Trifitness Fairfield Triathlon

Race Name: The Trifitness Fairfield Triathlon
Date: September 20, 2009
Location: Fairfield, CT
Race Start: 8:00 a.m.
Submitted by Lynne Tapper

Location: The combination of this race being no more than an hour away from the Greater Hartford area and the reasonable start time of 8:00 a.m., makes this a great final race of the season. In this 2nd annual race, there was a record 500 registered athletes.

Timing: The transition closed at 7:30 a.m. I would recommend that you give yourself a full 45-60 minutes to get your chip, rack your bike, and set up your transition area. I showed up at 7:15 a.m. and it was way too tight. The racks were all filled and I had to squeeze my bike in last minute. I’m sure my rack mates were not very happy.  I also had to pick up my chip and get numbered.  All in all, it was a little too chaotic for my taste.  But it was my own fault.  My new mantra: You can never be too early.

Course: The swim is a big rectangle in the Long Island Sound at Jennings Beach. We started at one side of the beach and exited at the other end.   If you want to leave some type of footwear, you need to place it a bit of a ways away from the swim start.  I did not leave any shoes for that reason.  It was too many things to worry about.  The run from the swim to the transition area is mostly on the sand and a little bit on the parking lot.  It was a short distance, so shoes were not necessary.

The bike is two loops.  It is very a flat 14.5 miles. Be careful of the tight turns as you meander through the beach neighborhoods. If you’re comfortable with these tight turns, just be cognizant that not all the participants are and try not to freak them out.  You are pretty much able to stay in one gear on the entire bike ride.  I found it a lot of fun.

The run is a mostly flat 3.1 miles through the same neighborhood you just bike through with a little off-road thrown in, right by the beach. There was only one mile marker, at mile 2. Since I didn’t know that, I was rather thrilled to see mile 2, knowing I only had one mile to go.

The finish takes you right up a little bridge and on the sand. It was fun to be on the beach and feel as though you could take another quick dip in the water.

The setting was ideal and the race was very well run by Trifitness.

What to watch out for:
As with all mid-September races, the weather can be very unpredictable. The air is usually cooler than the water, but you need to be prepared with the proper clothing. In 2009, it was very warm and dry; ideal racing conditions.

As mentioned before, the bike has some very sharp turns. Be prepared to slow down so as not to wipe out. Remember: safety before speed, any day!

The run is very flat, but without any mile markers, it can be unnerving. I recommend that you wear a watch and do the best you can at estimating your speed so you know how far you have to go. As I mentioned, there was a 2 mile marker.

In the goody bag: Some Hammer products, a transition towel instead of a t-shirt and some local businesses flyers.

At the finish: There was plenty of bottled water, fruit and bagels to eat and medals for all the finishers!

I would definitely do this race again. Location and race course was top notch.