The 2010 Pineland Farms Winter Triathlon and Snowshoe Race have been cancelled. If you are a registered athlete, you will be receiving a call and/or e-mail from our staff. If you don't hear from us, please call 207-221-5420 x4.
After monitoring the conditions at Pineland Farms, looking at the long-range forecast, and consulting with Pineland staff and other winter triathlon Race Directors, we have decided to cancel the 2010 event. The photos below were taken on Wednesday, February 17th, after the snow storm, and shows where the Transition and Finish areas would have gone. With warm temperatures coming this weekend and the lack of a stong base of snow, there is little chance that conditions will improve to be race ready in two weeks. It would be unfair to wait to see what happens, with the strong probability that the race would have to be significantly modified or canceled. Based on our conversations with Pineland, it is almost guaranteed that the snowshoe course would be unusable, even if snow arrived.
All registered athletes will be given the option of transferring their entry fee to another Tri-Maine race or receiving a full refund. We will include the Active.com processing fee in this refund, if the registration was done online.
With the success of the first year of the Winter Tri, we are extremely disappointed with the current situation. Knowing first-hand the investment athletes make in these races, through training, gear, and planning, we do not take cancellation lightly. When we do make the call, we take all steps necessary to explain why, and to accommodate athletes' needs. It is only after weighing all of the options thoroughly do we come to a final decision.
Please contact us with any questions, either by e-mailing or calling 207-221-5420 x4.
Pictures of Pineland Farms on Wednesday, February 17th.
The Pineland Farms Winter Triathlon was featured on WCSH 6's Fit At Five Segment. Check it out above!
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Date: Sunday, March 7, 2010
Time: Race starts at 10:00 a.m., Warm-up starts at 9:30am
Location: Pineland Farms, New Gloucester, ME (Get Directions)
Course: 4K Snowshoe Run OR 5K Road Run, 10K Mountain Bike (on roads), 8K X-Country Ski
If the road conditions become unsafe on race day the bike portion of the event will be canceled, and the triathlon will become a duathlon. The alternative course will consist of a 5k Snowshoe Run, 8k X-Country Ski, and 5k Snowshoe Run. The snowshoe and XC ski courses may also change depending on conditions.
Awards: Awards will be given to the top 3 M&F overall, and the top place M&F finisher in each of the following categories: Junior (15-24), Senior (25-44), Masters (45+)
We will also have awards for the top teams (M, F, and Mixed)
Cost: Individual $50, Relay $60 (2 or 3 person teams, see below)
If you are not a USAT member a one-day race license will be an additional $10, which you will purchase as part of your entry fee.
NO REFUNDS.
Relay team members
Relay team members may register for the race by completing one paper entry form. Otherwise, one person from the team will need to sign up online to register the team. That person will then receive an email from us providing directions and waivers for the other team members. Each team member who is not a USA Triathlon member will need to purchase a $10 one-day license at packet pickup.
If you would like to be on a relay team but don’t have enough members we will try to match you up with other people who would like to be on a team. Please contact Erik Boucher at 207-221-5420 x4 or erik@tri-maine.com to let us know which event you would like to do. We will put teams together before the race, but we will also try to accommodate people on race day.
2. Download a paper form and mail to:
Tri-Maine
164 Middle St. Suite 4
Portland, ME 04101
3. Stop by the Tri-Maine store on Market Street (next to Sebago Brewing Company) and sign up in person (cash, credit, check).
Online Registration Fee: Please note that active.com charges an additional fee for processing credit cards. If you want to avoid this charge, you can print out a paper registration form and mail it in or stop by our offices in Portland.
No refunds will be given.
Relay team members
One person from the team will need to sign up online or completer a paper form to register the team. That person will then receive an email from us providing directions and waivers for the other team members.
Each team member who is not a USA Triathlon member will need to purchase a one-day license as part of the registration.
Packet pickup:
Specific locations and times will be announced.
Amenities:
The first 100 registered athletes will receive a unique long-sleeve unisex tech shirt. Choice of sizes will be based on a first come, first served during packet pickup hours.
Showers and locker rooms will be available in the YMCA building on the Pineland Farms campus located at 25 Campus Drive (get directions).
Hot soup, cocoa, and coffee, as well as other food items, will be available at the end of the race in Pineland Farm’s Visitor’s Center where registration was held. Registered participants (only) may ski on the trails after the race for free if they pick up a ski pass in the Visitor’s Center. Canopies will be erected on the snow to provide some cover from the elements and outdoor heaters will be available.
