|
X-Tri Newsletter - May/June 09
posted: 1 June 2009 Hi there,
Welcome to a new season of X-Tri Australia events and we've a lot to catch up on in a short a newsletter as we can fit the news into, so please relax, grab a great cup of coffee and read on...
We have a number of great events coming your way, the first of which is the tenth anniversary Capricorn Resort Half Ironman Triathlon (including the QLD LD Champs and the Capricorn Ultimate Aussie Team Challenge), based at the Capricorn Resort - Yeppoon, central QLD on the weekend of August 16th 2009.
Entry is already open, and filling fast for this weekend of fun, frivolity and some hard racing. Indeed the event is already fast approaching 75% full, with all indications this event will sell out – even earlier than expected.
The tenth Anniversary Capricorn Half (and 2009 QLD Long Distance Championship) will retain some great traditions, including this year’s special tenth anniversary Capricorn ‘Hoodie’, available to all who enter, before the late entry date.
There's also some very special functions this year, including the optional but traditional pre-race Welcome Party, and the optional but very special Tenth Anniversary Presentation dinner, to be held almost immediately after the close of racing, and followed by the iconic Capricorn Resort Karaoke.
Note that this year there will be some very special guests at the 10th Anniversary Functions.
Yeppoon has seen more than a few ‘names’ on the winning trophies over the years, with Jason Shortis, Rebekah Keat, Belinda Halloran & David Dellow, (winners of the first Half Ironman race), Leon Griffen, Luke Bell, Kate Major - and so many more. Belinda Granger won the first ever race here, which was actually 11 year ago and was an Ironman distance event!
Don’t forget however that there are just two athletes who can claim to have competed each and every Capricorn Half! Aiming for an unprecedented ten in a row at Yeppoon are Adrian Ellul from Mackay, and Clintyn Barnes from Toowoomba!
FUNCTIONS - TICKETS PLEASE:
Don’t be missing out on the parties of the decade!
Tickets for the Friday Welcome Party, and the very special 10th Anniversary Presentation Dinner will be available on line at “the Store” at www.capricornhalf.com, within the week - check it out, and bookmark the spot! And plan to stay Sunday evening to enjoy the great atmosphere of this tenth anniversary dinner (but don’t forget numbers will be limited...)
You may also order tenth anniversary event merchandise through The X-Tri Store at www.capricornhalf.com, if you indeed missed doing this when entering the race.
BIKES AWAY:
In 2009 we're looking at a brand new initiative through an all-Aussie company to take away all the worry in transporting your bike to Yeppoon!
Let me introduce “Velotrans”, an all-Aussie company run by triathletes for triathletes that guarantees your bike getting from your door to the Capricorn Half Transition and return! In a nutshell Velotrans means no more queues at the airport, no more broken gear and no more hassles about you or your bike missing a plane.
Velotrans will take the worry away, and get your bike to you on time, every time. Check them out at www.velotrans.com.au
And don’t forget the folks from Tuckers Cycle Inn will also be on hand to assist with all matters cycling across the weekend at the resort, and before hand at their great store in Rockhampton.
TRAVEL & ACCOMMODATION:
As ever the great folks at Tri Travel are standing by to assist with your travel to and accommodation in Yeppoon. Call them today on 1800 22 50 22 and please note the early birds get the Capricorn Resort rooms!
TRAINING
Once again for those who entered early there’s training programs from 26 weeks out; those who enter later can also pick up on these programs but obviously the later you enter the less you gain from the coaching staff at Aeromax.
PRIZES:
An all new prize this year will be Tully bike jerseys, for all age group winners and there's more to add before race day!
WHO’S COMING TO YEPPOON
Well, there’s already over 400 of Australasia’s fun loving long distance athletes entered, including 15 open category hopefuls, led right now by New Zealand’s LD Champions, and one of Ironman triathlon’s original ‘Big Four’ Scott Molina, will be ‘mixing it up a little’ in Yeppoon!
