buoys for sighting and turns.
Current temperatures are hovering around the cutoff for allowing wetsuits. Please note that if you choose to wear a wetsuit on race day, with temperatures in the range of 78.0 to 83.9, you will be ineligible for age group awards. If the temperature of the water is 84.0 of above, wetsuits will NOT be permitted.
You MAY use a personal float for safety, but it may not be used as a kickboard or for anything other than an emergency.
BIKE
BIKE RACKING
Bike Racking is pre-assigned, based on your bib number. You will find your bib number upon check in and find your bag, with all of your gear, waiting for you at your rack position. Transition will be on your left, as you travel down the stone path to registration, just behind the tree line.
PLEASE NOTE, THIS COURSE IS OPEN TO VEHICLE TRAFFIC FOR ADULTS. YOUTH ATHLETES WILL STAY ON THE LOWER SHORE FAMILY YMCA PROPERTY FOR THE DURATION OF THEIR RIDE (4 LOOPS = 2 MILES)
COURSE MARKINGS
The bike course will be marked with ORANGE arrows on the ground and will have arrow signs at every turn. A course map is available, with turn by turn directions, on the main site (www.PocomokeTriathlon.com) under Course Maps. Law enforcement will be out on course to assist you at heavy intersections. If you know of any persons who would like to volunteer to help direct you on course, please have them check out the VOLUNTEER tab on the main page
RUN
The course no longer goes out on to the roadway but, instead, stays on the YMCA property. We have worked with our partners at the YMCA to give you a spectator friendly course, that goes around the perimeter of the pond you swim in and around the paved pathway that the youth do their ride on.
The run is THREE LOOPS, with you making a final turn on the third loop to come in to the finish line. YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR KNOWING WHAT LOOP YOU ARE ON! An “honesty mat” will be on course, to provide us with verification that you completed all three loops of the run.
There will be ONE aide station that you will hit at the end of each of your loops. You should be able to get water and Gatorade at this station THREE times, to help you keep track!
AQUA-VELO PARTICIPANTS
If you are an Aqua Velo (Swim and then Bike) participant, your time will officially end when you come in to transition. We welcome you to come over and pass under the finish line after racking your bike. YOU MUST ENTER TRANSITION WITH YOUR BIKE! Please do not ride your bike across the finish line.
DUATHLON PARTICIPANTS
Duathlon participants will start their 1 mile run when WAVE 1 of the swim is released. You will start from the designated area, right outside of transition. When you come back to transition, you will enter in through the Swim In/Run Out chute, and will be shown that prior to leaving for your event. You will then continue on the bike and run portion and finish as every other athlete.
RELAY PARTICIPANTS
Relay participants will make their exchange of their chip in transition, at the bike rack area. Each team will only have ONE chip per team, and it must be passed along to the other member of the team.
RULES
This event is a USA Triathlon sanctioned event and all rules apply. Please be sure to check out www.teamusa.org/usa-triathlon/about/multisport/competitive-rules for more information.
Drafting
USA Triathlon rules state that bicycles should stay 3 bike lengths away.
Common rule violations
In addition to the aforementioned drafting, you can find a list of common rules at the USA Triathlon website at https://www.teamusa.org/USA-Triathlon/About/Multisport/Competitive-Rules/Most-Common-Rules-Violations
Helmets
All participants MUST wear a helmet. No helmet, no ride. The chin strap for the helmet MUST be fastened.
Headphones
As this is a USA Triathlon sanctioned event, the use of headphones is prohibited. You will be asked to remove the headphones, should you be seen wearing them.
Assistance on course
There will be very little motor assistance on course. Please ensure that you have the materials necessary to change a flat tire, in case you have a puncture. If there is an emergency on course, please let a law enforcement officer on course know the emergency and approximate location.
Be Aware of the Course. It is the ATHLETE’S responsibility to know the course (See our website at www.PocomokeTriathlon.com for course maps)
CATEGORIES
Awards will be given for the Top Male, Top Female, and Top 3 in each age, as defined by USA Triathlon. Age groups are in 5 year increments.
All participants will receive a finishers medal.
POST RACE
We will be supplying drinks and food immediately following the race.
Awards Ceremony will occur around 11 am, to ensure that our kids run is safely complete and to give everyone 2 hours to complete the Sprint Course.
The Lower Shore Family YMCA will be open to use the bathrooms, take showers. Please remember that we are guests in their facility. Be kind. Be courteous. Be clean.
SPONSORS
We want to thank our Title Sponsor, Sheehy Lexus of Annapolis, for providing us with the support necessary to hold this event, as well as our other series sponsors.
Click the icon below to download the attached PDF.
