Rockport Rugged Triathlon

4rd AnnualOff-Road Triathlon in Alpena, Michigan

Rockport Rugged Promises to Challenge Athletes

The Venue

Alpena, MI – It’s a triathlon that defines the word rugged. Join other rugged athletes for the inaugural off-road triathlon racing over roots, rocks and the mighty Lake Huron. XTERRA Rockport Rugged, the adventure triathlon, will take place on August 17, 2019 at Rockport State Recreation Area in Alpena, Michigan.

Rockport Biking Hiking_08 — The Rockport property includes an abandoned limestone quarry making for some wild and rugged terrain.

This event highlights the rough and rugged terrain of Rockport State Recreation Area providing the best possible athlete race day adventure experience, in a fun, friendly, family-focused environment. The race is in stark contrast to standard triathlon experiences and will challenge athletes with uneven terrain, dirt, rocks, tree limbs, and the waves of Lake Huron.

Rockport State Recreation Area was chosen as the event site for its unique topographical characteristics, undeveloped natural beauty, and the challenge for on- and off-trail routes. The park’s location, positioned just slightly north of Alpena along the Lake Huron shoreline, makes it easily accessible from US-23 north and US-23 south off I-75, and M-32.

Click Here to see what makes this Race so special

The Challenge

The event steps outside of the typical triathlon experience in a number ways:

Open water swim course in Lake Huron. Get ready to brave the Great Lakes!
Bike and run courses take the athlete over roots and rocks with a portion of the race leading through the forest off of designated trails.
Separate Kayak and Stand Up Paddleboard race.
Olympic, sprint, and relay options.
The race course goes through an abandoned limestone quarry.
Commune with nature while crushing trails inside Michigan’s dense forest land with breathtaking views of Lake Huron.
On the shores of Lake Huron, a deep water port and an historic pier grace the harbor entrance.

Event hosts have engaged 3Disciplines, a premier race management company, to assist with race routing and logistics. 3Disciplines has managed more than 460 race events across the United States and will bring this expertise to Rockport Rugged to assure the event is top-quality.

“For years we’ve wanted to feature Alpena’s untouched natural beauty in an outdoor race experience. The Rockport terrain is the perfect canvas for an off-road event because it is rough and undeveloped. This won’t be your typical triathlon. Don’t expect any well-worn paths or paved roads. This is rugged racing in its most natural form. It’s going to be a wild and exciting experience for the athletes,” said event co-host Casey Stutzman of Performance Locker. Stutzman added that the event will appeal to both novice and experienced athletes with multiple entry and distance options.

Click Here to view the Bike Course for the race

Click Here to view the Run Course

Official Rockport Trail Map

The Event

Beginner and advanced athletes are all invited to be a part of this inaugural race. Distances include (Relays offered for Olympic and Sprint Triathlon):

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA — Rockport State Recreation Area is rich in history, including a wooden shipwreck just off shore.

Olympic Tri – 1000m swim, 15.1 mi MTB., 5.6 mi trail run
Sprint Tri – 500m swim, 8 mi MTB., 5k trail run
Olympic Aquabike: 1000m swim, 15.1 mi MTB
Sprint Aquabike: 500m swim, 8 mi MTB.
Sprint KayaTri: 2 mile Kayak/Paddle Board, 8 mi MTB., 5k trail run

This event is hosted by Performance Locker in Partnership with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources. All proceeds benefit Rockport State Recreation Area for future park improvements.

“This is going to be a great way for our group to raise necessary funds to assist with improvements to this park. Rockport has a lot going on. The park is over 4,000 acres and includes a shipwreck, ghost village, abandoned limestone quarry, a bat hibernaculum, sinkholes, deep water fishing and even fossils from over 400 million years ago. You’d be hard-pressed to find this diversity of terrain and experiences on one piece of property anywhere else. We’ve also recently been designated as a Michigan Dark Sky Preserve because of the opportunity to view the beauty of the night sky unspoiled by light pollution.