Welcome to the Mountain Lakes Triathlon!
On behalf of Team Magic, the City of Guntersville and Event Sponsors - thanks for choosing to race with us in beautiful Lake Guntersville. This year marks 24 years of triathlon tradition in one ot Team Magic's favorite race locations. Best wishes for a great race experience.
QUICK LINKS TO EMAIL CONTENTS:
Travel, Dining Info and Schedule of Events,
Course & Site Info
Tips for Handling the Heat - from TriSuccess
Event Timing and Race Number Info
USA Triathlon Information for Packet Pick Up
Relay Team Information
Categories, Awards & Prizes & Post-Race
Race Area Logistics and Info: Parking, Portalets, etc....
TIPS for Beginners
Travel Options: Dining, Directions, Stay
Guntersville High School Band Pasta Dinner
The local high school band is and has been a great support group for this race. They are holding a pasta dinner fundraiser the night before the race - details below!
Cost: $8/adults and $4/kids (can purchase online with registration or at the door)
Spaghetti (choice of meatless or with meat)
Salad
Garlic Bread
Desert
Beverage
Location:
Church of the Epiphany
1101 Sunset Drive
Guntersville, AL 35976
Sunset Bar & Grille
inside the Best Western Plus Lake Guntersville
Date: Friday, August 12th
5 pm - 7 pm in the Nelson Room
Menu includes: $8 tax included
Pasta
Red and White Sauce
Vegetable Medley
Garlic Bread
Drink
Gratuity is not included but very much appreciated.
Stop by Mama's Pizza before the race for Pastas with homemade Alfredo, Marinara, Palomino or Meat Sauce! Add some protein with delicious Meatballs, Grilled/Blackened Chicken or Blackened Tilapia. Don't do pasta? Mama's has the best New York Style Pizza around, as well as Subs, Salads and Desserts. And, you can wash it all down with an ice cold beer! Find Mama's at 1924 Gunter Ave (Hwy 431) across from Burger King or call them at (256) 486-9000. http://www.mamasgville.com
WHERE IT HAPPENS
The Guntersville Recreation Center (1500 Sunset Drive, Guntersville, Alabama, 35976) is located at the corner of Hwy. 69 & Sunset Drive. Guntersville is located about 65 miles from Birmingham in Northeast Alabama between Huntsville and Gadsden on Hwy. 431. The host hotel, Holiday Inn, is located on Hwy 431/Gunter Avenue. From the Holiday Inn, go north on Hwy 431/Gunter Ave, take a left at the 2nd traffic light (before Chevron) onto Patterson. Go to 2nd stop sign, go right on Sunset about 1 mile. The Recreation Center will be on your left, across the road from the Piggly Wiggly.
YAHOO! map
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Friday, Day Before Race
4:30 pm - 7:30 pm
- Late Registration & packet pick-up Guntersville Recreation Center
6:00 pm
- Race Overview in Senior Citizens Building adjacent to the transition area (meeting followed by Beginner Q & A session)
Saturday, Race Day
6:00 am - 6:45am
- Packet pick-up & timing chip pick up
7:00 am -
Bikes must be in the transition area. Race overview in transition area.
7:30 am
- Interval swim starts begin by participant race number. Collegiate Racers will start first, followed by Individuals and Relay Teams by estimated swim time.
WHERE TO STAY
You can try the Best Western Plus (formally Holiday Inn) or Microtel listed below for cancelations, but they are officially sold out of rooms. There are still rooms/cabins available through Lake Lands Limited - one of our event sponsors, see below!
Best Western Plus - Lake Guntersville
Formally the Lake Guntersville Holiday Inn - be sure to book your room early at Team Magic's host hotel. Closest to the race site and support the event year after year.
Phone 256-582-2220
KUDZU COVE CABINS
Guntersville's Hidden Treasure !
1576 Buck Island Road
Guntersville, AL 35976
Kudzu Cove Cabins
Guntersville Fisherman's Village
Guntersville Lakeside Loft
For Reservations: LakeLandsLimited@gmail.com
For other stay options:
Call the Lake Guntersville Chamber of Commerce at 256-582-3612 or 800-869-LAKE.
RACE SUPPORT
ACME Multisport will be on site for race support on Saturday morning & during registration hours Friday - they are there for emergencies, not complete tune-ups so be sure to have your bike checked before you arrive.
