Link to Registration HERE
Welcome to the 20010 Saplingathlon! The Saplingathlon is a FUN race for kids who like to ride their bikes and run around (i.e., ALL kids). It's also a great way to introduce your little ones to the sport of triathlon.
The Saplingathlon will start after the Treeathlon at 11:30 am. The format of the race is a "fun activity" (see below) followed by the biking leg, followed by a run. There is no swim in the Saplingathlon.
Children will be divided into the following age groups, with the following approximate distances:
Age 5 and under (Acorns): 0.5 mile bike, 0.1 mile run (course map)
Age 6-7 (Pinecones): 1.2 mile bike, 0.25 mile run (course map)
Age 8-9 (Twigs): 2.4 mile bike, 0.6 mile run (course map)
Age 10-12 (Firewood): 3.6 mile bike, 1.2 mile run (course map)
Children will go in waves, starting with the younger children first. The race will have the same finish location as the Treeathlon.
Packet Pickup will be on Saturday, February 27th, from 2-8 pm at the Ford/Burnham Pavilion on the Stanford Campus. There will also be packet pickup available on the morning of the race 10 - 11am on the race site. However, we suggest picking up your athlete's packet the evening before, to ease race-day crowds.
To make packet pickup move quicker, please print out and sign the Redwood City and Stanford University wavers before coming. You need to sign one of each for each child who is racing. Bring these with you to packet pickup.
For those who were not able to pre-register, there will be registration available both at packet pickup on February 27th and the morning of the race 10 - 11am. This will be on a first-come, first-served basis, with the possibility that the race will fill up.
Packet pickup parking directions:
From the 101: Take exit 402 to merge onto Oregon Expressway. Turn right on El Camino. Turn left at Serra St.
From the 280: Take the Page Mill / Arastradero exit. Turn left at Page Mill. Turn left at Foothill Rd. Make the first right at Stanford Ave. Turn left on Bowdoin. Turn right on Campus Drive. Turn left on Serra St.
Ford/Burnham Pavilion is on the last block before the bollards. If you turned left off Serra, you've gone too far. After 4pm you can park anywhere along Serra, Galvez or in the parking lot directly in front of Ford/Burnham.
The entrance is on the other side of the building. It is not directly on Serra St. You will need to go around to the the Ford entrance. There will be signs to direct you.
The races will be held at 1600 Seaport Blvd in Redwood City.
Race-day packet pickup and registration will begin at 10am and will close at 11am. The moonbounce will open at 10:30am for all registered children! The Saplingathlon will begin at 11:30am on February 28th according to the following waves:
11:30 am: Acorns start (ages 5 and under)
11:50 am: Pinecones start (6-7 years)
12:10 pm: Twigs start (8-9 years)
12:30 pm: Firewood start (10-12 years)
These are approximate times - we will try to begin according to this schedule, but also keeping the athletes' safety in mind.
All Saplingathlon racers are required to have a bike and a helmet. They will not be allowed to race without a helmet.
Awards for each wave will be delivered following the end of each age group race in order to prevent unnecessary delays for the children.
There will be drinks and fruit provided at the finish line. However, because the race is held over lunchtime, please plan accordingly and bring snacks if you feel it is necessary for your child. We chose to move the starting time later this year, to allow for better coordination with the adults' Treeathlon race and to prevent children from racing in the cold of the morning.
Weather forecast:
The weather in late February is usually a mixture of clouds and sun, with highs in the 60s.
Directions:
Take Highway 101. Exit Woodside Road / Seaport Blvd exit. Go NORTH on Seaport Blvd. Head to the end of Seaport Blvd until you reach an office park, where you will see a big sign for "Pacific Shores Center". Please look carefully for Saplingathlon signs after entering the Pacific Shores Center complex. You will turn right and drive on the inside lane. Drive slowly, as there will be many children around. Follow signs for the appropriate parking (see below for more details).
From I-280 North or South, take the Woodside Road exit, and follow Woodside Road NORTH until it crosses under 101 and becomes Seaport Blvd. From there follow the directions above.
Please note that within the Pacific Shores Center, you will always drive counterclockwise on the inside lane.
Parking:
There will be parking set aside specifically for parents of Saplingathlon participants. This will be at 1500/1600 Seaport Blvd (~0.5 mile on the left after entering the Pacific Shores Center), just across the street from the race start! Look for signs.
For more details, have a look at the Parking Map.
PLEASE DO NOT PARK ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE PACIFIC SHORES CENTER.
With the exception of parents of Acorns, no parents are allowed on the course during the Saplingathlon. For the Acorns, one parent may be on the course to provide encouragement, wipe away tears, or carry sippy cups and snacks. Volunteers will monitor and assist kids of all age groups on the course.
Each child needs sneakers, a bike or trike, and a properly fitting ANSI-approved bike helmet. (You must have each of these items to participate.) Triathlon-specific bicycles and shoes may be used if a child has them, but regular bikes with banana seats, baskets, streamers, and Barbie stickers, or mountain/BMX bikes are welcome and encouraged for the Saplingathlon.
In order to avoid a mass bike start, there will be a fun, short and somewhat challenging activity for all kids to perform before they get on their bikes. (This makes the race less like a duathlon and more like a triathlon of fun-bike-run.) The "fun" activity will be announced on race day - examples of possible fun activities include: making a paper airplane, running a small obstacle course, hula hooping, jumping rope, hopscotch, or (for the Acorns) just throwing a ball in the right direction.
To keep your children occupied while they are not biking and running, there will be a jump house (aka moon bounce) for them to play in.
All Saplingathlon participants will receive a t-shirt and a finisher's medal. The top three boys and girls in each age group will receive a prize.
NOTE: Registration closes Saturday, February 27th, 2010 at 11:59 PM Pacific Time.
Walk-in registration will be available at all packet pick-up times, as well as race day before 10 AM.
The Saplingathlon costs:
Acorns (Age 5 and under): $15
Pinecones (Ages 6-7): $20
Twigs (Age 8-9): $20
Firewood (Age 10-12): $25
After February 21st, the registration cost increases by $10.