Course Descriptions and Details
TRANSITION AND COURSES FOR 2022
Due to the construction at the prior location in Christiansted, this year’s event will again take place at Cramer Park on St Croix’s East End.
Three events will be offered: An Olympic Triathlon, a Sprint Triathlon and a Sprint Aquathlon. Relays are offered in the Olympic race.
OLYMPIC TRIATHLON & AQUABIKE
SWIM - 1.6 km (1 mile)
The swim will be a half mile counter-clockwise triangular course and Olympic athletes will swim that twice for a total of 1 mile. The course will be marked by green buoys. Athletes will exit the water and run approximately 1/10 mile to the transition area.
Olympic athletes should be at the starting area by 6:45 am.
You will be started in waves. Listen for instructions from the announcer concerning the start of the race. You will be disqualified if you start in the wrong wave. You must wear the swim cap supplied by the organizers. You will be starting in a running start.
Use Caution at the start of the race. If you are experiencing problems at any point in the swim, stop. Lift your swim cap and wave it - there will be paddle boarders stationed throughout the course. If you drop out of the swim, please report to the officials' table as soon as possible.
Important: Although every effort will be taken to limit the vehicles on the course, the bike course is open to vehicular traffic and there still will be official and non-official vehicles on the course. You are required to stay in the left lane at all times. Failure to do so may result in disqualification.
From transition you will bike west approximately 6/10 mile to Highway 60 (East End Road), take a left turn and continue along the south shore. At mile 12.4 you will find yourself at Cane Garden where you will turn around and follow the course back to transition. There are several steep decents on the course. Look out for caution markings on the road and use caution where appropriate.
When you crest Prospect Hill on the return, at approximately mile 24, you will need to exercise extreme caution in order to make the extremely sharp right turn at the bottom to head back to transition!
At the bottom of Prospect Hill at 24.2 you will take a right turn and bike the remaining 6/10 mile back to Cramer Park for T2.
While the world famous Beast will be missing from this year’s bike, the infamous hills of St Croix’s East End will not! You should prepare yourself for this challenge by following the suggested gearing: Accomplished cyclists - 26 tooth cassette or higher. Average cyclists - 28 tooth cassette or higher with a 39 or 42 tooth front chain ring.
REMEMBER: In St Croix we bike on the left hand side of the road!
Returning to the Transition Area, you will dismount approximately 10 meters before the entrance to Cramer Park. CYCLISTS MUST GIVE RIGHT OF WAY TO RUNNERS. Bikes must be walked or run into the transition area from the dismount line.
THIS IS A TWO LOOP RUN COURSE. YOU WILL MAKE THE TURN TO START THE SECOND LOOP AT THE ENTRANCE TO CRAMER PARK WHERE YOU STARTED THE FIRST LOOP.
After exiting the transition area you will run east for 1.5 miles to Point Udall, the eastern-most point of the United States. At the top of Udall, run clockwise around the monument and back to transition where you’ll turn around and head out for your second and final loop.
NOTE: The uphill is challenging enough but please use caution on the downhill. Point Udall can be quite hard on tired quads and knees!
LOCATION OF AID STATIONS
Start/Finish - There will be an aid station in the start/finish area.
Bike Course - There will be 1 aid station on the bike course at approximately mile 14. The Sprint course has no bike aid stations.
Run Course - Run aid stations will be located approximately every mile along the course.
CUTOFF TIMES (Subject to change)
In order insure the safety of the participants, and to minimize the disturbance to the traffic patterns of the island, the following cutoff times will be enforced. Please remember that a race of this distance, in a tropical climate, can be dangerous to those who overextend themselves. Therefore, if you are asked to retire, it is for your benefit.
SWIM CUTOFF
1 hour from the start of the athlete's wave
BIKE CUTOFF
3.5 hours from start of the athlete’s wave
RUN CUTOFF
4 hours from start of the athlete’s wave
Sprint Triathlon & Aquathlon
Sprint Swim Course
The sprint race features an 800m swim in the clear warm waters of St Croix, an 14 mile out-and-back bike along St Croix’s South Shore, and a 3.1 mile out and back run around the monument at the top of Point Udall, the eastern-most point of the United States before finishing back at Cramer Park.
Sprint Bike Course
Sprint Run Course
