Below former US Professional National Champion (and Park City resident) Marcel Vifian gives his insight into the new Scofield Triathlon ULTIMATE course. A course Marcel designed. READ ON!
Hi fellow triathletes!
Marcel Vifian here. I’m working with my friend, local race director, Burke Priest, to create the most exciting triathlon in the state of Utah - if not the entire US! Burke and I have been working on this, in one form or another, for years and have finally come up with a truly amazing race held in a fantastic mountain venue. We would like to take this moment to formally invite any triathlete who feels inspired by a challenge to take part in this awesome event!
On July 19 at 7.30am, less than three weeks from now, just 50 triathletes will be transported to the island in Scofield Reservoir, where they will begin their triathlon adventure. First, they will swim 1.75 miles from the island’s edge, across the reservoir, into the channel and back to the boat ramp at Scofield State Park. Then, the athletes will mount their bikes and ride over to the town of Scofield and proceed up to the base of a 4.5 mile 1600 ft. climb which will take them past the coal mine and up to the 9,330 ft. summit while riding along the roaring creek from the spring runoff. They will then descend for 2 miles and 600 feet down the back side of the pass and continue on for a few more miles to Electric Lake. Once at the lake, they will turn around at the only aid station on the bike course (located at the half-way point of the bike – 18.5 miles) and return back up and over the mountain pass. Speeding down past the coal mine at 45-55 mph, the racers will return through the town of Scofield back to the transition area for a grand total of 39 miles of biking. Once back in T2, the athletes, hopefully re-energized from the gravity-assisted return, will don their running shoes and head back out on to the course one last time for a mildly undulating 10 mile run.
On the outward-bound leg of their journey, they will have a commanding view of the island where they began their adventure earlier in the morning and catch a glimpse of the town of Scofield before they turn around and cover the final 5 miles back to the transition area and the feast awaiting them! (I think I’ll be most interested in jumping back into the lake to cool down after such an intense effort!).
This is the very first time a triathlon like this has been offered in the state of Utah. We decided to move away from the commercial Ironman derivative distances and, using the venue to the best of our ability, tried to balance each leg of the triathlon so all three skills are given their due. I really hope this year’s participants will enjoy the adventure and embrace the more balanced nature of this triathlon. Burke and I also hope the race will be a truly fulfilling challenge for the athletes competing and hope many more people will take on the long course challenge next year after they hear how amazing it was this year! Thanks!
Sincerely,
Marcel
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