Giant Acorn Triathlon
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Giant Acorn Triathlon Festival
The Giant Acorn Triathlon Festival is staged at Lake Anna State Park and includes separate Olympic and Sprint triathlon and aquabike races. Events use a sandy beach time trial swim start and race courses that remain largely within or immediately around the state park.
- Olympic: 1.5K swim, 24.6 Mile bike, 10K run.
- Sprint: 750 meter swim, 15.5 Mile bike, 5K run.
The swim courses are rectangular with two right turns and sighting buoys approximately every 75 meters. Water temperature at this section of the lake typically averages in the low 70s Fahrenheit and a temperature reading is posted the Thursday before the event. Portions of Lake Anna are tested for harmful algal blooms; the swim will be canceled if water quality is deemed unsafe.
Both bike courses are lollipop style on rural county roads with rolling terrain and generally good pavement. Published elevation figures for the Olympic and Sprint routes are roughly 932 feet and 565 feet respectively. The Olympic run is two loops of the Sprint course; both runs are on asphalt, heavily shaded, include an initial climb out of transition, and feature a downhill into the finishing approach where athletes veer 15 degrees into the finishing chute.
All races are USA Triathlon sanctioned. Available result categories include Overall, Masters, Age Group, Aquabike, Military, Clydesdale, Athena, Collegiate and Relay Teams, with scoring three deep. Packet pickup requires each participant to collect their own packet and present photo identification. Race swag includes a tech race shirt, custom socks and a finisher medal, and organizers provide race photos and videos from prior events. Visit the organization's website for the most recent information.
