Race Information

Presenting the triathlon you've been waiting for! It's Gold Medal Racing's Powell³ Triathlon Challenge at the Stateline Marina in Wahweap, Lake Powell. There will be sprint and international/Olympic distance races, making this the race for everyone from beginners to experienced triathletes. The swim will be in Wahweap Bay, and the bike and run will travel through the scenic beauty surrounding the lake. October is the perfect time of year for Powell³ and with nearby accommodations in Page, AZ and many great activities planned for the weekend, this event is the one you won't want to miss. This venue is perfect for a triathlon and makes a great weekend getaway for the family! So bring your family and friends and join us for the Powell³ event! This race is USAT sanctioned.

In addition, Gold Medal Racing has made special arrangements with some of the hotels right in Page, AZ that you may take advantage of. See accommodations for details. What a great way to make the most of your weekend and enjoy the amenities Page, AZ and the Lake Powell Wahweap area has to offer!

Race Overview

The Powell3 Triathlon will be held on the shores of Wahweap Bay of Lake Powell on the Utah-Arizona border, near Page, AZ. Both International/Olympic and Sprint distances will be offered. In order to provide a high quality event, registration will be limited to 500 participants.

Rules of Triathlon

The Powell3 Triathlon Challenge is a USA Triathlon (USAT) sanctioned event. All USAT rules apply. USAT officials will be present to enforce these rules and assess penalties if warranted. See USAT Information page for details or for more information, visit www.usatriathlon.org to read the USAT rulebook.

Schedule of Events

Friday Night (October 17th)

Athletes will be allowed pick up race packets at the Lake Powell Resort from 7:00 PM until 9:00 PM (MST - Arizona Time) on Friday. The race directors will be on hand for questions between 7:00 PM and 8:00 PM (MST). Packet pickup will also be available on race day between 6:00 AM and 7:30 AM (MST).

Saturday Morning (October 18th)

6:00-7:30 AM (MST): Athlete check-in. Please be early to ensure that you have the time to get through pickup in time for the start.
7:45 AM (MST): Pre-race meeting for Olympic racers at the Stateline launch ramp.
8:00 AM (MST): Olympic Waves will begin
8:15 AM (MST): Pre-race meeting for sprint racers at the Stateline launch ramp.
8:30 AM (MST): Sprint Waves will begin
10:00 AM - 12:00 PM NOON (MST): Raffle/Awards and Post-Race Celebration!

Packet Pickup/Athlete Check-In

Packet pickup will be available Friday night and Saturday morning.

Athlete check-in will start on Saturday morning at the race start area. We have a system in place that will allow athletes to get through packet pickup, timing chip assignment and body marking smoothly, but it is still important that athletes show up early to have time to set up transition areas. At check-in, photo identification is required for all adults. All youth (under the age of 18) must have a parent with them who has a valid photo ID. Additionally, all annual USAT members must present their membership card or be required to pay the one day license fee of $10.00 (Cash Only). THERE WILL BE NO EXCEPTIONS! This is a requirement for insurance purposes. If you are an annual USAT member, but are unable to locate your valid membership card, you can print a temporary card at www.usatriathlon.org.

Olympic Distance Race:

The Olympic distance race will be divided into waves as necessary, of groups no larger than 100. This will help reduce congestion in the water and on the course.

The Olympic swim will be a shallow water start. It will be a standard Oly distance 1500 meter swim. Water temperatures are expected to be about 70°; wetsuits are strongly recommended for extra safety but not required. Upon completion of the swim, racers will exit the lake and proceed through the swim timing gate to the transition area up the launch ramp. After transition, racers will begin the bike course.

The bike course is a ~24 mile two-loop course on paved roads through the marina area and highway. The bike course is challenging yet forgiving, with a tough climb and a fast downhill and a good portion of flat road. The course will be marked with signs and volunteers will be staffed on the course to direct racers.

After the bike leg, racers will enter the transition area to prepare for the 10k run. Racers will complete a 6.2 mile out-and-back route on paved road surface, and the course should be spectator friendly as portions of the course pass through the main areas of the park along Lakeshore Dr.

See Course page for a more detailed description of the entire course with maps.

Sprint Distance Race:

The Sprint distance race will also be divided into waves, with the first wave approximately 30 min following the Olympic distance racers. This will help reduce congestion in the water and on the course.

The Sprint distance swim will be a shallow water start. It will be a standard Sprint distance 750 meter swim. Water temperatures will be approximately 70°; wetsuits are strongly recommended for extra safety but not required. Upon completion of the swim, racers will exit the lake and proceed through the swim timing gate to the transition area up the launch ramp. After transition, racers will begin the bike course.

