Mountain Lakes Triathlon Pre-Race Email

Friday, Day Before Race
4:30 pm - 7:30 pm - 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 - Late Registration, Packet pick-up & body marking & 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.

RACE SUPPORT
ACME Multisport will be on site for race support on Saturday morning and during registration hours Friday - they are there for emergencies, not complete tune-ups so be sure to have your bike checked before you come to the race.

ACME Multisports will be set up during the expo selling those last minute items you might need.

EVENT TIMING AND GETTING YOUR RESULTS & PHOTOS
We use electronic timing chips, body marking, helmet numbers, bike frame numbers, numbered swim caps and bib numbers to insure we keep track of you during the race and hopefully get your results accurately. Click HERE to see what you need to expect to receive in your race packet and what to do to make sure we know who you are in this event.

SWIM COURSE
The swim course is 600 yards in Lake Guntersville. New this year, the course will now have 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. Race numbers are assigned on the Thursday morning before the race date. All registrants after that time will have the UPPER numbers and be starting at the rear.

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.

POST RACE ACTIVITIES
Great pool-side awards ceremony with live music. Facilities for showering at the Guntersville Recreation Center. 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!

IMPORTANT RULES REGARDING RACE PACKET PICK UP
Please review the basics below and open the links to the USAT Registration Rules and Most Commonly Violated Race Rules

This race is sanctioned by USA Triathlon and Team Magic race directors Therese Bynum and Faye Yates are Certified Race Directors.

1. ALL athletes are required to show photo ID.

3. Every single participant must have a photo ID, this includes all relay participants.

4. Youth athletes without an ID must be accompanied by a parent/guardian with a photo ID.

5. Annual members are required to bring their membership card every time they compete in a USAT sanctioned event.

7.     Athletes may only pick up their own packets. Under no circumstances may an athlete pick up a packet for another person. Regarding relays, all relay members must be present to receive the packet, or split up the relay packet for each participant.

8.     If an athlete does not bring a photo ID to packet pickup they must go home to get it

9.     If an athlete does not bring their USAT membership card to packet pickup they have three options:
a. Go home to get it
b. Find internet access where a temporary card can be printed
c. Purchase a one-day membership for $10 which can later be applied to a membership renewal by submitting a receipt of purchase

10. Annual members do not have to sign a waiver at packet pickup because they already signed it when they applied to become an annual member.

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.

ALL PARTICIPANTS GET A COMPLIMENTARY MOUNTAIN LAKES TRIATHLON LOGO SPORT TOWEL! Be sure to claim yours during the packet pick up process!

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.

Special Prize Announcement from Quintana Roo! In addition to many other cool prize drawings, the headliners are from our Fueling Sponsor Quintana Roo...

Chicqilo OR Tequilo COMPLETE BIKE valued at $1600.
All racers eligible but must be present at award ceremony to win!

See a Tequilo Here - for the guys

See a Chicqilo Here - for the ladies

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.

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.

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!

There is PARKING at the Piggly Wiggly Shopping Plaza this year, but please DO NOT PARK IN THE 1st THREE SPACES ACROSS THE LOT NEAREST THE RETAIL SHOPS. You will be ticketed and towed if you park in these spaces or on Sunset Drive. 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.

WHERE TO STAY
You can try the 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!

KUDZU COVE CABINS
Guntersville's Hidden Treasure !

1576 Buck Island Road
Guntersville, AL 35976

web site here
coming soon as kudzucove.com
FaceBook @ KUDZU COVE CABINS
For Reservations: LakeLandsLimited@gmail.com
Or Call:
256-571-5915
256-571-5548

FOR OTHER OPTIONS:
Call the Lake Guntersville Chamber of Commerce at 256-582-3612 or 800-869-LAKE.

HOLIDAY INN - LAKE GUNTERSVILLE
Team Magic's host hotel for this event every year! Closest the race site.
Phone 256-582-2220

Microtel Inn & Suites
220 Highway 75 North, Albertville, AL 35950

For Reservations Call: 256-894-4000

GET FUELED FOR YOUR RACE

PASTA DINNER BUFFET / BAND BENEFIT
GUNTERSVILLE MIDDLE SCHOOL

Our long time volunteer base for this race is the Guntersville High School Band Boosters. In addition to providing volunteers for your race day experience, they are also hosting a pre-race pasta meal on Friday night, as an extra fundraiser. Please support those that support us - no waiting in line at restaurants! It is a difficult time for school funding, so this is an opportunity to really help them out. The cafeteria is only a few blocks from the race site at the Guntersville Middle School, located on Sunset Drive approximately 1/2 mile east of the Recreation Center.

There will be tickets for sale at the packet pick up area - near the table where you get your complimentary Mountain Lakes Triathlon Sport Towel!

Meal includes:
Spaghetti (choice of meatless or with meat)
Salad
Garlic Bread
Desert
Beverage

Dinner may be picked up at Guntersville Middle School Cafeteria between 5:30pm and 8:00 pm.

VISIT OUR RACE SPONSOR PIGGLY WIGGLY FOR RACE FUELS AND SNACKS FOR RACE DAY
located conveniently across the street from the race site

Reminder: 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