Saturday, May 3, 2008 - 8:30am
Bowdoin College
Brunswick, Maine
Sprint Distance

Swim:
Pool swim 525 yards (21 lengths) with wave starts (approx 30 athletes per wave). You will be placed the approriate wave based on the estimated swim time that you give when registering (so it is very important that it is accurate!). If you did not give an accurate swim time, PLEASE go time yourself in a pool and e-mail a more appropriate time to nicole@tri-maine.com. It is ESSENTIAL that you do this!!!! There is a 20 minute time limit to complete the swim portion of the race. If you do not complete the swim in 20 mins, you will be asked to get out of the pool. You will be allowed to finish the rest of the race, but your time will be considered unofficial and you will not be eligible for awards.

Bike:
12 mile loop course with rolling/flat terrain and ocean views on low traffic country roads. There are no aid stations, but there will be lead and sweep vehicles. You are responsible for your own water/support on the bike course. If you have mechanical issues on the bike, do not count on a mechanic coming to help you. You should have the tools and knowledge to handle a breakdown, if it were to happen. All athletes must be off the course by 11:45am. If you are not finished with the bike leg by that time, you will be picked up by a sweep vehicle and returned to the transition area. You will be allowed to finish the rest of the race, but your time will be considered unofficial and you will not be eligible for awards.

Run:
3 mile off and on road course. Wide trails and quiet neighborhood streets. There will be aid stations approximately every 1 mile. This year's route will have two one and a half laps of the trail. Please see course map link above for more detailed explanation.

Duathlon:
First 2 mile run - will be a shortened version of the second run, with only half a lap of the trail. The bike, run, and transition will be the same as the triathlon. The Duathlon will begin at approximately 9am.

Relays:
Relays are required to tag off at their designated bike rack spot only. The cyclist cannot remove the bike from the rack before being tagged by the swimmer. The cyclist cannot tag the runner before re-racking the bike. The overall time for a relay will be the aggregate of times for each of the members.

Results:
Timing will be done by All Sports Events and results will be included on their website (www.allsportsevents.com) a few days after the race. They will be broken down into swim, bike, run, overall time. Transition times will be included in the bike time, so you are responsible for recording your own transition splits.

Awards:
Top 3: Male/Female overall,
Top M/F Bowdoin Student and Alumn,
Top 3 in each age category (every 5 years and U-19)
Top 3 relays (no specific categories)

USAT Sanctioning:
The 2008 Polarbear will be sanctioned by USA Triathlon. If you are not a n annual member of USA Triathlon, you will need to purchase a $10 one-day membership when you register.

Post-Race:
There will be an awards ceremony and raffle, plenty of food and drink, massage available to all athletes, music. It is a fun, festive atmosphere for the whole family. Stick around, enjoy the expo, and hang out with your fellow triathletes. It is the perfect way to kick off the 2008 season!

Rules:
Please look over the rules - you are responsible for understanding them and abiding by them. We will have USAT Officials on course at Polarbear and there have been penalties assessed in the past.

Incliment Weather:
The Polarbear will not be cancelled for any reason other than severe conditions that pose extreme danger to athletes and volunteers. Race Management reserves the right to alter the course in whatever way they deem is in the best interest of the athletes and volunteers. This includes, but is not limited to, shortening or changing the course, removing one of the sports, postponing the start, etc. There are no refunds in the case of weather-caused changes or cancellations. If cancelled, the 2008 Polarbear will not be rescheduled.