More on the field in coming newsletters – but it’s exciting news ahead for sure!
CLUBS
The annual hunt for the club with the most entries is hotting up early! And why not? It’s worth a complimentary entry to the city and country club/squad with the most entries! And note that since we’ve calculated these totals another 29 entries have arrived already!
Here’s how it’s shaping up right now... with entries from 108 incredible clubs and training squads!
We have one entry from 48 clubs, two entries from a further 22 clubs and three entries from another 12 clubs.
There are four entries each from AMS Multisport, North Coast Tri Club and the Northern Suburbs Tri Club with five entries from the Brisbane Triathlon Squad, The Defence Forces Club, HERT, Hervey Bay Tri Club, Maitland Tri Club, Noosa Tri Club, Port Macquarie, Sharks Tri & Cycling, Sunshine Coast Tri, and Townsville Triathlon Club.
South Australia’s Lakers Club has six entries to date, with seven for Sydney’s Panthers and Warringah Clubs and eight each for the Croc Squad, Frenchville, and Redcliffe Tri Clubs.
The top clubs feature a new name, with the East Coast Cycos at nine entries, currently trailing Cronulla on 10, Engadine on 12 and co-leading the entry race right now is Mackay Triathlon Club and the Carina Tri Club, on 13 entries each!
And just maybe it will be worth taking the club tent and some supporters to Yeppoon this year for the race weekend, as there are currently 105 entries with NO club affiliation! Presidents and secretaries – over to you! If you want to bring the club tents we warmly welcome them, however please let us know in advance.
The 2009/2010 X-Tri Calendar:
X-Tri is pleased to once again formally announce three major events for the coming triathlon season, commencing with the Capricorn Resort Half Ironman on August 16th.
Rod Morrison of Tri Travel still calls this event "the best kept secret in triathlon". However, judging from the entry level at this time, the secret has got out! Our advice is to book early, and enter earlier. And talking of Tri Travel, a call to 1800 22 50 22 could save you a heap of work and travel hassles, and get you to this race so easily.
All the race information and much, much more is at the event website at www.capricornhalf.com. “Escape Winter”, and book early!
But Wait There's More:
We have two more events for you this season, both over the Half Ironman distance.
Crowne Plaza Canberra Half Ironman – December 13th 2009
In 2007 we dusted it off, spruced it up, cleaned and checked and re-readied the Canberra City Half Ironman for you the real competitor, as an event in which you can truly challenge yourself!
In 2008 the weather gods threw wind and rain at us during the set up for the race and then both at us on race day!
In 2009 the best challenge of the Australian Half Ironman series is back, with a new name, new support and set to become the challenge you just have to do this December 13th when it will be fine and sunny!!!
AND, as the new name suggested we are so very proud to announce that the Crowne Plaza – Canberra will obviously be our official hotel for the ninth edition of this great race, a move that will see us return to our original Canberra home!
Entry is now open for the Crowne Plaza Canberra Half Ironman and very shortly you’ll be able to book on line for the Crowne Plaza directly through their event home page to pick up the best accommodation bargains they can muster!
The event that has twice been Australia's favourite Half Ironman is now looking to be bigger and better than ever before this December 13th, and right now we are taking Early Bird entry until June 13th.
So, get in early and save and remember that every one of the first 250 entries will also receive a Tully Bike Jersey. Bargain!
Modelled on the 2006 World Championship LD course, rated one of the fairest and toughest ever by winner Torjborn Sindballe of Finland, the Crowne Plaza Canberra Half Ironman course features a one-lap rectangular fresh water swim, a three-lap and fast challenging bike course, set mainly on flat to undulating roads, with some hills (of course!) and a spectator friendly 21.1km two-lap run course through Canberra’s parklands.
You just have to take the challenge to race in the nation’s capital!
