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| Jersey Genesis Triathlon - 2016 - Transition Area |
The 21st running of the Jersey Genesis Triathlon took place on May 21, 2016 in Port Republic, NJ, a place I had no idea existed, but am glad to know about. The town, just slightly north of Atlantic City, and tucked up against the ocean is quiet, leafy and scenic. The race's main venue was Harry Bowen Memorial Park, a large green expanse opposite St. Paul's United Methodist church.The day was overcast and cool, threatening to rain but the rain held off, which is about the best triathlon racing conditions you can ask for.
I think there were roughly 250-300 entrants between the triathlon, the duathlon and the aquabike. There was also an extremely fun to watch "Bambino Biathlon" for kids that had about 70 participants. The size was healthy but not huge.
Quick race run down:
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| Water venue for Jersey Genesis Tri |
On the 750 meter swim I could tell those extra cookies I had back at Christmas were making things a little tighter in the wetsuit, but I finished mid pack and felt fine. The lake was glassy and there were an adequate number of kayakers for support on the water. The temperature was about 68. Nice for early May.
Heading into transition things weren't too hectic, but did have to dodge some piles of goose poop here and there.
The 17 mile bike course was a fast out and back. Even though there were some mild rolling hills, somehow I felt like I was going downhill both ways. I've never had that happen before. Got my highest mph average (18.3) for a race ever and somehow still was able to drink my full bottle of Skratch hydration so I had the energy for the run.
The four mile run included views of ocean marshes, a jog over a narrow bridge, and sightings of the encouraging white spire of St. Paul's which could be seen at various points, pulling us in like a beacon. There were four water stations, manned by enthusiastic youth groups and I felt strong and steady all the way around.
My finish time was good enough for a first place in the Athena category (women 165 lbs and over).
Highlights:
- Perhaps the biggest highlight for me was that I ran into an old graduate school classmate, Kieth Craig, who was also the one handing out awards. Turns out he was one of the original founders of the race.
- The guy who sang the national anthem was amazing. Best rendition I've ever heard at a race.
- The post race food spread was really good, especially for a small town race. There was a WAFFLE BAR. Yes, fresh made waffles on the spot. Now that's what I'm talking about. Also, there were Tupperware containers of home made brownies, pizza (still warm!), and plenty of the usual fruit, pretzels etc.
RACE OVERVIEW
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| Athena Category Winner's Medal |
Pros:
- Friendly to all skill levels
- Encouraging and enthusiastic volunteers
- Good weather (cool and overcast -- my favorite race weather)
- WAFFLE BAR!!! Great post race food.
- Moderate size, good for people who get stressed by mega races like the ones from CGI and Delmo
- Well marked course with great volunteers
- Race results posted quickly (and emailed within two hours of race finish)
- Transition area relatively secure and staffed correctly
Cons:
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| Blah race shirt for Jersey Genesis |
- No finishers' medals for adult racers. It seems like a small thing, but I keep mine over my desk for inspiration through the training and it's always nice to see something that takes me back to an event. I got one for my Athena win, so that was good, but it would be nice to have them for everybody.
- The sleeveless t-shirt is kind of bland
- The unusual distance, somewhere between traditional sprint and olympic distance might make it a tough place to start for beginners, though, for me, it was a great way to gauge my overall fitness in preparation for longer races next month (I could put it in both pro and con).
GRADE = A
Recommended.
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