Gear Rentals: A limited number of snowshoes and skis can be rented from Pineland Farms in their Outdoor Center. The Outdoor Center is located on the ground floor of the Visitor’s Center on the Pineland Campus.
Open daily 8am-4pm
Outdoor Center: (207) 688-6599
Welcome Center: (207) 688-4539
Adult Recreational Ski Package includes classic skis, boots & poles $16 day
Adult Performance Ski Package: includes classic skis, boots & poles $24 day
Adult Snowshoes: $10 day
Please contact the Outdoor Center directly for rental information.
Want to help make the Pineland Farms Winter Triathlon a success? Be a Race Volunteer and join the fun !!
For information about specific times, responsibilities, and opportunities, send an email to erik@tri-maine.com.
Start/Finish Area
The start and finish of the race is located in a large open field adjacent to the Oak Hill trail-head and accessible via Freeport Road. The portion of the field that contains the start/finish area will be groomed to accommodate plenty of participants and spectators. From the start/finish area you will be able to warm up on a specially groomed trail and on part of the Oak Hill trail. Tents will be set up on the snow to serve food and to provide shelter and a place to keep warm.
Transition Area
A single transition area will be used for each leg of the race. You will stow all your gear in a designated spot within the transition area. If you are a relay team member you will tag one of your partners within the transition area. The transition area will be surrounded by fencing and only you and race officials will be allowed entry. The transition area will have one entrance and one exit, and all competitors will travel the same distance when passing through.
Aid Station
There will be one aid station serving all competitors for the entire event positioned just outside the transition area. The aid station will be stocked with water, Gatorade, hot cocoa, chicken noodle soup, paper towels, and outdoor space heaters. If you think you’ll need provisions out on the course you’ll need to carry them with you because there won’t be any other aid stations.
Snowshoe
All snowshoe runners will line up together at the start and head out in a single wave. You’ll run across the field for about a ¼ mile and then cross over the paved Intervale road. After another ¼ mile you’ll take a right onto the Campus Loop trail and do counter-clockwise loop. The trail is approximately 12 feet wide and will be groomed for XC skiing. Since the trail will be open to the public for skiing you will need to run along the LEFT side, and try not to run in the tracks where skiers will be coming up from behind. While there are many ups and downs and twists and turns along the Campus Loop trail, the first half is generally downhill and the second half is generally uphill. When you cross back over the Intervale Rd you’ll have a slight downhill slope to the transition area. This would be a good time to visit the aid station before entering the transition area.
Run
All road runners will line up together at a start line separate from the snowshoe. The run start will commence approximately 5 minutes after the snowshoe in order to prevent any collisions where the two courses cross each other on Rt 231. You should always be in the left breakdown lane and facing traffic during the race. Please stay to the left of the white line whenever possible. For the first mile you will run along Freeport and Rt231 where vehicles usually travel at 45 mph. The roads are in good condition since they were resurfaced last summer. When you turn left onto Valley Farm Rd you’ll be on Pineland Farm’s property where there should be no traffic at all. The course will take you past many open fields and working, modern farm buildings. You will then pass through the Pineland Farms campus that looks very much like an ivy-league university. The last ¾ mile stretch to the start/finish area is along town roads. Turn-by-turn Directions:
Start/ Finish area in field on Pineland Farm’s property off of Freeport Rd in New Gloucester
Turn right onto Freeport Road – runners run in left lane facing traffic
Turn right onto Rt 231 – runners cross over and run in left land facing traffic
Turn left onto Valley Farm Rd – runners enter Pineland Farm’s property
Turn right onto Farm View Drive
Turn left onto Morse Rd – runners run in left lane facing traffic
Cross over Rt231, straight onto Freeport Rd
Turn left into field on Pineland Farm’s property and finish
Bike
Once you’ve stowed your snowshoe gear in the transition area you will walk or carry your bike approximately 100 yards to the mount/dismount line, mount your bike, and then begin the bike course by turning left onto Freeport Rd. The bike course is almost entirely on paved country roads. There is a quarter-mile stretch on the Chadsey Rd that is dirt and filled with pot-holes. Cyclists need to be aware that the dirt road conditions will likely be very different from the paved road conditions, and the road will probably be covered with snow. Within the first half-mile cyclists will be going down a hill and pass under a railroad bridge. You should be cautious here because the road narrows to a single lane at the bridge and then curves left. Volunteers will be at this location directing traffic and stopping cars when needed. There will be pleasant views along the entire bike route. You will pass by a number of open fields, farms, and old homes. You will also be challenged by at least four hill climbs. You will be on Route 231 for the last 2 miles and will encounter more vehicles than all the other town roads. In the event of a breakdown you may receive assistance from our bike mechanic who will be traveling the course in a vehicle with a flashing yellow light. Turn-by-turn Directions:
