Greetings from the Mad River Triathlon!
Thank you for registering for this special event. We are working hard to create a memorable celebration of spring and athletic camaraderie in the beautiful Mad River Valley. Hopefully your training is going well and you’re getting excited for this unique and fun-filled event.
On this page, you will find information that will help you with your travel plans and race day preparation.
EVENT SAFETY
BE A GOOD SAMARITAN
If you see a fellow participant in distress, please help them and stay with them until help arrives.
ON THE RUN
When following VT-100, stay on the paved shoulder of the highway or off the road. Don’t run on the traveled portion of the highway! Note that the course is primarily on the right side of VT-100, except for one short section on the left that you won’t miss.
When crossing VT-100: stop and yield to traffic, unless directed otherwise by a course marshal or a law enforcement officer.
ON THE BIKE
The bike course through Waitsfield and Irasville has many sharp twists and turns and follows boardwalks and footpaths. Slow down so you don’t miss your turn or run into pedestrians!
The course crosses VT-100 three times and VT-17 twice. When crossing VT-100 and VT-17 dismount and walk across the road, unless directed otherwise by a course marshal or a law enforcement officer.
ON THE RIVER
PFD's are mandatory. They must be worn appropriately while on the water. No exceptions. Safety monitors will make sure your vests are safe and straps fit snugly.
Wear a Helmet. Any helmet will do. Anyone with a spray skirt must wear a helmet, but we encourage everyone to do so.
Dress for the swim. The water is cold. Wear appropriate footwear. Sneakers or water shoes are best. Don't rely on neoprene socks with no sole. Wear insulation layers on top and bottom. We recommend wetsuits or dry suit / pants / top if you have access to them.
Stay away from wood in the water. We have made every effort to clear strainers, but keep your eyes open.
Safety Boaters can help. We have safety personnel stationed along the route in strategic positions. They may give you beta to help you avoid obstacles by pointing a paddle in the direction you should go.
Follow Instructions. If you find yourself in the water being helped by a safety team member, follow their instructions. They will be making sure to stay safe themselves as they assist you. Failure to follow their instructions may endanger you both.
If you do not feel comfortable or we deem your craft and or skill level inappropriate we will have two guided rafts available so you can experience the Mad River Triathlon safely.
ON THE MOUNTAIN:
The uphill may be steep and icy, skins or snowshoes are recommended. Depending on the route, be aware of the uphill traffic. Control your speed on the downhill, expect steep sections, variable conditions, and bare spots. Helmets are recommended.
THE DAY BEFORE | SATURDAY, APRIL 13TH
11 am - 1 pm: River Scout and Clean-up
Lareau Swimhole, Rte. 100
Curious how the Mad River will be running the day of the event? Join our team of experienced paddlers in scouting out the entire course. Paddle along and find out where the objective hazards are, learn where river safety personnel will be located, and get a feel for the current. While you’re at it, help us beautify this special river, helping to pick up trash, much of which was deposited by our December floods.
3:30 pm - 7 pm: Participant Packet Pick Up
MadBush Falls, Rte. 100
Why add another thing to worry about on race morning? We are strongly encouraging participants to pick up your packet between 3:30 pm and 7 pm at Mad Bush Falls. Attend the safety briefing (see below), study course maps and get your questions answered at the information table.
What’s in your packet:
Timing Chip - One per team.
Bib - One per team.
Meal ticket(s) - One per individual or member of the team.
Raffle ticket(s) - One per individual or member of the team.
3:30 pm - 7 pm: Gear Rental and Borrowing
MadBush Falls, Rte. 100
If you need to rent a boat, we can arrange to have a rental from Umiak Outfitters, based out of Stowe. They have arranged to drop the overnight rental fee for race participants.
The Riders Outpost (by Outdoor Gear Exchange) will also have bikes available to rent, and will be on hand for your last minute mechanical needs.
If you need to rent an AT or splitboard setup, we can point you in the direction of several local shops. Due to liability issues, these will not be available to borrow.
