Aurlandsfjellet Xtreme Triathlon A XTR I Aurlandsfjellet Xtreme Triathlon Saturday, August 16, 2014 RACE MANUAL This document is intended to provide you with all the necessary information for Aurlandsfjellet Xtreme Triathlon 2014. The competitor must read and understand this Race Manual. You should read all pages, including the Release from Liability on the last page. Acknowledgements: We wish to thank the organisers of Bergen Triathlon and Norseman Xtreme Triathlon for inspiration and goodwill in making this race manual! www.axtri.no post@axtri.no @axtrirace www.facebook.com/aurlandsfjellet
1. Summary of the Race Manual The entry fee is NOK: 1800,- All athletes are required to have a triathlon license in order to start. This can be purchased during the registration procedure. Foreign athletes must have licenses from their own country. Licenses will be checked during the registration the day before the race. A one-race licence can also be bought at the registration the day before the race. Start at the Laguna Beach, in the centre of village of Aurland, Norway, on Saturday, August 16 at 09.00 am. There is no cut-off time on the swim leg. No support cars will be allowed on the mountain for ANY reason. This is to avoid potential hazardous situations on the narrow and steep road during the descents. You should be extremely cautious here, and be sure to keep to the right! The bike leg is 98 km long, and crosses the top of Aurlandsfjellet (1320 meters above sea level) two times. There is a service station at the top of the first ascent after approximately 16 km. The same station will be used on the return to Aurland. The cut-off time after the bike leg is at 16:30 (after 7 h and 30 min). Unfit/exhausted athletes will be stopped if necessary. The run leg is from A to B during a steep valley with few exit possibilities. There will be 1 food/drink station on the run (just before Sinjarheim). All finishers will be awarded the famous AXTRI finisher T-shirt! There will also be some other prizes presented from our sponsors. We recommend that you book your accommodation as soon as possible, as this area is crowded with tourists during the summer. See links on page 10. Please check our website at www.axtri.no regularly for updated info leading up the race. We also recommend that you follow us on facebook: www.facebook.com/aurlandsfjellet and twitter: @axtrirace Thursday, August 14 AXTRI Crew race - start at 08:00. 2. Program Friday, August 15 Registration at Aurlandshallen (650 meters from Aurland Centre - see map) from 14:00 to 17:30. Mandatory pre-race meeting 18:00 (Aurlandshallen) Saturday, August 16 Start AXTRI 2014 at 09:00. 2
The entry fee is NOK 1 800 3. Prices This includes: 1 finisher T-shirt, the colour will depend on your time... 1 swim cap with AXTRI logo Service, including drink and food at the transition zones, check point and finish line. For 2014, you payment is part of the registration procedure at topptid.no ll athletes are required to have a triathlon license in order to start. This can be purchased during the registration procedure. Foreign athletes must have licenses from their own country. Licenses will be checked during the registration the day before the race. 4. Cancellation rules and selling a slot The entry fee is non-refundable, no matter the cause of your cancellation. There is no waiting list in AXTRI, but athletes are allowed to sell (re-register) their slot. Buying and selling slots will be handled by the buyer and seller solely, without involving the AXTRI organizers. Please note: It will not be possible to re-register after July 1, 2014, and it is not possible to transfer you slot to another year in you for some reason cannot make it to the event in 2014. It costs 150 NOK to buy a slot from another person. This fee is paid by the buyer when they complete their part of the process. Although you buy a slot from someone else, you still need to have your own personal license. Both buyers and sellers mist have an account with TOPPTID before the sale process can begin. This is provided here: https://topptid.no/login/register. We also wish to remind you about Norwegian law: LOV-2007-06-29-86, which states that It is illegal to sell tickets for acultural and sporting events at a higher price than the price shown on the ticket by the organizer, or as a ticket first was sold for. More info on selling/buying can be found here: http://axtri.no/register.html 3
