Here are some important details for the upcoming race!

PACKET PICKUP:
There is one change to the packet pickup schedule, so make a note of this…

Friday, August 12, 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm at the Bike Shop in Houghton (52 Huron Street)
Saturday, August 13, 10:00 am to 2:00 pm at Cross Country Sports in Calumet (507 Oak Street)
Saturday, August 13, 3:00 pm to 8:00 pm at the race start at the Bear Belly Bar and Grill in Lac La Belle (laclabellelodge.com/map.html)

Don’t forget to have your USAT membership card or be ready to buy a 1-day membership (see below).

No race day packet pickup or registration will be allowed.

USAT:
We are officially USAT sanctioned. If you are doing any portion of the event, whether it is the individual half iron distance race or as a relay, you are required to have a USAT one-day license for $10 (CASH OR CHECK ONLY – NO CREDIT CARDS; these can be filed at packet pickup) unless you have a valid USAT membership. If you have a USAT membership, make sure to bring your card and photo ID along. Everyone should have their ID with them anyway, so we know its actually you when you pick up your packet. We will not have a list of everyone’s numbers from USAT, so bring your card and picture ID (or risk having to buy a one-day pass).

LODGING:
If you haven’t reserved your lodging yet, now’s the time. There are lots of options, some closer to the race than others, but with a 7:30am start, you have plenty of time to sleep in or drive from Calumet/Houghton-Hancock.

PARKING:
Athletes and spectators must park at the Mt Bohemia lot, about 0.5 mi North and uphill from the transition area. It’s all downhill from the parking lot to transition. When I was your age, I had to walk a half mile uphill to start a race.

RACE DAY:  AUGUST 14
Swim starts at 7:30am

TIMING:
Superior Timing will be issuing timing chips on race morning after 6am near the swim start. You can pick up your timing chip after or before body markings. Do not lose your chip! If you do, you will be charged $100 for a lost chip. That’s pretty much entry into next year’s race, so we really hope you don’t lose your chip. If you’re worried about it, we will have safety pins for you to tie it down and keep it extra safe. Trust us, it’s what the pros do.

TRANSITION:
Only athletes and authorized volunteers will be allowed into transition. Rack your bike at the designated spot, and please rack it by the seat to reduce congestion. While transition is pretty roomy, we don’t really want anyone moving in and camping out. We want you to race! Body markings will be from 6-7am at the transition zone as well as at the start area. Transition will close promptly at 7:10am, which will give you plenty of time to make it to the start area (at the Lac La Belle Lodge) to hear the opening announcements. Please set up your transition area and head to the swim course start no later than 7:10am. Give yourself ample time to make it from transition to the swim start on time! The race will start at the Lac La Belle Lodge beach, which is ~0.4miles from the marina. The swim exit and transition zone will be at the marina.

SWIM COURSE:
The swim course is designed to accommodate the federal waterway restrictions and to make it safe for everyone (boaters and swimmers alike).  Note that the swim course has been altered slightly from that shown on our website due to construction at the Lac La Belle marina. Instead of exiting the swim on the South side of the docks, you will be exiting on the North side, where the paved boat launch is located.

The swim start will be a beach start. At the first orange buoy, swimmers will make a sharp left turn toward the next orange buoy. Then, swimmers will go counterclockwise around the orange buoys until they are back to the first buoy. ALL buoys will be on swimmers’ LEFT except the last large orange buoy (the buoy swimmers will go around twice), at which point the buoy will be on your RIGHT. Then, it’s straight to the marina for a swim exit and onto the bike!  There will be small buoys guiding you through the final stretch to the marina, but these are directional buoys only.  It doesn’t matter whether they are on your right or left, just go as straight as you can to the swim exit.

You are responsible for swimming the correct course, and you will be disqualified if you cut any of the course! Swim time cut-off is 8:40am. Any swimmers not out of the water by this time will not be allowed to continue.
Athletes are required to wear the race-issued swim caps. This is for your own safety. As a bonus, they are really cool swim caps! If you’re lucky, we may even let you pick your color.

Registration numbers are currently sitting at 81 individuals and a handful of teams. Unless something happens and we get fifty new registrants by next week, we are going to have a single wave start for the swim since we have less than 100 athletes.

BIKE COURSE:
Mount and dismount lines are going to be enforced, so please don’t ride your bike in transition. This is not safe, nor is it cool, because it gives you an unfair advantage over the competitors (especially when you roll over their toes).

