The Atlantic City Sprint and International Triathlons took place in Atlantic City, New Jersey, as the name implies, on Sunday, September 14th. I just happened to be in the area for work so I thought I'd check it out. I thought about signing up for the 1-mile swim but decided against it since I still had thoughts of Shark Week in my head. The fact that I hadn't swam a meter since May also might have affected my decision.
I found the course maps on the event website. In addition to the triathlons, the event also includes a 5K and 1-mile Stand Up Paddle (SUP) and prone paddle competitions and 1-mile swim.
 |
| Swim Course |
 |
| Sprint Bike Course |
 |
| International Bike Course |
 |
| Run Course |
I woke up early on Sunday morning. Not early enough to see the start of the race but early enough to see some of the competitors still in the water. The weather for the race was perfect. The skies were blue and the thermometer on my car showed that the air temperature was 56-degrees at around 8:00 a.m. There was a brisk wind from the north, but isn't there always!
 |
| Participants on the swim course make the first of two turns |
 |
| More swimmers |
After I took the above pictures of the swimmers I walked around to the swim start where I was able to see some participants walking 150' or so beyond the start. It must have been low tide... or they were very tall.
 |
| Participants exit Bader Field onto the bike course |
 |
| More participants exit Bader Field onto the bike course |
 |
| Participants exiting T-1 at the mounting line |
After only twenty minutes or so of walking around by myself I decided that I'd had enough so I left. Clearly these races are far more fun for the participants than they are for the spectators. This is especially true for wave start races where the folks on the sidelines have no idea of knowing who is in the lead. I promptly called my wife and informed her of my epiphany. She was glad that I finally came around to her way of thinking or at least acknowledged her misery. Of course, I didn't know anyone that was competing. I'm sure that I would have been more captivated if I was there supporting someone or if I had raced. I'll often walk up the course from the finish line of a race I've just completed to cheer for the folks finishing behind me. I'll also congratulate those racers that finished before me, if I have the opportunity.
Did I mention it was 56-degrees... and windy? I think I did!
Find out more about the race here at
Delmo Sports and see the results
here.
Thanks for reading.
