I am sorry to report the New York State Parks Department has provided us with water safety testing results which indicate Lake Welch is not swimmable due to the algae bloom and will not be available for use at this weekend’s 2022 Toughman Triathlon and 2022 USA Triathlon Long Course National Championships.
We have done everything possible to provide for the swim portion to take place in Harriman State Park, including redoing the swim course at Lake Welch, scouting out an alternative swim location at Lake Tiarati, and waiting as long as possible to make this decision. But ultimately, this is a safety issue and athlete safety is our number one priority.
With safety in mind, the format of this weekend’s races involving a swim will shift (please read below for more information). While these changes in the race format were necessitated by forces of nature outside of our control, we will offer a discount code for all 2023 return athletes.
In addition to working with the New York State Department of Parks on addressing this issue, we have also consulted with our sport’s national governing body, USA Triathlon. Despite the necessary course changes, USA Triathlon has ensured all National Championship races taking place this weekend will still be qualifiers for Team USA and World Championships.
Offering a great race experience for athletes is our top priority behind athlete safety. We are confident we have made changes to the event that will allow all athletes to compete in the same high-quality race you’ve come to expect from Toughman.
The format of the races will now be as follows:
- All triathlon races will now be a Duathlon
- Aquabike races will be changed to a Time Trial bike format. Please refer to Plan B maps.
- Aquabike racers will start from TRANSITION at 7:10 a.m. with 3 racers starting every 3 seconds (self-seed). The Olympic Aquabike on Saturday will begin at the same time as the Duathlon from Transition, with 3 riders every 3 seconds (self-seed).
- Start times for Saturday Triathlons will be pushed back to 7 a.m. for the Sprint triathlon as well as all long course races on Sunday. All Triathlon races will start on the Promenade in FRONT of the Transition area BY WAVE with 5-minute intervals.
We look forward to seeing all athletes compete this weekend, including the Collegiate Club and Women’s Collegiate Triathlon teams, and USA Triathlon Long Course National Championship athletes.
Thank you for your understanding,
Richard Izzo Race Director