As the penultimate round of the Australian Half Ironman series the Crowne Plaza Canberra Half will also represent the last Half Ironman in which to validate your entry to the 2010 Ironman Australia race before the grand finale, the Ironman 70.3 at Geelong, and it’s invaluable for adding to your point score for the Australian Half Ironman series too.
Aviva Ironman 70.3 Singapore – March 21st 2010
X-Tri is delighted to announce that the fourth edition of the Aviva Ironman 70.3 Singapore is once again set in the sensational country of Singapore in March, 2010 and that our naming sponsor Aviva has just signed on for three more years of supporting this absolutely incredible race.
With a now proven, ultra-fast race course for the race on March 21st 2010, Hi Tri Events present an awesome event that will leave you spell bound, in a country that is just so exciting...
The Aviva Ironman 70.3 Singapore is the big time, with a sensational elite field sure to be in town, and 35 age group and elite slots on offer to the Foster Grant Ironman 70.3 World Championships in November 2010.
If you like to compete alongside the world’s best then here’s the ultimate chance as this is one place you can usually race a world champion or two, and our age group athletes are never forgotten, with FOC training programs, an awesome expo, and some of the best eating, shopping and holidaying in Asia!
The Hi-Tri team is working on another great athlete pack and this year both the unique Carbo and Presentation functions are included in the entry fee!
Tri Travel can get you there, and home again from Australia.
As an away race that arguably represents the best destination event out there, it's never going to be this simple; your hotel is just minutes from the airport and the course is now set in and across the Singapore city CBD. Everything racing starts and finishes at the wonderful Playground@BigSplash on Singapore’s scenic east coast.
Highlights of this race include the unique two-lap, two-lane 1.9km swim, the freeway based 90km bike ride and the 21.1km run set in the shade of the East Coast Park ocean front paths and trails...
Keep an eye out for some great airfares! It’s never been so cheap to fly to Singapore and it’s a great destination race!
All the information you need is at www.ironman703singapore.com and entry will open on or about June 1st 2010.
Other X-Tri Matters:
Trophies
We’ve a number of folks chasing trophies from recent races. Please note we’ll be taking all the Capricorn Trophies we can find to Yeppoon in August so please let us know in advance if you’ve not received something (and we’ve a couple of folks we’ve noted already) and we’ll attempt to rescue and separate that trophy or medal from the boxes and boxes of unclaimed awards and trophies that we have accumulated in recent seasons.
Similarly, in December, we’ll take to Canberra all unclaimed trophies from the previous races there also.
Please note that if you can’t stay for the event presentations at these events, and you are aware that you have won a prize, to please contact us prior to leaving or arrange for a friend or club mate to collect them on your behalf.
Currently we have two problems in getting trophies to those who choose not to stay and collect them.
-
It’s expensive, as our trophies are heavy marble.
-
We’ve now had far too many break in the postal system to continue to try to post them – at any price.
So, do yourself a favour and pick up from us at the event (heck why not enjoy the entire event experience and stay for the presentation!) as from now we’re retaining trophies for only sox weeks following each – we simply need the storage room back.
Lost Property:
We hope to shortly reconcile Lost Property from recent races and list this to the relevant pages of www.x-tri.com.au . If you have lost property at an event in recent seasons send us an email with a description and a way to ID the property as we may have located it quite a long time after an event (we keep getting ‘kit’ sent to us sometimes!)
Volunteers
We've opened the Volunteer sign-on for all our Australian events. If you would like to join the sensational volunteer team at any of our races, just sign on through the event sites at www.capricornhalf.com and www.canberrahalf.com
You can match your expertise to a job through the on-line form and get to cheer on all the event competitors, usually much closer to the action than normally is possible!
In 2009 we’ll have lucky draw prizes for our volunteers (as well as the event participants), with some great prizes for the winners!
Well, time to sign off, wish you safe training, safe travels, and great racing...
The X-Tri Team
"Good Sports!"
:: back :: | 