ACME Multisports will be set up during the expo selling those last minute items you might need.
EVENT DESCRIPTION
600 yd swim / 16.2 mi bike / 3 mi run
Click for Course Map and Transition Area / Main Staging Area Map
Map My Ride Course Links with Elevation
Bike Course
Run Course
SWIM COURSE
The swim course is 600 yards in Lake Guntersville. The swim start and swim finish side by side behind the Guntersville Recreation Center. The course is straight out from shore and back. You will swim counter clockwise and keep buoys on your LEFT until you get to the swim exit. Finish the swim behind the host facility, Guntersville Recreation Center and run through a grassy area a short distance to the transition area. You enter the swim based on your race number, from lowest to highest number. The race numbers are assigned based on your estimated swim time, except there will be a Collegiate Racer Start and Relay Teams will start after all Individual Racers. Swimmers will be started approximately every 3 seconds. There will be no changing of start position on race day.
TRANSITION AREA
Your racking position in transition is organized by your race number. There will be a MOUNT/DISMOUNT LINE - no riding in the transition area.
REMOVING BIKE FROM TRANSITION AFTER THE RACE:
Based on safety concerns the past few years, event management and the City of Guntersville have agreed to only allow racers that have finished to remove their bikes from transition AFTER the last biker is off the course. We expect this to be at about 10 am. Last year we had too many racers that had finished walking their bikes to their cars along the bike finish route. There are simply no good routing options that do not conflict with the end of the bike course. Thanks for your patience in retrieving your bike - enjoy the pool, post-race food, grab a shower - we will get you into transition after your race as soon as we can safely do so.
BIKE COURSE
The bike course is a 16.2 mile loop with a mix of residential and rural roads. It is flat and fast, with only a couple SMALL rolling hills.
This course has only right hand turns, so do not turn unless it is marked, there is a sign, or a volunteer clearly tells you to turn.
RUN COURSE
The run course is 3 miles out-and-back on a paved running trail that winds along Lake Guntersville.
This is one flat and fast run course! Please try to stay to your left on the running trail going out and coming back to avoid running into others.
Water, energy drinks, ice and ice towels will be available on the course.
POST RACE ACTIVITIES
Great pool-side awards ceremony - stick around and take a dip to cool off from your race. There are facilities for showering adjacent to the pool area. Plenty of food and drink for participants and volunteers.
Please remind your family members that they need to bring snacks or plan to purchase from the concession stand at the pool area, thanks!
TIPS FOR RACING IN HOT CONDITIONS
You will probably need as much as 600-800 mg sodium/hr. You can still be sodium depleted if all you drink is water b/c plain water doesn't replace the sodium that you lose through sweat. The body will cool itself better when it is in electrolyte balance; avoid cramping and heat related illness.
Drink 2 gulps (4 oz) every 15 minutes (you can set a timer on your watch if you forget while cycling).
Carry 2 bottles on the bike - 1 water and 1 sports drink.
On the run: Wear a visor and take 2 cups of water at every aid stations - 1 for your head and 1 to drink. Carry ice in your hands to cool down, tuck ice towel around your neck.
During and after the race: You should eat some ice and try to drink COLD fluids.
Keep positive - Don't say the word "HOT" - remember how cold you were this winter - keep that in the front of your mind (seriously)!!
EVENT TIMING & GETTING RESULTS & PHOTOS
We use electronic timing chips, TriTats Body Tattoos, helmet numbers, bike frame numbers, and bib numbers to insure we keep track of you during the race and provide you accurate results. Click HERE or on the image below to see what you need to expect to receive at race packet pick up and what to do to make sure we know who you are in this event. If you have not participated in a Team Magic race in 2011, you will note we are using a NEW race number system that has all of your race numbers on a one-page sheet, all adhesive and waterproof!
IMPORTANT RULES FOR
RACE PACKET PICK UP
Please review the basics below and open the link to the USAT Most Commonly Violated Rules.
This race is sanctioned by USA Triathlon and directed by Therese Bynum and Faye Yates, co-owners of Team Magic, Inc. and Certified Race Directors.
NEW FOR 2011:
USAT annual members that register online for Team Magic races now have membership numbers and expiration dates approved through imAthlete.com and Pre-Registered USAT members no longer have to show their USAT member cards at packet pick up.
