No Bike? No Problem! Aquathlon Nationals Head to East Coast
USA Triathlon July 27, 2009
Multisport athletes who prefer the simplicity of running and swimming will be on display in Canton, N.C., on Sunday, August 2 at the 2009 USA Triathlon Aquathlon National Championship.
The championship event is part of the two-day Lake Logan Multisport Festival, which includes Saturday’s popular Lake Logan Olympic Distance Triathlon and a new sprint triathlon set for Sunday.
Aquathlon is a fun and fast-growing sport that is typically held in a run-swim-run combination; however this year’s championship will consist of a 1,500-meter swim followed by a 5k run due to the wetsuit-legal water conditions.
[Learn more about the sport of aquathlon].
The championship race will not only give the close to 400 competitors from around the country a chance for a national title, but also the opportunity to represent the United States at the 2009 ITU Aquathlon World Championships on the Gold Coast of Australia in September. The top 10 athletes in each age group will earn a spot on Team USA.
This is the first time USA Triathlon has held the event in the eastern United States and the first national championship of any kind to be held in Haywood County, North Carolina. Past locations for the Aquathlon Championship include Huntington Beach, Calif. (2008), Portland, Ore. (2007), and Kansas City, Mo. (2006).
The Lake Logan Episcopal Center is one of the most beautiful settings for a multisport event in the country. The cool morning air high in the Appalachian Mountains makes for a comfortable race day with highs last year topping out near 80 degrees.
As for the course, the 1,500-meter swim course is a clockwise rectangle with an in water start. Water temperature is expected to be near 70 degrees and wetsuits will be allowed. Athletes will exit the water after swimming beneath the highway bridge and into the creek mouth. From here it is a short run along a grass field into Transition.
The 5 km run is an out and back course with the first half gradually climbing up towards the Blue Ridge parkway, winding alongside the cool mountain streams. Aid stations will be positioned every mile on this lightly traveled road.
Event registration is open through July 30. No pre-qualification is required to participate.
Go to the 2009 USA Triathlon Aquathlon National Championship website for more details.
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