5. Brief course description Swim 1.9 kilometres in the Aurlandsfjord. The water temperature is expected to be between 13 to 16 degrees Celsius. Wetsuit is mandatory, and neoprene socks and caps are allowed, and recommended. No gloves are allowed. The start will from Laguna Beach in Aurland. Bike 98 kilometres from Aurland, over Aurlandsfjellet (1320 meters above sea level), down to the small village of Erdal by the fjord, back the same way over the mountain to Aurland, and another 10 kilometres to Vassbygdi, at the eastern end of the lake Vassbygdi-vatnet (T2). Run About 21 kilometres from Vassbygdi (T2) up the valley of Aurlandsdalen to Østerbø. The first 2 kilometres are flat, the remaining 19 kilometres are not: total elevation on the run leg is around 1100 meters. Be aware that the path up the valley is very rocky and narrow at times! Total distance: 117 kilometres. (72.7 miles) 6. Cut-off Withdrawal There will be a cut-off after the bike leg at T2. If you arrive later than 16:30 at T2, you will be taken out of the race. Most athletes will have no problems making the time limit, but because it can be dangerous to be in the valley after dark, this cut-off is «non-negotiable». If you withdraw from the race at any point from after the pre-race meeting, it is mandatory to inform the AXTRI Race Director. You will be give a card with important phone numbers at the registration. 4
General rules 7. Rules Aurlandsfjellet Xtreme Triathlon general rules are based on the rules and regulations of the International Triathlon Union (ITU). ' You must be at least 18 years in order to start. Equipment Full wetsuit is mandatory. Neoprene swim cap may become necessary if the water is cold. The bike must be in good working order, and brake pads must be new and fine tuned! All bikes most have working lights, both front and rear. Random checks will be performed. Helmets must be approved by a national accredited testing authority, or have the CE stamp. A light backpack (type camelback), containing food, drink and mobile is mandatory on the run leg. Some extra clothing can be useful depending on the weather conditions. Some cash can be nice to have at the finish line (café). Any competitor with substandard equipment will be refused entry. (This changes ITU rule E.3). TT-bikes are allowed, but not necessarily recommended, as you will not spend very much time in AERO-position. Medical Medical crew and marshals appointed by the organisers may remove a competitor from the race should there be a health or injury risk to the competitor at any time during the race. The use of non-legal performance enhancement supplements or drugs is forbidden. Anti-doping Norway may perform random drug tests of the athletes. Liability All athletes must sign a document of «Release from Liability» before they receive their start number. Rules on the bike leg The bike course is open to regular traffic. Road traffic regulations must be strictly observed at all times. The following may lead to time penalties and/or disqualification Violating traffic regulations. Use of headphones, headsets or mobile phones while on the bike. Pacing on the bike leg, either by car or bike Drafting off another athlete or motor vehicle (athletes may however cycle side by side up the hills on the bike leg (which is basically most of the race...) 5
8. Expected weather conditions Water temperature: 13 to 16 C Air temperature on the bike leg (top of Aurlandsfjellet): 2 to 15 C Air temperature on the run leg (the Aurlandsdalen): 12 to 25 C This race is situated at the same latitude as Anchorage in Alaska. The weather can make changes in the race necessary. The swim may be shortened if the water temperature is too cold. 9. Service stations For the bike leg - there is one food station on the top of Aurlandsfjellet, which you will pass two times. There will also be food and drinks available at T2. We will also provide drinks at Sinjarheim, after the first steep section of the valley - after about 6 kilometres of the run leg. There will be soup served at the finish line. 10. Check point before Aurlandsdalen After 2 kilometres of the run, you will leave civilisation and enter the rocky mountain path for the last 19 kilometres. After the first major hill (5 km after leaving the main road), there will be a drink station, as well as a special checkpoint to assure that 1) you are fit enough to continue to the top, and that 2) you have the necessary equipment in a backpack (food, drink, and some clothes is the weather is bad). You must carry this yourself. Be aware that the mobile coverage is limited in the valley. 6
11. Course description Registration in the morning is between 7.30 and 8.30 am only. You will be marked with a marking pen on your chin and arm. You can leave your bike in the transition zone after you have registered in the morning.! There are good opportunities to warm up at the starting line before the race starts at 9 am. The swim is 1.9 kilometre and starts on the beach. You will start by running/walking into the water, then swim out the opening of the Laguna and continue straight out for approximately 300 meters, then turn 90 degrees around a big yellow buoy to the right and swim out the fjord along the shore for about 900 meters. You will then turn back (around another big yellow buoy and swim near land to the starting point in the Laguna. You will exit the water at the same spot where you entered it. You will be accompanied by boats and kayaks. The