LB Tri Course Info

USAFA

Triathlon Team

Proud Supporters of the USAF Academy Triathlon Team

Race Course Info

Directions -To reach the Air Force Academy, please enter through the North Gate, which can be accessed from Exit 156B on Interstate 25, 14 miles north of downtown Colorado Springs. A Valid ID is needed to get on base. Once on base please continue straight past Stadium Blvd. and make a left on the Parade Loop. Please continue until you reach Field House Dr. and make a right. Parking will be at the fieldhouse.

Driving map is located HERE
(The Website is having trouble with the images hosted internally so we are using offsite hosting)

The Triathlon. The race will consist of three events – first will be a swim, followed by a bike, and ending with a run.

Course Maps - Downloadable .PPT Version

Swim Portion. (SPRINT) The swim leg of the race will be conducted in the Cadet Pool, which will be configured in 16 lanes of 25 yards each. The swim will be an 800 yard (731.52m) length swim. The course will be 32 lengths of the 25 yard pool executed in a single side-of-lane. Each swimmer will swim down and back on the same side of the lane and be the only swimmer in that side. Participants will be asked their approximate 825 yard (750m) swim time upon registration to ensure that people with equal times are sequenced together. To ensure proper timing of each participant, a running clock will be kept and the start time of each participant number will be logged. LAP COUNTERS WILL BE PROVIDED

Transition 1. The first transition will be located on the terrazzo area to the north of the gymnasium. Once participants are finished in the water they will exit the pool into the hallway and then out of the building. This floor area is polished concrete, and can get slippery when wet. Every effort will be made to provide better flooring materials. There will also be a set of stairs leading up to the transition area that could get slippery when wet. The participant’s bikes and cycling clothing will be located in numerical order. Participants will be encouraged to wear their cycling gear over their swimming gear. If any participant would feel more comfortable using the locker-room to change, they will be encouraged to do so.

Cycling Portion. (SPRINT)

Map located HERE!

The cycling leg of the race will be one loop around base, 15.26 miles (24.55km) in length. The start will be located at the northeast corner of the Cadet Fieldhouse. Participants will head north around the athletic fields until they reach Academy Drive. They will make a right on Academy Drive and continue along that road until the intersection with Parade Loop. Racers will make a right onto parade loop and continue until they reach Stadium Blvd. The course will turn right onto Stadium Blvd and continue south until it reaches Pine Drive. Taking a right turn (west) on Pine Drive, the course begins a long arduous uphill until reaching Academy Drive, where it makes a left turn, circling back around until it reaches the Athletic Fields once again. Participants will be routed back into the Athletic Fields until they reach the Cadet Fieldhouse. Please see Figure 1 for a map of the cycling portion. Stars represent where volunteers will be located to help direct participants. There will be two volunteers per star IAW USAT rules, no drafting will be allowed (3 bike lengths min), nor any mechanical, musical or electronic devices (headphones, etc.). Cyclists must pass ONLY on the LEFT, then stay to the right when not passing. Furthermore, Academy, Stadium, and Pine Drives WILL BE OPEN TO TRAFFIC. Riders need to stay on the shoulders whenever available. Although minimal on a Saturday morning, bicyclists are advised to clear their path for all traffic!!!!!!! There will be a water stop just past 9.8 mi on the Pine Drive ascent.

Transition 2. The second transition will be located in the same place as the first transition, on the open terrazzo area just north of the gymnasium. Once participants are finished with the cycling leg of the race they will leave their bikes in the same spot that they got them from. Participants will have their running shoes with their personal items and will be able to make a quick change from their cycling shoes. Participants will be allowed to put on running shorts and shirts over their cycling clothes (or start with them under the cycling clothes).

Running Portion. (SPRINT) The running leg of the race will be 5 km (3.1 miles) in length. Participants will start at the transition area and run east along Cadet Drive until they meet the first parking lot where they will turn to go up the hill to the Stillman Parade field. (This is a brutal, but short, uphill). Runners will then run around the parade field, then down Faculty Drive to Cross Drive. Once on Cross Drive, runners will take the cadet trail dirt path parallelling parade loop past cadet drive and Fieldhouse Drive to the dirt path that proceeds up the valley toward the outdoor track. They will make a left onto Falcon Trail and continue heading west until they reach the track. Participants will complete the running portion with an Olympic style run into the outdoor track stadium, followed by one full victory lap around the track, finishing at the end of the 100m portion of the track. There will only be left turns on the running portion in order to assure that participants do not cross traffic. Please see Figure 2 for a map of the running portion. Stars represent where volunteers will be located to help direct participants. There will be two volunteers per star. There will be two water stops at approximately mile 1.1 and 2.0 on the running course.
Figure 2