The bike course, while awesome, is not closed to traffic. Because part of it is along US 41, a federal highway, we aren’t allowed to close it. While you should totally get in the zone and rock it (rocket?) on the bike, just be mindful of the fact that people might be passing you (whether it’s a car or another cyclist). Stay to the right.

There are a few sharp corners with some gravel at the beginning of the bike course, so take care. We will sweep these sections, but there’s not guarantee as to what Mother Nature (or Uncle Billy) might hand us the night before or even the morning of the race. There were a few close calls and one wipeout last year, and it would be cool if we don’t have any of that this year.

Drafting is NOT allowed. The bike can be quite windy, especially along the lakeshore, but riding in aero and drafting just does not mix.  Please, just don’t do it. If you do, and the race officials see you, you’ll get a 10min penalty. That’s a lot. So, don’t do it.

There will be two major aid stations on the bike course and one mini aid station near transition. The major aid stations are at approximately 20mi and 40mi. Aid stations will have HEED bottles, water, and Endurolytes.  There will NOT be restrooms at the aid stations, however, you will be able to use the restrooms at two of the local tourist parks that are located on the course.  We will place signs on the course to let you know when you are approaching a restroom.

RUN COURSE:
The run course is a mix of flat and hills. There is approximately 4 miles of gravel road and hills. The gravel road is a mixture of hard-packed dirt sections and gravel sections, but does have some rocky sections. Please use caution, especially on the Hellacious Hill. We will have emergency help available but we really don’t want to use it – we want everyone to have a safe and happy race! Expect some pretty gnarly fun times, and some pretty Keween-AWE-some views.

There will be six aid stations on the run, but several of them will have two-way run traffic. Aid is located approximately every mile and will include HEED, endurolytes, Hammer gels, water, and cola. Be respectful of other racers and if you are going to walk through an aid station, please get your nutrition and get through the station so others can get their nutrition as well. Be respectful of the volunteers, too- remember, they are volunteers and not your own personal catering staff. Although some of them might have you fooled!

NO LITTERING will be acceptable on the bike and run course (USAT deems this appropriate behavior for disqualification). Especially if it is a windy day, we want to make sure that the beautiful and pristine area stays that way, so we will be on the lookout for litterbugs. Please do your best to leave your garbage into, at or near the provided
disposals at the aid stations. That means if you are going to have a delicious Cinnamon Apple HammerGel at mile 3.5, don’t throw it into the big, beautiful lake. The fish might think its tasty at first, but will eventually be upset.

TEAMS:
If you are on a team:
Your timing chip will serve as your relay baton. Relay hand-offs will take place in transition, at the assigned bike rack spot. Timing chips must be handed off, not thrown. You must pass the “baton” at the location where the bike is racked. If you finish without the timing chip, you will not have a finish time and may be disqualified.

AWARDS:
Awards this year are awesome. We’ve got local honey from Algomah Acres, amazing pottery from Deneen Pottery, and some excellent raffle prizes. If you start the race, you’ll be entered to win a raffle prize. After the race, check the table at the finish line to see if you won a prize.

If you have any questions, don’t hesitate to email us at info@kuparitri.com

Good luck!

Where will the aid stations be and what will be offered?

There will be 2-3 aid stations along the bike course offering:
HEED (bottle exchange)
Water (bottles)

There will be aid stations approximately every mile on the run course offering:
HEED (cups)
Water
Hammer gels
Fruit
Defizzed cola

What is the expected water temperature on race day?

Water temperature is typically around 70F and wetsuits are strongly recommended

Are there age requirements?

Entrants must be 18 years of age on race day.

All age group athletes must compete in the age group division corresponding to the athlete’s age on December 31 of the year of the event.

Who do I contact if my registration information needs to be updated?
Please email us at info@kuparitri.com

What is the Refund/Withdrawal Policy?

For more info,visit our registration page or click on the Superior Timing icon below!

We look forward to seeing you in August!

-The Koop Crew

We hope to see you there!

Now that the 2010 race is in the books, we’re looking for some volunteers interested in playing a bigger role in next year’s race.

Here are some of the positions to be filled!
–Volunteer Coordinator
–Swim/Bike/Run Course Director(s)
–Nutrition Coordinator

If you’re interested in any of these positions, email us at info@kuparitri.com

A special thanks goes out to Cathy, Troy and family at the Bear Belly Bar and Grill (Lac La Belle Lodge) for their tremendous support.

Results are posted here.