7th Annual Lake Hickory Triathlon

The Alexander County Family YMCA invites the public to the 7th Annual Lake Hickory Triathlon on Saturday, July 22 at 7:30 a.m. at Dusty Ridge Park. Participants will swim 400 yards, bike 16 miles, and run a 5K. A maximum of 300 participants will be allowed, with a minimum age of 10 (as of 12/31/17). This event is a USA Triathlon sanctioned event. The participation numbers have increased every year. Given the shorter swim, it is great for beginner triathletes to ease into open water swim triathlons. For complete details, visit www.jonesracingcompany.com/lake-hickory-triathlon/.

This event benefits the Alexander County Family YMCA’s Financial Assistance Program. The YMCA believes that everyone in the community should have the opportunity to benefit from YMCA programs and services. The YMCA is a community-based nonprofit with the mission to "Help people reach their God-given potential in spirit, mind, and body."

Course Descriptions

Swim: The swim will take place in Lake Hickory. No wake, no current, just a nice easy swim. A multiple wave start should provide enough spacing for newer and experienced swimmers alike. Exiting the lake, there will be an approximately 50-yard jog into the transition area. Participants will be assigned waves based on their age/category. Swim caps will be provided.
Bike: The bike course is a 2-loop ride which could best be described as rolling. Surprisingly, although the area is known for its hilly terrain, the bike course is absent of any major climbs, with a nice mix of up-and-down rolls, but does provide some nice countryside views.
Run: For the run, you will exit the park in the same manner as during the bike route. The course is best described as rolling with the only climb coming during the first mile as you exit the park (which also means that the last mile is mostly downhill). The entire course should prove to be enjoyable for both the beginner and experienced triathlete alike.

The course revolves around a transition area on the Lake Hickory waterfront. The same transition area will be utilized for the entire race. The transition area will open at 5:30 a.m. on race day. All bikes must be set and ALL athletes must be out of the transition area before it closes at 7:15 a.m.

Entry Fee
Individuals
• $60 April 1 – May 31
• $65 June 1 – July 20
• $70 Packet Pick Up and Race Day
Relays
• $90 April 1 – May 31
• $100 June 1 – July 20
• $110 Packet Pick Up and Race Day

Online registration is available through July 20 at 12:00 p.m. On-site registration is available for this event during normal packet pick-up hours.

Packet pickup will be Friday, July 21 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at Carolina Pedal Works (883 Highland Ave SE, Hickory, NC 28602), and on Saturday, July 22 (race day) from 6:00 a.m. to 7:00 a.m. at the race site (360 Dusty Ridge Access Road, Taylorsville, NC 28681). Photo ID is required for packet pickup. Everyone must pick up their own race packet. USA Triathlon requires that all USAT annual members must show their USAT membership card at packet pickup. Any USAT annual member who does not present his/her valid membership card at packet pick-up, will be required to pay the USAT one-day fee of $15.

Schedule
• 6:00 AM – Transition Area Open
• 6:00 AM – Race day registration opens
• 7:00 AM – Race day registration closes
• 7:30 AM – Race Start
• 9:30 AM – Projected awards ceremony (will be adjusted based on last finisher’s time)

Timing and Results Information
This event will be timed using the Mylaps timing system. A timing chip will be provided for you the morning of the event. You will need to show your run number to the volunteers at the Timing Chip Pick Up tent. They will hand you a disposable strap to use to fasten the chip to your ankle. We will have velcro straps available for $5 if you would rather purchase one of those (the disposable straps come with the chip). Volunteers will collect the timing chip from you at the end of the finish line chute. Relay teams will receive a velcro strap with their chip, as the chip is what is passed from member to member. The strap and chip will be collected at the finish line.
Five splits will be provided: Swim, T1 (transition from the end of the swim to the start of the bike), Bike, T2 (transition from the end of the bike to the start of the run), and Run.

For on-site results, there will be a large, flat screen TV scrolling the results. Results on the screen update about every minute so athletes are able to see their times pretty quickly after crossing the finish line.

Live results and real-time alerts (text, email, Facebook, Twitter) will be provided. Live results means that the results will be streaming onto the website so people who are either not at the event or are spectating can access results as they happen. The live results feed has a leaderboard feature as well as a searchable feature if you are looking for times for a specific athlete. You can also check age group and category placings on the live results feed. The real time alerts allow for athletes, friends, family to sign up for alerts. You can choose the medium (text, email, Facebook, Twitter) with which you want to receive the alerts, and when the athlete you are tracking crosses the finish line or various split points, you will receive an immediate notification. This is a fun feature for both spectators and athletes. It allows spectators to track the athlete’s progress and it’s a great way for an athlete to immediately get their results.

Timing/Awards
Top 3 in each of the following categories:
• Top 3 M/F Overall
• Top 3 Age Groups (M/F):15 & Under, 16-19,20-24,25-29,30-34,35-39,40-44,45-49,50-54,55-59,60-64,65-69, 70-74,75-79,80-84, 85+
• Top 3 Clydesdales (Men 39 and Under, 220+ lbs)
• Top 3 Master Clydesdales (Men 40+, 220+ lbs)
• Top 3 Athenas (Women 165+ lbs)
• Top 3 Assisted Athletes (M/F)
• Top 3 Novice (M/F)
• Top 3 Master Novice (Beginners 40+) (M/F)
• Top 3 Relay Teams (Mixed)

Relay Information
• Relays can be 2-person (one person does 2 legs, and one person does 1 leg) or 3-person teams (each person does 1 leg of the event).
• EACH Relay member MUST pick up his/her own packet.
• EACH Member MUST have their photo ID and USAT card (if applicable) to pick up their packet.
• If a member is a minor (17 or under), then a parent/guardian must show an ID to get their packet.

For complete details, visit www.jonesracingcompany.com/lake-hickory-triathlon/.