Giant Acorn Triathlon
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Giant Acorn Triathlon Festival
The Giant Acorn Triathlon Festival is a two-day event staged at Lake Anna State Park in Spotsylvania, Virginia (6800 Lawyers Rd, Spotsylvania, VA 22551). The festival includes Olympic and Sprint triathlons, relay teams and aquabike events. The races are USA Triathlon sanctioned and serve as the USA Triathlon Virginia State Championships. Events are open to age-group athletes and many categories are scored, including age group, masters, military, collegiate, Clydesdale, Athena and relay teams.
Distances and course details
- Olympic: 1.5K swim, 24.6 mile bike, 10K run
- Sprint: 750 m swim, 15.5 mile bike, 5K run
Swims start from a sandy beach using a time trial start (two athletes every few seconds) and a rectangular course with two right turns; sighting buoys are placed about every 75 meters. Water temperatures at this section of Lake Anna typically average in the low 70s Fahrenheit; water quality is tested and the swim is canceled if unsafe. The bike courses are lollipop-style routes on rural, rolling roads. The run courses stay within the state park, are run on asphalt, and include shaded sections; the Olympic run is two loops of the same course used for the Sprint.
Logistics and rules
Registration is non-refundable; athletes must either hold a current USA Triathlon membership or purchase a 1-day license. Packet pickup is available at the race site in the days around the event and participants must present photo identification to collect packets. Transition rules include bicycle release only after the bike cutoff (2 hours from the last wave for the Sprint and 3 hours for the Olympic) or when the last runner exits transition. State championship qualification follows the stated USAT criteria for age-group qualifiers. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.
