Race Profile: Lake Murray Triathlon

The Lake Murray Triathlon will take place this Sunday, May 18, at the Dreher Island State Recreation Area in Columbia. This is the 5th race in the South Carolina Triathlon Series (SCTS). I raced it for the first time last year, and I'm racing again this weekend.

The race starts at 8:00 a.m., so if your in Charleston, you can drive up in the morning. It means leaving around 4 or 4:30, but it beats getting a hotel. This race and the Pee Dee Tri in Florence are the two longest drives I make on race mornings. Dreher Island is not hard to find at all, but that Pee Dee race, that's another story for another time.

As far as I can tell, this event hasn't ever filled to capacity (500 participants). It's getting closer each year though. As of right now, there are approximately 130 spots still available. The early registration fee is $50, but jumps to $60 after April 1.

This is a USAT sanctioned event, so you must show your membership card, or pay a $10, one-day fee. And as is always the case with USAT events, don't forget your photo ID. You need it to pick up your race packet and check in.

The course
This is a sprint distance tri (750mtr lake swim, 16m bike, 5k). The swim is one counter-clockwise 750 meter loop. It's an in-water start, so you wade into the water from the boat landing with your wave and wait for the start while treading water. Wetsuits are normally legal but the water temperatures this time of year are usually right around that 78 degree mark. Last year, the water temp was 71, so no problem. I'm hearing it's around 75 degrees currently. We shall see. One thing I'll mention is that the first half of this swim is directly into the morning sun. I had a real hard time spotting the buoys with the glare, so swim straight.

The bike course is one 16 mile loop. Road surfaces are your typical country back roads with a few bad patches here and there, so use caution. Police and volunteers are at each intersection, so you won't miss any turns.

The 5k run course is all inside the park. It's an out and back with a few spurs along the way. It's not hilly, but there are one or two gradual, rolling inclines, but nothing serious.

Random Info
Along with the standard divisions (Open, Age Group, Athena, Clydesdale), there are also Relay, Physically Challenged, and Novice divisions. Hampton Inn on Harbison Road is the host hotel and offers a discount if want to go that route. There is a cut-off time of 2 hours 30 minutes. Go Tri Sports will host the official event expo, and Bird's Eye View Photography will doing the race day photos.

Thumbs up
Thumbs up for the post race meal. Moe's is a sponsor and provides a full lunch after the event. Thumbs up to the race officials who are out on the course and not afraid to assess penalties for rules violations, i.e., drafting and blocking. Thumbs up to Setup for posting the results after the awards ceremony, complete with transition splits. And huge thumbs up to the bike mechanic at the race site who fixed my flat tire last year and gave me a spare for the race, just in case.

I don't really have any negatives. It's not the most sexy venue, but it works. And it's usually the last race you can legally wear your wetsuit, so enjoy it while you can.