Sprint the Bend Triathlon, the newest addition to the GPP Everyman Series of races, will debut at 7:30 a.m. Sunday in Horseshoe Bend Park along the shores of Beaver Lake.
The first portion of the three-sport race is a 500-yard open-water swim, a rectangle in Beaver Lake. Racers will finish south of the starting line before entering the transition area.
The cycling portion is a 15-mile loop starting on Arkansas 94. The course profile has plenty of rolling hills with one steep climb, called Chicken Hill, that riders must ascend before they ride back into the transition area.
The running section of the race is 3.1 miles and takes racers through the park and campsites. The course, similar to the cycling section, has plenty of rollers. Racers will finish near the transition area.
The transition area opens for pre-race setup at 5:30 a.m. and closes at 6:50 a.m. The first wave of racers will start at 7:30 a.m. with the other waves starting every three minutes.
Awards will be given to the top three finishers of each age category and to the top overall male, female and master racers. After a category for age 19 and younger, the age groups fall into five-year increments.
Registration is $90 for individual racers and $135 for teams and includes a T-shirt and parking pass. Teams can consist of two to three individuals. Registration can be done online through emseries.com or at packet pickup. There will be no race-day registration.
Participants are also required to have a USA Triathlon license. Licenses can be bought at usatriathlon.org, or a one-day license can be bought at packet pickup.
Packet pickup will be available from 2 to 5 p.m. Saturday at GPP Cycling, 318 S. First St. in Rogers, and on race day between 6 and 6:30 a.m. at Horseshoe Bend Park, 16165 Arkansas 94 in Rogers.
For more information, call (479) 200-7718.
ActiveStyle on 07/06/2015