CHATTANOOGA WATERFRONT NAMED SPECIAL QUALIFIER FOR USA TRIATHLON NATIONAL TRIATHLON CHAMPIONSHIP
2008 Special Qualifying races will qualify the top 33% or top 5 finishers (whichever is greater) in each age group for the 2008 Age Group National Championships.  Please visit www.usatriathlon.org for complete Special Qualifying and Age Group National Championship information.  

This event is also part of the Southeast Club Championship Points Series.  Visit www.usat-se.org for more information.


CHATTANOOGA WATERFRONT TRIATHLON IS THE NEW QUALIFIER FOR TENNESSEE FOR THE BEST OF THE US AMATEUR TRIATHLETE COMPETITON

Click on the link to the left for more informaton on the championship race.






DIRECTIONS

YAHOO! map

The main staging area is on Riverfront Parkway on the waterfront side of the Chattanooga Aquarium.  Take I-24 into Chattanooga.  Take Exit 178 onto US-27.  Go about 1.2 miles to exit 1A, or look for signs for downtown Chattanooga and the Tennessee Aquarium.  The major downtown streets of Broad and Market will lead you to the Aquarium and Chestnut Street will lead you to Riverfront Parkway, the main drive along the Tennessee River in downtown Chattanooga.  Event parking will be under the Olgiati Bridge.


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

USA Triathlon is the national governing body for the sports of triathlon, duathlon, winter triathlon and aquathlon in the United States.  Participation in a USAT sanctioned event means the event director has the proper permits in place, liability and athlete excess medical insurance coverage and the event plan has met the standard of organization required.  USA Triathlon provides rules, guidance and governance to set the standard for safe and fair multisport races.  For more information on USA Triathlon and fueling the multi-sport lifestyle, visit www.usatriathlon.org.

All individuals that race in Team Magic events must either be an annual member currently, buy a one-day membership for $10, or buy an annual membership before the event for $39.  Youth racers 17 years old and under MUST be annual members, but this membership is only $5.  Visit www.usatriathlon.org for more information about becoming a member.  One-day memberships can be purchased with your event entry fee.

YOU WILL BE REQUIRED TO SHOW A PHOTO ID and SIGN A WAIVER AND PAY A ONE-DAY FEE AT RACE REGISTRATION or SHOW A PHOTO ID  and SHOW YOUR USAT CARD if you are an annual member.

ALL RELAY MEMBERS MUST SIGN WAIVER and PAY THE ONE-DAY FEE OR BE A MEMBER OF USAT.


CATEGORIES

USAT AGE UP RULE
All USAT races will use the "AGE UP RULE" for award distribution and ranking.  It is important that you begin in the proper wave start with respect to this rule.  The age up rule means you are racing based on your age as of 12/31/08.  Our computer timing program will automatically calculate your age based on your birth date and the age up rule criteria.
 

Professional         Card Carrying Professional Racers
Individual              Open for all men and women
Beginners             Individuals that have participated in no more than 3 triathlons
Clydesdale           200+ pound men; Masters 40+ and 39&Under
Athena                 150+ pound women
Masters                40+ men and women
Relay                    Teams of two or three:  male, female, mixed, corporate, family

Click here for RELAY TEAM INFORMATION

Your category CANNOT change once the race starts. If a category is not indicated when you enter, you will be entered as an individual. If you choose to race beginner, you will fall back in your age group if you do not win an award in your chosen category.


Important note about awards:
1) Order must be placed three  weeks (minimum) prior to race date to receive specific category award.
2) Awards ordered based on number of participants registered in each award category.
 

"Should I be a beginner?"  If you do not place in the top three beginners position you will fall back into the open age groups for awards.  So we recommend for your first 3 races, choose "Beginner," then move on to any other category...
 

SHIPPING AWARDS NOT PICKED UP
If you leave before the award ceremony, send $5 for each award you want to be shipped, relays are $5 per person.  To receive your award in a timely manner, please include a complete mailing address and the award category:
Team Magic, Inc - PO Box 130178 - Birmingham, AL 35213
 

AWARDS AND PRIZES

Cash Awards
A $4,990 cash purse will be divided as follows:
Top 5 Overall Men & Women = $750, $600, $350, $200, $100
Top 3 Masters Men & Women (40+) = $250, $150, $95

Other prizes will include a "trophy type" award and also may include multi-sport product awards

3 deep males & females for:
- Age groups in 5 year intervals from 15-19 to 85+
- Beginner
- Clydesdale in categories 39& under and 40+
- Athena

THREE DEEP AWARDS FOR RELAY TEAMS
Awards offered to top 3 teams in the following categories:  Family, Corporate, Male, Female, Co-ed (mixed male/female)  So, if you are not able to participate at the full distance this year, put a team together and join the fun!


Refund Policy:
Team Magic events have a NO REFUND policy.  You have two options.  ONE:  A credit for 50% of the race registration fee will be offered until TWENTY ONE DAYS prior to the race date in question.  TWO: You can request your race packet for the race in question up until the opening of late registration on race weekend.  After that time, your packet will no longer be available.

