Belews Lake Sprint

On April 17th I competed in the Belews Lake Sprint Triathlon in Stokesdale, NC. Here is the race review:
Belews Lake Sprint: 750M swim, 14 mile bike, 5k run
April 17, 2010
Stokesdale, NC
Entry fee: early $55, late $65
Hotels: Most are 20 to 30 minutes away, either in Greensboro or out by the Piedmont Triad Airport
Travel: 20-30 minute drive from Greensboro, NC
Restaurants: Not much around the lake—need to venture into Greensboro where there are lots of choices
Race Goodies: T-shirt and Hammer Gel
Course:
Swim-The swim is in a clean lake with a sandy bottom and the water temperature ranges between 69 and 74 degrees all year round (thanks to Duke Energy)! The race was an in-water start time-trial start with participants swimming a triangular-shaped course. Participants exited the water at the end of the boat launch and had to run about 50 yards to the transition area.
Run—The run is a rolling out and back on mostly paved road (a short portion is on a gravel road). The finish is a speedy ½ mile downhill to the finish line.
Bike—The bike is a rolling loop course on low traffic roads.
Aid Stations: There were two aid stations on the run.
Volunteers: Friendly, helpful volunteers.
Expo: At the race site—Inside Out sports were set-up at the site with the basics….
Timing: Chip timing—Benji Jones does a great job with the race.
Awards: Awards were visors and socks…
Post Race Food: Drinks, pizza, hot dogs, chips, fruit….
Parking: Plenty of parking available at by the lake—the earlier you can get there, the better.
Porta Potties: Lake facilities and porta potties by the transition area.
Transition Areas: There was a large paved transition area with good flow—some small rocks/pebbles throughout the transition area. The racks were numbered, as were the individual spots.
Waves: Time trial start for the swimmers, going off in pairs…..
Synopsis: This is a great home-town race that is well run on a fun course. It is so nice to just roll out of bed and head to a race that is just 20 minutes away!!!

Rating: 4.0 CRANKS

Scale:
1 CRANK = Don't even think about doing this race...
2 CRANKS = Hmmmmm, a last resort...
3 CRANKS = Not bad, you get what you pay for...
4 CRANKS = Solid event all around...
5 CRANKS = Can't miss, a must-do race...