people in the boats and kayaks will guide you and make sure you follow the race course. This is important for security reasons. Please follow the instructions from the AXTRI Crew. If you get any kind of problems, just signal to the people in the kayaks and boats by waving your arms. The water is normally quite clear, not very salty, and we expect little current during the swim. In T1, all bikes will be lined up along the lawn in the Laguna - see photo. You will be allowed to enter your bike once you leave the lawn and get on the asphalt. After T1, you start climbing almost immdiately, there is only 100 meters flat before you turn to the left and start on the mountain. Don t push too hard in the beginning; be sure to save some strength (and get some nutrition into your body) before the return climb. The first hill is about 16 kilometres long and takes you from zero to 1.320 meters above sea level (average elevation is 8 %). The average competitor will use about 1.5 hours to the top. The scenery is amazing! Take some time to enjoy your surroundings! You can also enjoy the company of the other competitors as you are allowed to bike side by side during the climbs. After reaching the top, there is about 10 kilometres on the plateau. The plateau is relatively hilly. There will be a food and drink station at the end of the top plateau, after 28 km. Please note that it can get very cold during this part of the course, and especially during the long and steep descent to Erdal, which will be in the shade. We highly recommend that you bring some gloves and warm clothes. 7
IMPORTANT: Be careful: it is forbidden to cut turns during the bike leg. It is extremely vital that you keep to the right, as you will meet both other competitors and ordinary traffic who are coming the opposite direction! Use your brakes, you will not win the race during the descents! kilometers Once at the fjord in Erdal after 44 km, you will make a 180 degree turn at the checkpoint and start climbing your way back again over the same mountain. It will be a rough climb! Take it easy so you don t ruin your run leg. When you reach the top again, you will once again pass the same drink/food station before you start on the final descent to Aurland. Again, be careful and keep to the right! The road is very narrow at times, especially towards the bottom of the mountain. If you meet a bus going up, you may be forced to stop entirely. Don t panic or stress, there will be plenty of time to make up for the lost time during the run later! Once you reach Aurland again, continue through the village centre and turn to the left straight after the church. You will now continue for 10 kilometres to T2. After 1.6 km from the centre, you will pass the main road (E16 going into Lærdalstunnelen - the longest car tunnel in the world) by going New location of T2 (new from 2013) 8
UNDER it (see photo to the previous page). Do not enter the roundabout, as there is heavy traffic here. The AXTRI Crew will guide you. New from 2013: You will need lights for the dark tunnel just before T2. Once you reach T2 (see map on previous page - new location from 2013), you will leave you bike, pick up your backpack (containing all mandatory items) and start on the run leg. PARKING: It is now (new from 2013) possible to park support cars near T2. Support persons are allowed and encouraged to pick up the bike and other gear at T2, Once into the valley, you will meet a lot of hikers who are going the opposite direction (which is a bit easier...). They will be very impressed with you and will probably cheer on you as you fly up the valley. However, the path is narrow most of the way, so please be nice to everyone you meet: don t take for granted that everyone will jump out of your way. Be good ambassadors for our sport! Just before Sinjarheim (about 5 km after you started on the narrow path, you will come to a very steep section (see photo to the right). If you are still running at this point, this will be a great opportunity to slow down and walk for a few seconds! Once at Sinjarheim, you will have the opportunity to get something to drink, this is the last service station before the finish. If you are unfit or too exhausted here, you may have to be taken out of the race. The steep part before Sinjarheim After Sinjarheim, most of the descending tourists are further down the valley, so you will be mostly by yourself or with your fellow competitors. The path is easy to follow, and we will put out signs wherever needed. You will follow the route along the river the rest of the way, not the steep path up Bjørnstigen! Beware that the path is quite rocky and may be slippery at times, and it will not be possible to keep a high pace. Watch you steps! Although the two major hills are during the first half, the entire run leg is demanding and hilly, and only the final kilometer is flat. But before you know it, you will see Østerbø, the long-awaited finish line. You will get your finisher T-shirt and medal here, as well as some hot soup! If you do not have your own support with car, the AXTRI Team will drive a minibus up and own to Aurland at regular intervals. There are also a few public buses heading down to Aurland. The old mountain farm - Sinjarheim Finally: please be friendly to your fellow competitors, the crew and the tourists you will meet during your epic journey! 9
