*|MC:SUBJECT|*

August 17, 2022

Fort De Soto Final Instructions

When you race, be sure to Race with Integrity™

View in browser

The Fort De Soto Triathlon is THIS SUNDAY! Yes, Sunday not Saturday. We will are starting at 7:00 am! Thanks for registering!

This email is to remind you of important information that you need to know before the event.

Volunteers Needed

People are the most important part of any event. Without proper levels of staff and volunteers events are not possible. Here are some of the things that will change if we end up short handed:

Self service at the waterstations. Cups of water will be on the table for your to grab yourself.
Self service at the finish line. You can get your medal off the table and get your bottle of water or other beverages we offer out of the blue coolers.
We may not have anyone to hand out shirts and/or do body marking during race morning packet pickup. Also, you'll need to get there before 6 am or there won't be enough time since race morning lines will be long due to shortage of staff and volunteers. WE HIGHLY RECOMMEND you pick up your packet on Saturday instead of race morning.
The look of the event will be scaled back with less mesh and flags.
We may not be able to do the swim exit timing point and if not your swim time will include your run to transition rather than it being in T1.
We may not have anyone to do manual backup timing, so if you lose your chip or grab the wrong chip, you won't have times.
Nobody will be printing receipts after you finish with your split times.
Timing chips will be self service. PLEASE triple check that you have the correct chip that matches your bib number or you won't have results unless you can figure out which chip you were wearing. That's where manual backup timing helps...

Please volunteer (for setup or cleanup) or bring someone to volunteer! We offer volunteer hours, race credit, or even pay if they are good! We need your help! To sign up a volunteer go to https://signup.com/go/xMfVseF. Please email [email protected] if you have any questions.

This problem is not exclusive to us. Every event director I know has the same issues right now. Help where you can. It's fun, you learn a lot about the behind the scenes, and it builds good karma :-)

BACKUP TIMING

While we have chip timing, occasionally a chip is lost or there is some malfunction somewhere. Because of this, we have backup timers at the start, finish, and each end of the transition. Please help yourself and say your number to the person holding a tablet at each of these locations when you pass by. Having your time backed up can be extremely helpful if you lose your chip, get the wrong chip, or various other little things that can happen.

Packet Pickup & Race Clinic

PACKET PICKUP:

Saturday, August 20th, 9 a.m. - 11 a.m.

Fort DeSoto Park
3500 Pinellas Bayway S
St. Petersburg, FL 33715

IMPORTANT: We strongly suggest participants pick up their packets on Saturday. On Sunday there will be long lines and limited packet pickup race morning starting at 5:30 am and ENDING at 6:30 am. This is so that we can transition to operating the race. If you arrive after 6:30 a.m. and did not get your packet on Saturday, you will miss the race. The park will be collecting a $5 dollar entry fee on Saturday, and on Sunday parking fees are paid by the event.

Bike check-in is race morning from 5:30 a.m. - 6:30 a.m.

PRE-RACE CLINIC:

Saturday, August 20th, 10 a.m.

Fort DeSoto Park
3500 Pinellas Bayway S
St. Petersburg, FL 33715

Led by Coach:
Tom Howard
Dynamite Endurance

BIKE COURSE PREVIEW! *NEW*

This is a NO DROP bike course preview ride for the Fort DeSoto Trilogy #3 Triathlon hosted by Tom Howard. The ride will start near transition. If you have any questions, please reach out to Tom via email ([email protected]) or cell (984)-900-6105. SIGN UP HERE: https://signup.com/go/OkpPUDp

**You will see volunteers around the transition area setting up on Saturday morning, they will not be able to answer specific race questions. We want you to receive the most accurate race information so please direct all of your event questions to Tom as he is extremely knowledgeable and a valuable resource.

Saturday, August 20th, 8:30 a.m.

