Thank you for offering to help us out at the 2011 Urban Epic Boston Triathlon. Please click the link below to download important information about your volunteer position. Directions are available by clicking here.

If you have further questions, please contact us by e-mail.

THANKS AGAIN!

Parking Volunteer Info

Transition Area Volunteer Info

Swim Course Volunteer Info

Kayaker Volunteer Info

Run Course Volunteer Info

Water Station Volunteer Info

Finish Line Volunteer Info

Crosswalk Volunteer Info

“We can race the course with our eyes closed!”  That’s how familiar coach Karabeth Vanick and the members of her Quincy South Shore YMCA triathlon team are with the Urban Epic course. Every few weeks, Karabeth and her group of athletes cross over the Neponset River Bridge and use Castle Island as a training venue.  “We swim at Carson Beach, bike along Day Blvd, and run the 4 mile Epic course. On Sunday, we’ll be competing at our home away from home!”

Karabeth came to the sport of triathlon like many athletes – from a running background. She’d been a runner for as long as she could remember, competing at all levels and distances including five consecutive Boston Marathons.  In January of 2006, when the South Shore YMCA offered a new class called “Swim and Spin” – geared toward the brick workouts of triathlon training – Karabeth enrolled to supplement her winter marathon training.  That was four years ago, and since then, she has transitioned from student to teacher, taking on the title of “Triathlon Specialist,” according to colleagues.  The athletes in her class, however, like to call her “Coach.”

On Sunday, Karabeth will be competing in her second Urban Epic.  She has encouraged 20 (number may change!) YMCA athletes to join her and some will be racing for the very first time.  They are all dedicated participants of her Sunday morning class which she has coined “Swim, Cycle, Run.”  For two hours, every week, athletes of all ages and abilites meet at the South Shore Y for a true triathlon experience, “transitions included!” She declared.  But even more important than the techniques learned and advice offered is the team camaraderie. “Without a doubt, training as a group – no matter how strong a swimmer or cautious a biker – increases our confidence and improves our performance. Come to class on any given Sunday and you’ll see the living proof.”

Karabeth teaches other classes at the YMCA, including “Couch to 5K” – a running program for beginners, and “Triathlon Swim Techniques” – a program focused on indoor and outdoor swimming.  Included in the 20+ athletes racing on Sunday are members of both of these classes who may specialize in the swim, cycle, or run.  Four relay teams have signed up to race, including “Team Sunday Morning” and “KB’s Athena’s.”

“I cannot underestimate how fortunate I am to work with these athletes, week in and week out…to watch them improve, to help them reach goals, to be a part of their overall success.”

Is it safe?

Is it fun?

Is it community-friendly?

There are many more considerations that need to be met as well, but these are our overall guiding principles. If an event fails to meet any one of these conditions, we examine the issue and determine what, if anything, can be done to fix it. In the case of the Urban Epic Triathlon, we feel that the race, as a swim-bike-run event, was not meeting these criteria. The top reasons are as follows:

- The bike course is too complicated to safely monitor. There are dozens of side streets and we cannot realistically set up enough infrastructure to block every intersection fully. It is only a matter of time before an athlete is seriously hurt by a motorist entering the course. In 2010, we put out 100+ barricades, 500 cones and 50 volunteers along the route and there were still very close calls with reckless drivers.

- The bike course impacts businesses and residents. By closing down Exit 7 and 8, and the major downtown roadways (Washington, Franklin, Marginal Way, Preble, and Baxter), we essentially cut off all access to the Eastern half of Portland during the morning hours on race day. While we gave weeks of advance notice, there has been some pushback from the neighborhoods and businesses.

- Baxter Boulevard is slated for a major overhaul in the near future. Without this three mile stretch of road, the bike course will be impossible.

- The expense of utilizing the Portland Police (almost the entire available force on overtime), State Police, Public Works, EMS, Venues/equipment rental, and staffing the bike course was out-of-proportion with the scope of the race. The downturn in the economy in 2008 took away much of the sponsorship revenue we relied on to cover operational costs, so we have been forced to charge a high entry fee (relative to other sprint tris), which deterred many potential participants from signing up.

- The logistics of dropping off bikes the day before, taking shuttles, setting up multiple transition areas, etc., was overwhelming, and a source of frustration/stress for some participants.

Since launching in 2007, the triathlon course has changed four times.  We have tried every option we can think of, with input from athletes, sponsors, municipalities, police, fire/rescue, Coast Guard, political/business leaders, and others. This gives a clear indication that there may not be a feasible bike route in the vicinity of the East End Beach.

This is particularly bittersweet for us, as we have poured thousands of hours into creating a world-class triathlon in a city we love. However, the first priority is the athlete experience, and we can’t knowingly press ahead with a race unless we are 100% confident that it is going to be safe, fun, and exciting. In this case, we did not feel that way, so it became clear that we needed to find a new event concept that maximized the parts of the Urban Epic that we think are awesome, and alleviate the parts that are too much of a risk.

As is the case with any change, there will be some of you who don’t agree with our decision. Please know that this is not something we rushed into, nor did without SERIOUS discussion. We looked at all of the possible options, did a lot of cost/benefit analysis, and thought through as many scenarios as we could come up with. We are excited with the event we have developed, but recognize that commitment that many of you have made to this race over the last four years. We hope you know that we sincerely appreciate and respect your support, and that you trust our decision was in your best interest. It is always better to make changes to avoid problems than to have to react to them.

Please contact us with question, concerns, or comments. The best way is through e-mail (click here). We will try to respond within 48 hours.

I think that you will find the new Urban Epic Challenge to be a worthy replacement for the Triathlon. I encourage you to learn about the new race concept and think about signing up. We have created a lower entry fee and a number of different race categories to give you flexibility in terms of what kind of a race you want to do. If you hate swimming, you don’t have to do it! If you hate running, you can find a relay partner and just swim! Or you can volunteer and watch your fellow athletes conquer the obstacles. At the end, you will be able to celebrate at the Post-Race Festival on the Maine State Pier, just like last year.

Please consider joining us on Saturday, July 9^th for the Urban Epic Challenge. We promise that it will be Epic.

Train Fun!

Will Thomas

CLICK HERE FOR THE NEW URBAN EPIC CHALLENGE WEBSITE

- Discounted nightly rate of $109.00
- The Courtyard Breakfast Café will open one hour early at 6 a.m. on race day. The full, hot buffet may be purchased for $8.95 per person and the deluxe continental buffet for $5.95
- Shuttle service to race venue upon request will also be available
- Late day checkouts on Saturday or Sunday.

For more information on hotel accommodations please call 1-207-253-5005 or visit the following web site: http://cwp.marriott.com/pwmlo/urbanepicportland/

Head Games

The Landing

Cabot Cheese

Mammut Rock Wall

Gorham Bike and Ski

Valkyrie Bikes

Athletes For A Fit Planet

The Maine Red Claws

Big Brothers Big Sisters

Evolution Fitness

And more!