2009 course updates

Just received from the organizers today (August 22):

BIKE AND RUN COURSE UPDATES

The 2008 Beach2Battleship event was a huge success. The City of Wilmington and the Town of Wrightsville Beach embraced the event and made it a pleasure for the 1,000+ athletes involved. The 2008 edition also opened the eyes of the city to the scope and magnitude of the event. Very few anticipated the traffic gridlock caused by the winding courses that circled the entire city of Wilmington.

With that in mind for 2009, Beach2Battleship and City officials have finalized the implementation of several changes to the courses. While the Swim course will remain unchanged, the bike and run courses will undergo significant changes in order to lessen the impact on movement in and around Wrightsville Beach and Wilmington.

The new course maps will be posted to the Beach2Battleship site very soon, but in the mean time, here are a few of the changes athletes will see in 2009.

* The bike course will no longer start by coming into Wilmington via MLK Blvd. from the Beach. Rather, athletes will make a right hand turn off of MLK near the beach before heading onto a closed lane of Interstate I-140, then onto Hwy 421 as shown on the current map. This change will eliminate one bridge crossing and create a much safer route for motorists and athletes alike.

* The run course will change from a 13.1 mile loop to a 6.55 mile out and back run, utilizing the first 6.55 miles of the 2008 run course. The new run course will also eliminate a bridge crossing creating a much faster and safer course. This change will also eliminate traffic gridlock by providing a free flowing exit from the downtown area via the Memorial Bridge. Also, trolleys will be able to move in and out of the Battleship Memorial to supplement the river boats in transporting athletes and spectators from downtown to the finish line area.

Make Your Athlete Function Reservations Now!

So, you are registered for the event. Great! Your training is on track and you are looking to have a great time. Well, don't foget the events outside of the event itself. Part of what makes Beach2Battleship so great is the chance to enjoy the scenic City of Wilmington with your fellow athletes while you are racing AND while you are relaxing before and after the event.

In addition to the race itself, athletes have a chance to take part in the Athlete Kick-Off Dinner (Thursday November 5, 2009) and the Full Distance Awards Cruise (Sunday November 8, 2009). But we need your reservations to hold your spot.

To make any and all reservations for these athlete functions simply email us at reservations@setupevents.com . To learn more about these fuctions visit the Special Events section of the web site HERE

Athlete Kick-Off Dinner: Thursday 11/5/2009 (5-8PM)
FREE to all athletes. $10 for all guests (pre-registered - 10 and older) and $15 for all guests (at packet pick-up - 10 and older). Guests under 10 are free.

Full Awards Cruise: Sunday 11/8/2009 (11AM - 2PM)
A 3 hour tour of downtown Wilmington via the Henrietta Riverboat. The Full Awards Cruise is for full or half athletes, their friends and family members. Cost is $15 for each pre-registered passenger ($20 at packet pick-up if space is still available). Space is limited to the first 400 reservations.

Hilton to Transition 1 - Event Morning Buses
For those athletes without a ride to Transition 1 on event morning, we will be running 3 buses from the Hilton to Transition 1. These 3 buses will all leave at 5AM on event morning from the downtown Hilton. There will be no buses leaving later than 5AM. This bus will be for athletes only (NO spectators). You must have a reservation to ride this bus.

Again, reservations for the above must be made by emailing us at reservations@setupevents.com . Please include in your reservation email which function you are making a reservation for, how many athletes and how many guests will be in your party.