AURLAND OG LÆRDAL REISELIVSLAG P.O.Box 53, NO-5741 Aurland, Norway Tel. +47 57 63 33 13 Fax +47 57 63 11 48 E-mail: info@alr.no www.alr.no The finish at Østerbø! 12. Media Your participation in the race is probably good news for your local newspaper and for local triathlon club. We encourage you to get this publicity which is good for both you and the race. Please inform us after you have received any coverage. We will do our best to support you! 13. Tourist Information Hotel booking and overnight accommodation in Aurland should be made as soon as your entry is accepted; the area is very popular among visiting tourists. Please visit http://www.alr.no for details about hotels, camping grounds, etc. Their website is also a nice starting point if you want to spend a few more days in the area, which we highly recommend! 13. Additional suggested websites Aurlandsdalen Aurlandsdalen Valley http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/aurlandsdalen - Check out the history and details of AXTRI s run leg. It s arguably the best and most popular one-day hike in Norway. http://www.alr.no/images/stories/brosjyrer/aurlandsdalen.e.pdf - Brochure of Aurlandsdalen - again, very nice and useful background information (can also be found on axtri.no). http://www.aurland.kommune.no/ - Useful information from the official homepage of Aurland County. 10
Release from Liability In consideration of the acceptance of my entry in the Aurlandsfjellet Xtreme Triathlon I am aware of and I agree as follows: Competitor: 1. I am aware of the risks and hazards associated with or related to participating in the competition. 2. Except for at the transition zones during the race, I have sole responsibility for my personal possessions and athletic equipment during the competition and its related activities. 3. I attest that I am physically fit and can complete the competition. 4. I grant full permission for Aurlandsfjellet Xtreme Triathlon to use my photographs as part of the event website photo gallery. Video footage may also be taken and used by the race for race promotion. 5. I will comply with the rules and the regulations of the International Triathlon Union (ITU) and the additional special rules of the event. 6. Doctors or marshals appointed by the organisers may remove a competitor from the race should there be a health or injury risk to the competitor. 7. The cycle route is not closed to traffic. Road traffic regulations must be strictly observed at all times. 8. Drafting is not permitted, except for on the main two hills. 9. Competitors will not be disqualified for accidental nudity in the transition zones. 10. The use of non legal performance enhancement supplements is forbidden. The Norwegian OlympicAssociation may carry out random doping checks. 11. Thorough pre-race checks on race equipment (cycles & helmets) may be carried out by the marshals. Any competitor with substandard equipment will be refused entry. 12. In the event of a race cancellation due to a storm or other Act of God, my entry fee will be nonrefundable. 13. The organiser retains the right to change the course at any time for safety reasons. 14. Great demands concerning responsibility are made on the competitor. 15. Participation takes place at your own risk! 16. The participant indemnifies the organisation against any claims that may possibly result from participation in the event. I also indemnify Aurlandsfjellet Xtreme Triathlon for any and all consequences which may ensue as a result of this participation. Support Crew: 1. Private support is only allowed at the transition zones. No support cars will be allowed to enter the mountain during the bike leg. 2. I will drive according to traffic rules and at normal traffic speed. I will never drive directly behind or in front of the biker or other bike riders. 3. The car will always be parked complete outside the road. (Outside white markings) 4. The competitor will not sit in the car at any time during the race, even if the car is parked. I will follow the directions given by the race marshals By submitting this entry, I acknowledge having read, understood and agreed to the above awareness and acknowledgment of risks, terms and conditions and waiver and release Aurlandsfjellet Xtreme Triathlon and their partners from liability and have executed this agreement voluntarily. / Competitor (please print name clearly) / Support person (please print name clearly) Competitor s signature / Support person signature Support person s / next of kind's mobile phone number on race day 11