Fort DeSoto Park
3500 Pinellas Bayway S
St. Petersburg, FL 33715

Led by Coach:
Tom Howard
Dynamite Endurance

Covid Protocols

COVID PROTOCOLS

We are taking the following precautions:

Registration: Online only. No in person registration, cash exchanged, etc.
Timing Chips: Please remove your own timing chip at the finish line.
Body-marking: Please pick up your packet at the early packet pickup and you will receive body marking tattoos that you can self apply before the race. If you pick up race morning, please bring your own wet sponge, hand towel, or paper towel to apply the tattoos to yourself. Here’s a video showing how to self apply: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vt6PdG21C3o You will have 3 numbers to apply (your 3 digit number) rather than a single tattoo with all 3 digits, so be sure to put them in the right order. Please apply them to your left bicep so our backup timers and photographers can easily identify you.
Health Screening: Do not attend if you have any symptoms (including fever, cough, sore throat, etc.) or have been exposed to anyone that has tested positive for COVID19 within the last 14 days. Please consider EVERYONE else!
Time Trial Start: We will start in a time trial format, though still grouped according to category. Don’t line up until your group is called to do so. If you prefer keeping your distance, stay to the side and let the starter know you are there so he can call you through before he starts the next group one at a time. The wave chart below will show the approximate time that your group will start.

Time Trial Start Times

- YOU NEED TO ARRIVE AT THE PARK 60-90 MINUTES BEFORE YOUR START TIME! 60 if you have already picked up your packet and 90 if you haven't. There is A LOT to do race morning (parking, packet pickup, chip pickup, find your rack, use the restroom, find your start, etc.) and you will MISS THE RACE if you arrive after 6:15 am no matter what race you are in.
-Transition closes at 7 am and the park entrance closes at 6:30 am to all vehicles. Triathletes, you will need to be on the beach at 7 ready to go regardless of your wave time. Duathletes, you will need to be at the starting line ready to go at 7 am also.
- We will be starting one person at a time in a time trial format.
- There is no need to crowd around the start waiting for your start time.
- Keep your distance and come at the time indicated below.
- If you are early, you will have to wait for your group to be called.
- If you are late (but before the last wave in your distance), you’ll be able to go and your race will start when you cross the timing mats.

- When you get to the front, tell the starter your number and when he says ‘GO’, then start your race!

Other Important Items to Remember

PARKING

The event will take place at the North Beach of Fort Desoto Park. You will make a right turn once in the park when you are forced to turn left or right (there will be a large flag pole in front of you). Follow the road and you will see the transition area in the parking lot. Please park just past (to the north) of transition (SEE MAP BELOW).

DROPPING OUT

If you cannot finish the race for any reason, please come to the finish line and let us know and return your chip. This way we know that you are OK and don’t send a search crew out to find you.

WATER STATIONS

Water stations will have water and BASE Performance sports drink. Some will also have Hammer Gel. Aid stations will be located approximately every mile throughout the course. There will be no aid station on the bike course, so please bring enough fluids to complete the course.

There will be two aid stations out on the run course, and an additional one after the lap turnaround.

SWIM COURSE

International distance participants will follow the green path. They will turn right at the first green buoy, go to the 2nd green buoy, then return, keeping all orange buoys on their left and exit at the last orange buoy.

Here is the international map individually: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/36460385

Sprint distance participants will follow the aqua path. They will turn left at the first orange buoy, keeping all orange buoys on their left and exit at the last orange buoy.

Here is the sprint map individually: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/36460378

BIKE COURSE

The bike course leaves transition going south. You will go all the way to both ends of Anderson Blvd and go around the huge circle at each end then return to transition. International Distance athletes will do a second lap instead of returning to transition after their first lap.

Here is the link to the bike course map: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/36460337

RUN COURSE

The run will exit the north side of transition and make an immediate left and follow the course as detailed in the map: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/36460292

Once athletes get back to the parking lot where the Finish and Transition are, look out for Lap/Finish sign! International distance athletes will stay to the left/straight to complete a second lap and sprint athletes will stay right to the finish.

Here’s the International distance run map: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/36460299

DUATHLON

Duathlon (run #1) - All duathletes will start at 7:15 a.m. just north of the transition area. The first run will be 0.7 mile and go around the parking lot and back to transition (see black line in picture).

Here is the link to the map that you can zoom in on if desired: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/36460355

CUTOFFS

8:15 am – Cutoff to start 2nd bike lap (International Distance Only)
9:33 am – Cutoff to start 2nd run lap (International Distance Only)

*If you are concerned about making the cutoff times in the International Distance race, please join us for the sprint distance race instead.

RESTROOMS

There is a permanent restroom facility between the transition/finish area and the beach as indicated on the map above. It has about a dozen stalls for each gender. There will also be port-a-potties available for use in the race setup area.

SWIM PRACTICE

Please exit the water before the first wave starts at 7:00 a.m.

AWARDS SCHEDULE

9:10 - Aquabike
9:15 - Duathlon
9:35 - Sprint Triathlon
10:00 - International Triathlon