2023 Letter from Race Director
Hi Swimmers!
Thank you for signing up for the 18th Annual HammerHead Ocean Marathon on August 19, 2023, 8:00 am on the beach in front of Four Points Hotel by Sheraton. As of this writing, the numbers in the 2k has surpassed those signed up for the 5k! Still a few more days to sign up in case your friend hasn’t committed yet (online registration closes on Tuesday, Aug 15, with late registration only at packet pickup).
Early packet pickup is Thursday and Friday 5:00-7pm at the Jax Beach Lifeguard Station, 2 Ocean North in Jax Beach (at the end of Beach Blvd, in between Joe’s Crab Shack and Four Points Hotel by Sheraton). Parking is at the public lot across from the Four Points. (Also, late registration can be done, if your friends forgot to register!)
The location for packet pickup is UPSTAIRS in the lifeguard station (not in the room where we have had it before). PLEASE WALK AROUND to the front of the station that faces the beach and go to the north entrance (you will see the pool for the Four Points) of the station and come up the stairs. (But don’t go up the spiral staircase!)
The packets will be separated by stacks of 1k, 2k and 5k envelopes, then alphabetical by last name. Look for the signs posted in front of the boxes of white envelopes.
Your timing chip and your swim cap, which is color-coded by the race distance, will be in the envelope. White = 1k, Yellow = 2k and Green = 5k. You will also get your t-shirt, with those who registered earlier getting their shirt (if I run out, you can choose from a stack of past shirts).
You may also pick up your packet race morning 6:30am-7:15am, same room. If possible, come to the early packet pickup as race morning gets a little chaotic.
You must wear the timing chip on your ankle. They are disposable so they don’t need to be returned. But, no chip = no score. Remember to bring it race morning if you pick up your packet early. You need to wear the swim cap, also.
If you pick up your packet early, you still need to come to the station race morning (but don’t need to check in). Current usually flows south-to-north, but in case of an extreme condition, it is possible we will change the direction of the course. The 1k and 2k swimmers will need to walk as a group to your respective swim starts (approx. 8th ave south for the 1k and approx. 16th ave south for the 2k). The 5k will start just south of the finish line to swim a roughly-shaped rectangle course; the last 2k of your swim will be the same as the 2k course. Everyone has the same last-buoy to do a left-shoulder turn before heading to the beach; finish line is on the beach, where the 1st Place Sports Timing clock will be (and the mats to cross).
If you change your mind on which distance to swim, let us know when you get your packet; we have to change your swim cap and record information so that it is entered into the timing system correctly.
There will be lifeguards in the water on rescue boards and surfboards, and the kayak club is providing water support also. The last swimmer in each race will be followed by a designated kayak. The water support is instructed to help keep you on course (no one should be swimming off shore Saturday, seriously). If you need assistance, they can let you hold on to the craft to rest, but you may not make forward progress with them. If you need assistance, raise your hand and yell. If you need to get out of the water, you MUST report to one of the race officials and turn in your timing chip so that we can account for you. DO NOT get out of the water and walk to your car unless you have crossed the timing mat at the finish line. All racers must be accounted for. If you picked up a timing chip, we expect you to finish (or report to us if you don’t). IF YOU ARE A NO-SHOW Saturday after you have picked up your packet, get in touch with me – 904-616-9273.
PARKING RACE DAY: Public Parking is in the lot across from the Four Points, just north of Sneakers Sports Bar, but it becomes paid parking at 10:00 am. Parking is free along some of the side streets since you will be there early. There are kiosks at the public parking lot if you think you will be there after 10:00.
RACE DAY: All races start simultaneously, coordinated with the race official starters, at 8am.
2k swimmers (yellow caps) will need to gather around 7:30 on the beach to walk to your start (about 15min walk; no casual walking, get yourself going!). There will be a start buoy in the water around 16th Ave south, and the race official who will start you will be carrying a sign that says “2K”. All the yellow swim caps walking down the beach!! You will start on the beach, enter the water, swim to the first buoy and left-shoulder turn at that buoy, then just swim north. Keep houses and the beach on your left, and the sun on your right and you will be going in the proper direction. (seriously, folks; no swimming out to sea). You will pass by the start buoy for the 1k swimmers. There will be the large finish buoy in the water that you left-shoulder turn there and head to the beach. Finish line is on the sand by the timing clock.
1k swimmers (white caps) will need to gather around 7:40 to walk to your start (about 8 min walk; no loitering!). A start buoy will be in the water around 8th Ave South. The race official will be carrying a sign “1K”. All the white swim caps walking down the beach! You will start on the beach, enter the water, swim to the first buoy and left-shoulder turn at that buoy, then just swim north. Keep houses and the beach on your left, and the sun on your right and you will be going in the proper direction. (seriously, folks; no swimming out to sea). There will be the finish buoy in the water that you left-shoulder turn there and head to the beach. Finish line is on the sand by the timing clock.
5k swimmers (Green caps) will gather around 7:45 on the beach a little south of the 1st Place Sports Finish Line, in front of Joe’s Crab Shack. You will enter the water at the start, left shoulder turn around one of my lifeguards on a board holding a small orange buoy (this will be removed as soon as all 5k swimmers are around it), head north for a large buoy, then right shoulder turn on that one. There will be another large buoy southeast that you need to right shoulder turn on; It will take you a little further off shore, to stay out of the way of the 1k and 2k swimmers heading north. Swim south for 2k, then right shoulder turn on another buoy and head towards another buoy (the 2k start buoy) to right shoulder turn, then you will be on the path that the 2k swimmers take. I will have more details about the buoy placement later as I take inventory. Your buoys will be a combination of inflatable red or white swans (probably the farthest north buoy that turns you south and the farthest south to turn you back north to swim to the finish), and large orange and yellow buoys. I will have a diagram at packet pickup. It will make sense if you see the whole picture; basically, it is a long rectangle with pointy ends.
All finishers will receive a finisher medal; the 5k medal is slightly different from the 1k-2k medals, so be sure to have your swim cap visible when you cross the line so those handing out the medals know which to give you.
There will be post-race food (oranges, watermelon, bagels) and water/Gatorade and Smoothie King samples.
AWARDS: There are 19 age categories for each race. I will try to do awards as soon as most of the distances finish, but be patient please. Results will be on 1stplacesports.com website; you could check on your phone and let us know your distance/age/place/name and we can give you the award right then. All age groups get 1st-3rd and if an age group has 8 or more swimmers, then 4th and 5th will also get an award. Overall Winner and Overall Masters (both male and female) in each race will get an overall award (and taken out of their respective age groups). Your age group is determined by the age you are on Race Day. Please see us at the awards table to get your award; I will not be mailing out awards this year.
I will not have a race day meeting unless something has to be changed. Please get questions answered before the race. Many swimmers have done this before and would be glad to answer questions, if I am not available.
Thanks to our sponsors First Beaches Insurance (swim cap sponsor) and Coltman & Baughman Physical Therapy (5K Sponsor), to Smoothie King for providing post-race smoothies, to the Florida Kayak Club and Volunteer Life Saving Corps for water support, to the City of Jax Beach Rec Department, and to Mayo Clinic Sports Medicine for medical support. Thank you to all who have donated, along with your registration, to the Volunteers!
Questions that I can answer before race day?
Respond to this email, or text me 904-616-9273
Stay salty and see you soon!
Susan