The bike course is a 12 mile single loop on same route as the Olympic course. The course will be marked with signs and volunteers will be staffed on the course to direct racers.

After the bike leg has been completed, racers will enter the transition area to prepare for the 5k run. Racers will complete a 3.1 mile out-and-back route, on paved and packed dirt surfaces, and the course should be spectator friendly as portions of the course pass through the main areas of the park along Lakeshore Dr.

See Course page for a more detailed description of the entire course with maps.

Course Details

Course maps are posted on the Course page. The course for the event is very spectator-friendly and should allow family and friends and other observers to give alot of encouragement to participants all along the route! This will be a great event to put up your best times of the season, so show everyone what you can do!

Weather

The average air temperature average for the Lake Powell area in October is 70° with an overnight low of about 51° and a reported high of 87°.
Lake water surface temperature averages are reported to be around 70°, so wetsuits are recommended but not required.

Historically there has rarely been precipitation on this day. While we hope for the best, it is possible that the race may be delayed or altered or cancelled completely if the conditions are determined to be unsafe. For example, the swim may be cancelled if there are lighting strikes that are observed in the area, and in the event of very heavy rain, the bike leg may be shortened/cancelled. It will be up to the discretion of the National Park officials and the Race Director whether the conditions are deemed to be safe for the event. Please dress appropriately for the weather both before and during the race; be prepared for any kinds of condition that may exist.

Current Area Conditions:

Parking

There is ample parking available inside the parking lots adjacent (west) of the Stateline Marina/Boat Ramp Area. This is the only permitted parking area for the event, so please do not park in any other area. There are two main boat ramps in the park; this is the North boat ramp. The marina and water access/boat ramps will still be open to the public and some parking must remain available to people who may be using the marina facilities, boat ramps or lodging. Please be considerate of this as you pick your parking location. PARKING IS NOT PERMITTED IN THE CAMPGROUND FACILITIES PARKING LOT AREA. DO NOT PARK IN THIS AREA.

Map of Parking Area (Stateline Boat Ramp):

View Larger Map

Road/Traffic Restrictions

For the safety of all athletes and spectators, there will be a few traffic restrictions on race day. The southbound lane of Lakeshore Dr. will be closed to vehicle traffic after 8:00 am and vehicular traffic must remain in the northbound lane only. Vehicle traffic will still be permitted in both directions on US-89 but traffic will be slowed and reduced during the event (vehicles will be warned with electronic message boards and highway patrol officers in BOTH directions). Because traffic is permitted, bikers are strongly encouraged to stay in the shoulder of the highway and passing in the lane of vehicle traffic is discouraged. Do so at your own risk, and be sure to watch for vehicles. This restriction will be in place until all of the bicycles have cleared the course, expected to be some time around 11:00 am. If you need to exit the park, please proceed to the north exit of the state park in the northbound lane, and re-enter in the South park entrance.

Spectators

Spectators are encouraged to line up along the run course throughout the Marina area and surrounding finish area if possible, but may also view the bike course on the side of the highway and other parts of the course. Please be aware that after the race starts, although the roads will still be open to traffic, spectators are not permitted to travel on the course as it presents a safety hazard to the racers. Spectators may also watch the swim start on the beach to the South of where the race will begin; Please be observant of the participants and make sure they are unobstructed. Spectators must always stay out of the way of racers to avoid any possible hazard and resulting injury. Please watch, but don't obstruct the race! We encourage athletes to bring their families along for the event. Help us to make this a safe event!

Awards

The Awards Celebration will include all the usual post race festivities including post race food, raffle, music and fun!

Overall awards for men/women for both distances will be given, and Age Group awards will be issued three deep to both men and women in the following USAT categories: 14 and under, 15-19, 20-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70-74, 75-79, 80+, Clydesdale (men over 200 lbs) and Athena (women over 145 lbs). Additional awards will be given for Clydesdale (men over 200 lbs) and Athena (women over 145 lbs) categories, and we will also offer fastest Swim, Bike and Run Split awards for male and female!!

Race Timing

Race timing will be provided by Milliseconds Sports Timing. Participants will wear timing chips in order to ensure accurate time recording, and fair results for all! Splits will be provided in the results for the Swim, Bike and Run portions of the race, as well as transitions.

Race results will be posted at the race site with continual updates as racers complete the course.

All race results will be posted on the race website after they are made official. Additionally, for the benefit of all USAT annual membership holders, results will be provided to USAT so that they may be included in your individual annual ranking!