As you saw in our registration process, we also have limited equipment available to borrow. This is meant to provide equipment to people who otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford it to be able to participate in the event. If you are able to pay, we encourage you to support these local businesses by renting equipment from them. Leave the gear that we have set aside for borrowing to those folks who really need it!
4 pm, 5 pm, 6 pm 7 pm: Mandatory Safety Briefing (every hour on the hour)
MadBush Falls, Rte. 100
This is where you will learn about any last-minute course changes, and specific safety instructions. If you are participating alone, plan to attend. If you are on a team, make sure at least one of your team members is in attendance.
7:30 pm: MadBush Falls Restaurant, Bar, and Saunas Open!
MadBush Falls, Rte. 100
Hang around after bib pick up and the pre-race briefing for food, libations, and fun! They are generously donating 50% of the proceeds from people who stay onsite to the Triathlon. Please consider staying with them! https://www.madbushfalls.com/
Camping - We are happy to let you know that we have arranged for camping to be available at Mt. Ellen the night before the race. This is just a ski area parking lot, and not a traditional campground, so there are limited amenities. It will work well for you to plan to pitch a tent or sleep in a vehicle. No open fires! Email luke@friendsofthemadriver.org if you intend to camp so that we can prepare for the expected number of campers.
THE DAY OF | SUNDAY, APRIL 14TH
7:00 - 9:30 am: Equipment Drop-off
Lareau Swimhole (Paddle), Meadow Road (Bike), Mt. Ellen (Ski)
You are welcome to drop off your equipment at the paddle, bike, and ski transitions at any time before 9:30 am. We want to limit traffic along the roads, and extra moving bodies in the transition zones so this will end before the race begins. If you don’t drop your equipment off on time, you will end up having to park some distance away and carry it a long way. Plan in advance!
8:00 - 9:45 am: Race Day Bib Pickup
Warren Elementary School, Run Leg Start
Mandatory safety briefing at 9:45 am
Pick up your race information (chips, bibs, et al). No gear rentals or borrowing offered on the morning of the race! There is no race day registration!
Logistics & parking
Shuttle Bus Schedule:
Please use our shuttle buses as much as possible to limit vehicles on the course and at each of the transition zones. Park your cars at Mt. Ellen in the morning and use the shuttle buses to move around the course as needed.
Shuttle Buses will depart Mount Ellen for Warren School at 7:45 AM; 8:20 AM; 8:55 AM; 9:30 AM the morning of the event.
If you are picking up your bib the morning of the event (Sunday), you need to plan to catch an earlier shuttle to the start of the run leg. This way, you’ll have time to pick up your bib and not miss the 10 am start!
A Shuttle Bus will run the Mt Ellen – Warren School – Lareau – Meadow Rd – Mt Ellen loop continuously between 10 AM – 2 PM.
You will still need to arrange for equipment drop-off and pick-up on your own. There will be no gear(except for skis) allowed on the buses!
Thank you to Green Mountain Transit and Green Mountain Valley School for providing the shuttles!
estimated race schedule
Times for the legs are estimates! We have provided our best guesses for how long each section of the event will take. However, there are no guarantees how quickly or slowly someone might move through the course.
10:00: Race Starts at Warren School
10:30: 1st Runner arrives at Paddle Transition
11:00: 1st Paddler arrives at Bike Transition
11:30: 1st Biker arrives at Ski Transition
12:00: 1st Finisher
12:30 - 4:30 pm: After Party with Music and Food at Mt. Ellen
Each participant will receive a coupon for a free meal, and a raffle ticket, please join us for the celebration! There will be meal tickets for spectators/friends/family and additional raffle tickets for sale at Mt. Ellen
2:00 pm - Kids’ Race
Spectate and support the next generation of athletes as they complete their own mini-triathlon.
2:30 pm - Raffle winners and Awards
4:00 - 6:00 pm: Equipment Pick-up
We will have someone on-site to supervise the boat transition zone at Meadow Road. They will be on-site until 6 pm making sure that boats are safe. Following the after-party, please return to Meadow Road to pick up your boat before 6 pm.