If there are any questions regarding your membership status you should receive a message from event management directing you to a check in area at packet pick up for "PENDING" issues.
REQUIREMENTS AT USAT SANCTIONED EVENTS:
1. EVERYONE MUST SHOW A PHOTO ID
2. IF YOUR USAT MEMBERSHIP HAS EXPIRED, YOU MUST PAY FOR A NEW ANNUAL OR ONE-DAY MEMBERSHIP AND SIGN A WAIVER
3. EACH MEMBER OF RELAY TEAMS MUST BE AN ANNUAL MEMBER OF USAT OR PAY THE ONE-DAY MEMBERSHIP FEE. ALL RELAY MEMBERS MUST BE PRESENT TO PICK UP THEIR PACKET, OR THEY CAN PICK UP INDIVIDUALLY WITH THE LAST MEMBER OF THE RELAY TEAM TO PICK UP RECEIVING THE TIMING CHIP.
4. RACERS MUST PICK UP THEIR OWN PACKETS. UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES CAN A RACER PICK UP ANOTHER RACER'S PACKET IF THEY ARE RACING. YOU MAY PICK UP A RACER'S PACKET IF THEY ARE NOT RACING, BUT NO TIMING CHIP OR BIB NUMBER WILL BE DISTRIBUTED.
Follow this link for important RELAY TEAM INFORMATION
Relay Teams will be racked separately and tents will be provided as a staging area adjacent to the tennis courts, near the bike in/out section of the transition area.
Notes on Categories and Awards
1st Overall Male & Female AquaBike: notes about Aquabike - this category is for those that want to do the swim and bike portions only. You will finish your race when you return your bike to the transition area. There is no finish line to cross. Please be sure to turn your timing chip in at the race finish line. Your swim and bike time will be recorded by timing mats and totaled to determine the Aquabike winner.
Your category CANNOT change once the race starts. If a category is not indicated when you register, you will be entered as an individual. If you choose Beginner, you will fall back in your age group if you do not win an award in your chosen category.
Beginners are defined as: racers that have competed in three or fewer triathlons and have not received a race award.
Click HERE for specific award categories.
All racers will receive a race logo hand towel at packet pick-up - be sure to visit the Lake Guntersville / Marshall County Chamber of Commerce Booth!
IMPORTANT NOTES ABOUT GETTING YOUR AWARD:
You can only claim your award at the award ceremony or have someone pick it up for you if you have to leave. Awards will not be mailed. Please be sure to check the draft race results when posted at the race site to see if you will be getting an award or, if you must leave right away, pick a friend to listen at the ceremony for your name. We hope you will choose to stay for the ceremony and celebrate everyone's accomplishments that day - there are also random prize drawings! Hope to see you there.
PARKING - IMPORTANT - PLEASE READ
Please DO NOT PARK on the side of the road on Sunset Drive... this section is part of your bike course and we need the course to stay clear!
New this year, a parking option has been added in a field (with parking spaces marked) directly across from the Guntersville Recreation Center. This will be the most convenient parking area for racers. Please follow the direction of parking volunteers to designated parking areas. There is plenty of parking near the softball fields near the swim start, and behind the Recreation Center near the baseball fields. All parking is within a short walk of the race site, so please cooperate with the parking direction volunteers. There is parking at the Piggly Wiggly Shopping Plaza this year, but please DO NOT PARK IN THE 1st THREE ROWS ACROSS THE LOT NEAREST THE RETAIL SHOPS. You will be ticketed and towed if you park in these spaces or on Sunset Drive.
Restrooms: There will be portalets adjacent to the race transition and restrooms by the pool area.
Trash and Recycling: Please help us by disposing of your trash in provided containers and recycling in appropriate containers. PLEASE no trash in the recycling containers. As you leave your transition space after the race, please look around to be sure you have taken all of your personal items, including trash and recycling.
VISIT OUR RACE SPONSOR PIGGLY WIGGLY FOR RACE FUELS AND SNACKS FOR RACE DAY
...located conveniently across the street from the race site. Post-Race Food is Complimentary for Racers Only.
Your family & friends can pick up snacks from:
1. The Piggly Wiggly across the street
2. Visit the concession stand at the Recreation Center Pool
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