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2010 MERCRS CHAMPIONSHIP AWARDED TO BREAKWATER TRIATHLON IN PETOSKEY, MICHIGAN
by Michael Wendorf, Vice-Chair USAT Mideast Council

On August 29, 2010 clubs from across the region will travel north to beautiful Petoskey, Michigan, home of the Breakwater Triathlon, to compete in the annual Mideast Region Club Race Series Championship. The Breakwater Triathlon will serve athletes in our five state region with an appropriate venue for the culmination of a competitive club race series that spans the entire race season and includes 15 carefully vetted races of varying distance and difficulty across the entire region. Set against the dramatic backdrop of Lake Michigan and the historic village of Petoskey in an area made famous by Hemingway and others for its natural beauty, the Breakwater Triathlon is a true destination event and held at the height of Petoskey’s tourist season. Race Director Jim Jackson of Element Events promises athletes a memorable weekend of racing with an opportunity to spend additional time exploring this nature’s paradise.

Breakwater will offer athletes two distances of equal beauty. The traditional Olympic distance event starts off with a 0.9 mile swim in the breakwater protected waters of Petoskey’s charming harbor on Lake Michigan’s Little Traverse Bay in the northern tip of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula. Depending on winds, the swim will be unusually spectator friendly with the ability to track swimmers from the harbor’s pier; a feature of this race that proved extremely popular last year. From transition, a challenging and breathtaking 24.8 mile bike course that traverses several of the distinction geologic features of the areas – drumlins. Expect a series of relatively short but steep climbs. The bike course is followed by a stunning and fast 6.2 mile run along the bay with many world class views of Lake Michigan. In addition, Breakwater offers the challenge of a half-iron event. The 1.2 mile swim is followed by an even more challenging and scenic 56 mile bike course and culminates with a 13.1 mile half marathon along the bay. The half-iron bike course has a net elevation change of negative six feet. However, this hardly tells the story because there is 3345 feet of climbing over that 56 miles. Of course, this results in 3352 feet of descending! There will also be an Olympic distance duathlon.

Veteran triathlete Steve Fetyko raced Breakwater last year and offered his perspective on Breakwater and the half-iron bike course which has a net elevation change of negative six feet but 3345 feet of climbing. “I would characterize this event as very scenic, well-supported and challenging. The water in the Bay can be chilly as can the morning temperatures, even in August. Consider using arm warmers and gloves early on your bike. You will definitely feel the climbing. There are a couple of tough hills, one early and one late but no one hill is so extreme on its own. Rather it is the series of hills that can be extreme if you forget to pace yourself. I rode the course by building into the hills and leaving something both for each hill and for the last quarter of the bike course back into town which is net downhill but still has some climbs. This is a bike course that will reward good pacing and it is not a course where you are just sitting in your aerobars. You are up off your saddle often. If you enjoy downhills you can build good speed here. Coming off the bike is a relief because the run course, while a bit undulating, is mostly flat and fast. Big stretches of the run look out over the Bay with terrific views. The entire race is well supported and the aid stations are stocked with everything you might need. I appreciated the real nice food spread at the end of the race too. The event hotel is close to transition, very reasonably priced and made it easy for families to make a vacation out of the trip up to Petoskey.”

Breakwater will be a championship event no athlete in the region will want to miss. In addition to a spectacular and pristine natural setting for this year’s Championship race, the village of Petoskey fully supports the event. The harbor will be closed prior to and during the event, special pricing will be available both in local hotels and campgrounds to allow athletes to take advantage of the remarkable recreational, dining and sightseeing opportunities found in the area. We hope to see you there on August 29, 2010 and at our other MERCRS races throughout the summer.