In order to receive the credit or request your race packet, click 'Questions / Update Registration' on the Participants menu and enter your Event Confirmation Code from your receipt.  After clicking 'Next' you will have an option for 'Cancel Registration'.  Race registrations are non-transferable.



 
Time Schedule

Saturday, Day Before Race
12:00 pm - 7:00pm
Registration & packet pick-up at the main staging area on the waterfront

3:00 pm
Race Overview in Transition Area; Followed by Beginner Q & A session

5:30 pm
Professional Athlete Mandatory Meeting; LOCATION TBA

 
Sunday, Race Day
5:30 am-6:45am
Registration & packet pick-up & body marking; shuttles to swim start from finish/transition area

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.

12:30 pm
All racers must be finished with the race.  When you finish the bike, please be sure you can finish the run by 12:30 pm to have a supported race.  We will no longer have police and volunteer support after this point.

* 12:30 pm 
* Awards ceremony following designated last finisher.  This is an approximate time, please plan to be present at 12:30 pm if you want to attend the awards ceremony.

Post-Race Activities
Stick around and enjoy the day:  Plan on bringing tents, chairs and your family to enjoy the waterfront!  Racers will be invited to enjoy plenty of complimentary post race food and drink and there will be vendors on site selling food and drink for your family and friends or feel free to have them bring their own.   If you do bring a tent, please note you cannot use stakes in the ground.

  
COURSE INFORMATION

MAIN STAGING AREA - TRANSITION FLOW AND FINISH LINE
The main staging area is on the two lawns at the corner of Chestnut Street and Riverfront Parkway.  The finish line is on Riverfront Parkway between the river and the transition area.

The race transition area is organized based on your assigned race number.  Since you will be starting the swim based on your race number assigned by age group per USAT rules for championship and qualifier racers, you will be traveling the same distance through transition as those you are competing against in your age group.  The bike racks are marked by ranges of "7" numbers, beginning with 1 through 7 and so on.  You do not have to rack in numerical order ON the rack, but your bike must be racked on the rack designated for your race number range.


Click here for a map of the transition and main staging area


SWIM COURSE
The swim course is 1.5k point-to-point in the Tennessee River.  The swim will go with the current.   Shuttles will take athletes from the main staging area to the University of Tennessee Chattanooga Rowing Center.  The shuttles will leave from the corner of Chestnut and Riverfront Parkway, adjacent to the race transition area. The swim exit will be at the North Terrace on the waterfront, before the City Pier.  You will run up some stairs from the waterfront to the transition area.  The race transition will be on the waterfront side of the Chattanooga Aquarium on Riverfront Parkway on the "South Green."  SHOULD YOU REQUIRE ASSISTANCE ON THE SWIM AND TAKE A LIFE PRESERVER FROM THE WATER VOLUNTEERS, PLEASE RETURN IT TO THE FOOD TENT IN THE POST RACE AREA.  If you DO use a flotation device to MOVE FORWARD, you will be disqualified from the race.

The water temperature is expected to be somewhere close to 28 degrees C / 82 degrees F, which means NOT wetsuit legal.  Feel free to bring a wetsuit just in case we dip below 78 F!
 

SWIM START INFORMATION:
The swim will be conducted in a time-trial fashion with individuals starting the race at approximately 5 second intervals based on race number, with racer number 1 being first.   Since this race is the USA Triathlon Southeast Regional Championship and 2008 ITU Triathlon World Championship Qualifier, we will organize racers by age group per USA Triathlon rules for championship and qualifier races.  Any USAT PRO CARD CARRYING RACERS will be allowed to begin at the front in an ELITE wave.  This is not allowed for any amateur racers due to USAT rules.


BIKE COURSE

Click here for an interactive course map with course profile


The bike course leaves the transition left onto Riverfront Parkway, left onto ML King, onto Hwy 27 North, turnaround just before Hwy 153, exit Hwy 27 onto ML King, right on ML King, right on Riverside/Riverfront, end at Transition at Ross Landing Park.


CLICK HERE FOR A PRINTABLE OVERVIEW OF THE ENTIRE BIKE COURSE

CLICK HERE FOR A PRINTABLE OVERVIEW OF THE DOWNTOWN SEGMENT OF THE BIKE COURSE
 
 

RUN COURSE
The 10k run course is an out-and-back course through part of downtown and on the Riverwalk.  Water stations will be located approximately every mile and in the transition area.

Click here for an interactive course map with course profile

Runners exit the transition lawn on the east side, onto Chestnut Street. The course goes North on Chestnut, taking a quick right onto Riverfront Parkway. At the top of the hill, angle left onto the Veterans Bridge exit ramp. Cross under the High Street overpass. Immediately after crossing under the Riverwalk bridge, turn left, up the steps. Continue bending to the left onto the Riverwalk and across the bridge that you just passed under. After crossing Veterans Bridge / Georgia Avenue, turn left onto the first access sidewalk on your left, then a quick right onto Battery Place. Stay on Battery Place until the bottom of the hill (at Mabel) where you get back on the Riverwalk proper. From this point, the course follows the Riverwalk.  The 5k turnaround is located roughly 3/10 mile past the Curtain Pole parking area and bathroom.