May 27, 2009
Greetings 10K Swimmer!
The Horsetooth Open Water swim is less than 3 months away. We hope your training is progressing swimmingly! We here in Fort Collins are just now experiencing balmy water in the mid 60s on the plains, but Horsetooth is still in the 50s.
The Race Committee, the community of Fort Collins, and the State of Colorado are looking forward to hosting you at the mandatory pre-race orientation and dinner on Saturday August 15 and the swim on Sunday August 16. If you have any questions, please contact George Thornton at louiset36@comcast.net or 970-482-1818.
Congratulations! You are one of a select few who will be undertaking the challenges of the Horsetooth 10K Swim. The Swim has a number of features that make it quite special. The reservoir is nestled in the beautiful foothills just west of Fort Collins Colorado. The course runs 6.2 miles, point-to-point, along the western shore. The altitude of 5000 feet and the sometimes chilly water present challenging conditions to flatlanders. Visit our website www.horsetoothswim.com where the FAQ provides a lot of helpful information.
Participants: As of May 27, we have 44 registrants, and we know of several procrastinators who will surely sign up. This group of early entrant crazies includes 44 men and 19 women. Folks are coming from Colorado, New Mexico, Missouri, Tennessee, and California. Ages range from a teenager to 69. Tell your friends to get signed up! All 25 race-provided paddler/craft have been assigned. Other registrants must provide their own paddler/craft. There is wait list for paddler/craft on active.com.
Lucky 25 with Race-Provided Paddlers/Craft!! If you can arrange your own paddler/craft, this will free up support for someone coming from a long distance. We will refund your paddler fee and give you many big THANKS!!
Mandatory Pre-Race Dinner and Safety Meeting: All swimmers and paddlers are required to attend the mandatory pre-race safety orientation and dinner Saturday evening. At that time swimmers who are being provided paddlers by the organizing committee will be matched with their paddlers. The pairs can coordinate navigation, positioning, handoffs of nutrition, etc. In addition, we will provide details of logistics, parking restrictions at the race site, course directions, safety instructions, and other essential information. And, we’ll have a fun time telling war stories and getting psyched up. Location of the mandatory orientation and dinner will be announced in a future notice.
Swimmers Providing Your Own Paddlers: THANK YOU SOOO MUCH! To all of you who are providing your own paddlers and craft, the Race Committee extends our hearty THANKS! By doing so, you have made it possible to accommodate other swimmers coming from a long distance or who do not have their own support. As you may know, the Horsetooth Swim includes a number of other events, including 2.4 miles, 1 mile, and shorter events for age groupers. We must allocate some of our paddlers to support these events. Thus, we are providing paddler/craft for the 10K to only the first 25 registrants requesting this.
Shorter Events: As in past years we have staged shorter swims. For Masters swimmers we have a 2.4 mile swim (“with wetsuit” and “without wetsuit” divisions), and a 1-mile swim. For USMS age group swimmers we have events of 1 mile, 1000 yards, and 250 yards. See the website and Active.com for more details. If you have colleagues in Masters or triathons interested in the shorter swims, or you know age group swimmers who may be interested, please refer them to the website or Active.com.
Alert: In the unlikely situation that severe weather occurs, we may delay the start of the 10K swim for up to one hour. If the severe weather persists, we will have to cancel the event. We must be assured of safe conditions and comply with County regulations for the lake. There will be no refund of race fees.
Charity Fundraiser: This year marks the eleventh year our 10K swim has been a fund raiser for local social service agencies. In the past the swim has provided thousands of dollars of support for worthy programs. We are partnered with TEAM Fort Collins to put on the event. TEAM Fort Collins is a social service agency providing alcohol and drug abuse prevention programs in our area. They conduct nationally recognized programs in the schools and community. TEAM Fort Collins provides volunteer support in organizing, marketing, and supporting the swim. Their volunteers will be at the finish to “catch you” and provide support. We urge you to raise money to support TEAM Fort Collins in honor of your participation in the 10K swim. Representatives of TEAM Fort Collins will be at the dinner to meet you and accept your contributions.
Lodging. Information can be found via the Travel/Lodging link on our website: www.horsetoothswim.com. Two of the most centrally located are America’s Best Value Motel on College Avenue, and the Hilton Hotel on Prospect Avenue.
Cordially and Swimmingly Yours,
George Thornton
Race Co-Director