Ultra Maratona Atlântica Melides -Tróia

Dear athletes,

We are two days away from the Ultra Maratona Atlântica Melides – Tróia 2012.

We would like to inform you about some issues that are worthy of your attention, so that on the 22nd everything “runs” well.

We are at your disposal for further questions that you might have.

Has you probably noticed we have nearly four hundred registrations for the race, result of our, and yours, hard work promoting the event, and also because of the importance that the race starts to have near the companies, clubs, social network and several other entities.

The growing number of athlete’s increases the challenge and competitive aspect of the race, while at the same time brings us some increased difficulty organizing it. We hope to resolve this with a bigger effort from our part and with your help and understanding.

Even thought we recommend that you read the full regulation, we would like to present some notes regarding the race.

TRANSPORTATION FROM TRÓIA TO MELIDES:

For those coming from Setúbal, the only boat that allows you to get the transportation provided by the organization is the catamaran that leaves from Setúbal at 06h20 A.M. from pear 3, with destination Ponta do Adoxe, Tróia, the oldest pear, where you will find the organization buses. The boat only transports passengers and doesn’t carry cars.

There isn’t any boat leaving Setúbal with destination for the new pear, that carries cars, and that allows the athlete’s to pick up the transportation provided by the organization to Melides beach.

The buses will leave Tróia at 06h45 A.M, as soon as the athletes settle, so that they can arrive in Melides as soon as possible.

We ask all athletes to help us through the boarding process, either those that arrive by boat and those that drive to Tróia to use our transportation.

For the athletes coming to Tróia by car, we inform that there are several parking lots in Tróia, where you can park your car at a cost of approximately 0,60€ per hour, at a maximum of 6€ a day, these are open 24 hours a day.

One of these parking lots, P3, is located 150 meters from the zone where the organization buses will be parked. The athletes can also look for another parking choices, leaving that to each athletes criteria.

SECRETARY:

The race secretary will work at the end of the pedestrian walkway in Melides´s beach (same place as 2011), the car´s should be parked in the parking lot near the restaurants.

The secretary will be open between 07h00 and 08h00 A.M., for the delivery of the electronic chips, race number and race supplies.

For safety reasons the race numbers will be delivered individually.

For the race numbers delivery, we will have two different sections, one for the race number 1 to 200 and another for the numbers 201 and forward.

We will have the race number´s list displayed in alphabetical order in two different spots, so that when the athlete arrives in Melides they can easily know their own race number, we will also try to post on our blog the athletes race number as soon as possible (we will try to make it on the 20th of july).

Has for the athletes items deposit, we will have 3 collection points (instead of 1 like we did in 2011), so that we can end this service at 08h30 A.M., assuring that the race starts at 09h00 A.M. we ask all athletes to deposit the items as soon as possible, and don’t save this task for last because last year most athletes did this right before the race start, and we can’t start the race on time if all athletes decide to leave the items at 08h00 A.M..

We predict that there will be a mandatory course for all athletes, on their way to the race start, so that we can have a complete electronic record of all athletes in the starting point. Only this way we can assure the control and safety of all athletes.

Athletes will receive an ASICS running shirt in the secretary.

All athletes will also receive the organization supply at the secretary, including 1 bottle of water (1,5 lt), 1 apple, 1 energetic bar and 1 energetic gel.

The athletes item deposit service will close at 08h30 A.M.

The usual briefing will begin at 08h30 A.M.

The race start will take place at 09h00 A.M., just as mentioned on the regulation, we predict low tide at 11h11 A.M in Sines harbor and at 11h43 A.M. in Setúbal harbor.

KEEPING TRACK OF THE TRAVELED DISTANCE:

Throughout the race course there are several checkpoints, each one of them identifies the distance that the athlete has already traveled through.

The checkpoints are located at the following distances:

5,5 km . 8,5 km . 10 km . 14,5 km . 18,5 km . 20 km . 28,5 km . 30 km . 37,5 km . 40 km . 43 km (FINISH LINE)

ELETRONIC RECORD:

The electronic record will take place in Praia da Aberta Nova and at the finish line. Due to the high number of athletes we cannot assure the success of the manual tracking of the athletes, we will try best our to assure this process.

We would like to call the attention of all athletes to the fact that is necessary for all athletes to pass through all the checkpoints (right next to the flag) so that the electronic and manual record goes as smoothly as possible.

PRYZE DELIVERY:

The prize delivery of the first 3 places for both female and male athletes is scheduled to start at 13h30 P.M. near the finish line.

The remaining prizes will be delivered at around 17h30 P.M, in the Tróia marina, there will be a small brunch and athletes get together, provided by SONAE.

Around 15h00 P.M. there will be a lottery for all athletes, near the finish line, the prizes include a variety of meals and lodging in the region of Grândola. An athlete, whose number is drawn and for any reason can’t pick up the prize, can claim it in the race secretary, or during the ceremony award.

At 16h30 P.M. the Casino de Tróia will display the UMA video (Ultra Maratona Atlântica Melides – Tróia), a project by Carlos Gomes and Fran Lopez Reyes, a first impression of the images gathered in the 2011 race, and through a personal contact with some of the athletes during their training for the event. For early 2013 is schedule the final version of the documentary. The Casino is located right next to the Marina, so we invite you to watch the video and then right after that to attend the award ceremony and brunch for a complete Sunday afternoon.

On the following days of the race the organization will provide, on the blog, a finish line photo for the athletes that finish the race.

As for the Money prizes, regarding both female and male athletes, we want to remember all athletes that the prize can only be delivered once the athlete presents a receipt, either from their part or their club. If the athlete can’t provide a valid receipt on the day of the race, we will send the prize later (through bank transfer) upon receiving the receipt on the Grândola´s City council Sports Division.

ADITIONAL INFORMATION:

Athletes that by any reason quit the race, can pick up their belongings in the finish line presenting their race number at the time.

There are garbage disposal points in every beach near the organization staff, we ask all athletes to dispose of the garbage in the appropriate places and not to leave the garbage throughout the beach.

The organization provides two bottles (0,5 L ) of water to each athlete at the Comporta beach. Athletes are not authorized to receive any other sort of supply throughout the race, all athletes seen receiving any other supply will be disqualified.

The race finishes at 17h00 P.M, at that time all athletes that haven’t cross the Sóltroia beach checkpoint, should end their race in the next beach.

We confirm the existence of a deposit service in Melides beach, near the secretary of the race, the items will be returned to the athletes near the finish line, against the presentation of the race number.

Athletes will be feasted with some fruits and beverage at the finish line.

Again we have in our team the presence of the Portuguese Red cross, as well as one doctor, one nurse and Grândola´s firefighters throughout the race course, and another nurse at Comporta´s beach.

There will be a massages school in Tróia, so that we can increase the simultaneous assistance we provide to the athletes in the finish line.

As we mentioned earlier, former Olympic champion Carlos Lopes has once again accepted our invitation and will be joining us in the event.

We would like to make a special reference to the athletes that join us since the 2005 edition, year of the first “Ultra Maratona Atlântica Melides – Tróia”: Fernando Andrade, Analice Silva, Chantal Xhervelle, Jaime Lamego, Rui Freitas and Sérgio Tomás.

Lastly we would like to inform the athletes that the race will be broadcasted live, in Carvalhal beach (7 wonders of Portugal nominee) and in the finish line.

We wish all athletes a god final preparation for the race and a god trial.

See you soon.

Grândola´s City council Sports Division.