Start/ Finish area in field on Pineland Farm’s property off of Freeport Rd in New Gloucester
Turn left onto Freeport Road -- becomes Allen Road in Pownal
Turn right onto Chadsey Road near Post Office – becomes West Pownal Road in North Yarmouth
Turn right onto Milliken Road
Turn right onto North Road
Turn right onto Rt231
Turn right onto Freeport Rd
Turn left into field to finish and dismount your bike at the mount/dismount line
XC Ski
From the bike mount/dismount line you will carry or walk your bike the 100 yards back to the transition area. Once you’ve stowed your bike away you’ll carry your skiing gear out of the transition area. Before putting on your skis this would be a good time to visit the aid station because this will be your last opportunity to hydrate before finishing the race. You will then head into the woods and ski along Oak Hill trail (1-clockwise). The first section of the Oak Hill trail is relatively flat and has a negative elevation gain. Then once you turn left onto the Pownal trail (2) you will complete a couple kilometers of intermediate-level XC ski trail that is steeper. Please keep in mind that these trails will also be open to the public. At the end of the Pownal trail you’ll turn left again onto the Oak Hill trail (3). When you reach the point on the Oak Hill trail where you first entered (4), you will do one more loop; however, you will skip the Pownal trail this time. When you emerge from the woods on the Oak Hill trail again (5) you’ll have about 300 yards to the finish line.
Summary of rules
Snowshoe
Minimum snowshoe size 120 square inches
Participants must run down the left side of the trail and avoid running in ski tracks as much as possible.
Once requested to be passed by a competitor, the competitor must pass on the right, and the other competitor must move to the side as soon as possible.
Wearing a helmet during the snowshoeing segment is not allowed.
Biking (On-Road)
Only a mountain or cyclocross bike is allowed.
No aerobars or bar extensions beyond brake levers.
No slick tires are allowed.
Drafting is not allowed.
Riders may push or carry their bikes through the transition area.
Riders may not mount their bikes until they pass the designated mount/dismount line.
Riders must dismount their bikes before entering the transition area.
Riders must ride in single file on the right side of the road unless to pass.
Riders may pass only when it is safe and to the left of other competitors.
Competitors are personally responsible that their bicycles are in legally satisfactory condition at the start of the competition. They themselves may bring along the necessary tools and exchange parts and must carry out repairs.
It is not allowed to receive help from others, by their fellow competitors or outside assistants during the race.
Competitors may not give or receive mechanical assistance from other competitors or outside assistants during the race unless it is provided by a race official. A bike mechanic will periodically patrol the course for breakdowns.
All bicycle parts can be changed during the course of competition except the frame itself.
Riders must wear a helmet during the bike.
Cross Country Skiing
If you warm-up on your skis before the race you must wear your bib number.
Skate skis or classic skis are allowed.
Skiers are not allowed to put on skis in transition area.
Skiers may change ski poles and one ski during the competition.
Skiers are allowed to compete in freestyle. This includes all known techniques.
Skiers may wear a bike helmet during the ski segment.
Skiers must pass on the right side.
Once requested to be passed by a competitor, the other competitor must move to the side as soon as possible.
Transition Area
Competitors must stow all their gear including snowshoes, bike, and skis in their designated area.
Competitors must use only their designated area.
Competitors may not impede the progress of other competitors in the transition area or interfere with another competitor’s equipment.
Competitors may not mount or dismount their bike in the transition area.
Skiing inside the transition area is forbidden.
No one will be allowed back into the transition area after finishing until the last person is on the ski course.
Finish Line
All competitors will clearly display their race numbers when crossing the finish line.
After crossing the finish line competitor will stay in the order of finish until their number has been taken at the end of the finish chute.
Competitors may remove their skis only after exiting the finish chute.
