The Sixth Annual Kingdom Triathlon
Aquaman Even-Up – Ollie Even-Up – Sprint
Saturday, August 3, 2013
Derby and Morgan, Vermont
As we did in 2011 and 2012, we are running three triathlons on the same day: our Aquaman “Even Up” Triathlon, a shorter by half, Ollie “Even Up” and a more traditional Sprint.
The Aquaman “Even Up” Triathlon is one of the toughest triathlons in the East. It’s a half iron level tri with a twist. It includes a traditional 13.1 mile run. But we have shortened the bike to 34 miles and increased the swim to 3.5 miles. Say, What? Yep. The course is a response to what we call the “Swimmers Lament,” that traditional triathlons are stacked against them. Strong swimmers, runners, and bikers should spend just about 1.5 hours on each leg. The course was “field tested” in 2010 by members of the Boston Triathlon Team and other strong athletes from Quebec, Massachusetts, Vermont and Pennsylvania. They loved it. Some said they’d been waiting for an event like this most of their adult lives. And the swim in Lake Seymour involved some of the cleanest, clearest water some had ever competed in. We are pleased to have four of them join us on our organizing committee. The numbers in 2011 tripled. And are now ready to open this event up to as many as 100 participants in 2013.
The Ollie Even Up offers a traditional 6.2 mile (10K) run, but with a shorter, 13.25 mile bike and a much longer 1.75 mile swim (one loop) in Lake Seymour. This event is also capped at 100 participants. Because the Aquaman and Ollie involve real open water swimming legs, we feel it is important for safety reasons to limit the numbers in the water to assure sufficient support during the swim.
Our more traditional Sprint involves the same distances we have offered the past five years: a 500 yard swim, a 13 mile bike, concluding with a 5 mile run. The cap on this one is 150 participants.
Individual entries and three person relay teams are welcome in all events.
There are special prizes for that team of four individual participants in the Aquaman, Ollie, and Sprint with the fastest cumulative time: The Stick, was won by the Boston Triathlon Team in 2010. It was put back in play in 2011 and won by the Quebec Nordiques, who have since been fined a bottle of Maple Whiskey for excessive celebration. For some photos of 2011 click here or here , The Stick returned to Boston this year. However, The Nordiques put together some great times in the Ollie, winning five clay rocks (in the spirit of the five Olympic rings). This year will be the first year we will also be awarding a team prize in the Sprint. Each team of individual entrants will be measured on the fastest four individuals’ collective time. The prize has yet to be determined.
Pricing is different for each event because of the greater complexity involved in hosting the Aquaman and the Ollie. The following prices are good from now through December 31, 2012, after which they will increase:
Each of these triathlons offers a substantial competitive challenge for some as well as a great recreational event for individuals and 3 person teams of all ages and all athletic abilities. One thing we’ve learned over the past couple of years – triathletes are just plain crazy nuts! So if you’re crazy nuts, we hope you’ll join us for a great time.
And, if you’re coming a little early, we hope you will join us for our Crazy Nuts Triathletes Pasta Dinner at the Eastside Restaurant in Newport, Friday night before the event –Great Food and Great Company.
Prizes will be offered in a variety of categories including: highest pledges, best times, youngest and oldest participants, and fastest team. So far, Louis Garneau, IROC, Jay Peak, and XTERRA, have donated prizes and more are being gathered from area businesses right up to the day of the event. Register here.
Aerial photo of Derby, VT courtesy of Scott Wheeler