With Challenge Family's inaugural Challenge Atlantic City close to sell-out, race organisers are working with USAT to add the USA's fastest growing multisport discipline, Aquabike, to the event festival's program, making this historic event accessible to an even broader audience of athletes.
"In keeping with the Challenge Family mantra of an athlete and family friendly race experience and after discussions with USAT, it was decided Atlantic City was the perfect venue to offer Aquabike – Swim-Bike & Dun!" said Robert Vigorito, co-race director. "We will also work closely with our sister race, Challenge St Andrews in New Brunswick, Canada to include Aquabike into their program."
USAT Age Group Committee Chairman and Aquabike athlete, Chuck Graziano, congratulated Challenge for its foresight and said getting an international event producer such as Challenge Family involved in Aquabike was vital to the future of the sport.
"Congratulations to the Challenge organization and race directors of Challenge Atlantic City, Rob Vigorito and Steve Del Monte for agreeing to host an Aquabike event in conjunction with the first ever Challenge race in the USA on June 29, 2014," he said. "Aquabike is the fastest growing segment of the multisport world, with competitors ranging from athletes who have been injured or who are just not able to run anymore, to athletes training hard and who want a 'race-like experience training day' without the long term recovery needed after an ultra- distance triathlon.
"As Chairperson of the USA Triathlon Age Group Committee, I know we have worked hard over the past several years to expand the availability of venues for the growing number of Aquabike athletes to compete at. Our work has included: 1) the development of a best practices document to show race directors an uncomplicated way to include Aquabike into their existing events, 2) getting approval from the USAT national board of directors to hold a National Championship, 3) getting approval of the long course (1.2 mile swim/56 mile bike) distance for the USAT National Championship. This distance was recommended by our Age Group Committee in response to 53% of Aquabike athletes who replied to our national survey. They highly preferred the long course distance for the Championship.
"It is exciting to be included in the Challenge Family's first race in the USA, and we look forward to working with them to offer Aquabike at their other events as they continue to expand race opportunities in the USA and world-wide. Getting an international event producer involved with Aquabike is vital to our efforts to win support for a future World Aquabike Championship."
Challenge St Andrews race director, Scott Bevington, said he was delighted to be working with Challenge Atlantic City to delivery world-class Aquabike events in North America. "We are excited to announce an Aquabike event at our inaugural Challenge St. Andrews. We are working closely with our friends at Challenge Atlantic City to ensure that we can offer the best Aquabike races in North America starting in 2014 as part of our Challenge Family experience," he said. "Our Aquabike will begin with a 1.9 km swim in the warm, sheltered waters of Katy's Cove. We will then take our Aquabike racers onto the 90km bike course that will give athletes the opportunity to experience all of the beauty of the renowned Bay of Fundy. Our Aquabike will also have a separate finish line from the Challenge St Andrews triathlon and finish on the property of the astounding Algonquin Resort."
Taking place along side the 226km Challenge Atlantic City, on June 29, 2014, the Aquabike event will feature its own start wave, finish line, awards and medals. Entries for both Challenge Atlantic City and the Atlantic City Aquabike are now open at www.challengeatlanticcity.com.
Entries for the Aquabike division of the inaugural Challenge St Andrews on July 6, 2014 are also now open at www.challenge-standrews.com.
