Event Description

In its fifteenth year, the Publix Grandman Triathlon has become a premier destination event, attracting racers of all ages and skill levels from the Southeast and beyond! Racers begin this sprint triathlon with a jump off of Fairhope Pier and 1/3-mile swim in Mobile Bay to the shore. After the swim comes a 18 mile bike ride through the charming city of Fairhope. The ride begins with one steep hill and five miles of rolling countryside. The race to the finish line begins with a 3.1 mile run through the streets of Fairhope and along the Bay. Visit www.thegrandman.com to learn more about the race, view race maps, photos, watch videos, and more!

Event details and schedule

RACE COURSE DESCRIPTION (Click here to view detailed maps of each leg of the course!)

SWIM COURSE

Swimmers begin the race by jumping off of both finger piers on the south side of the Fairhope Pier, then swimming approximately 200 yards south and turning east toward the shore before exiting onto the small staircase on the beach. Racers will line up near your matching swim cap color and individually according to race number (selected based on racer entered swim time at registration).

Racers participating in the swim portion of the race should be able to swim 1/3-mile before race day. Swim caps are provided and wetsuits should not be necessary. Kayaks will be patrolling the course to guide swimmers and to offer support to any swimmers in distress. Buoys will be set in place to mark the course. 

BIKE COURSE

Racers will leave the transition area, bike straight uphill and then turn right onto South Section Street/Highway 3 and continue to Greeno Road/U.S. Highway 98. Racers will then turn right onto Greeno Road/U.S. Highway 98 then make a quick right turn onto Scenic Highway 98/Mobile Street and follow this back to the race site. Total length of bike course is 18.6 miles. 

RUN COURSE

The run is 3.1 miles (5K) and will start by heading directly up the hill (on the north side of the hill, not the south). At the top of the hill, racers will make a left turn and head around Knoll Park to Bayview Avenue. Racers then follow Bayview to North Avenue (turn right) and then another right on Summit Street. Racers continue running on Summit to Oak Street, turn around and head back to the Pier following the same path. At the bottom of the hill, racers turn right and make a loop through the park (all the way to the duck pond) and along the sidewalk by the pier. The finish line will be on the south side of the traffic circle in Fairhope Park.

TRANSITION AREA MAP & RULES

There will be one entry into the transition area and one exit to the transition area.

1. Transition area will be open to racers at 5:30 a.m.

2. Only body-marked racers allowed into the Transition area.

3. Transition area will be closed for setup at 7 a.m.

4. Transition area will re-open to allow racers to remove items at 10:30am. Only five racers are allowed into the transition area at a time to gather their belongings while racers are still on the race course. Once the last racer has crossed the finish line, the transition area will be open.

5. Your bike number must match your body marking number to leave the transition area.

6. You MAY NOT reach over blue netting to remove anything from the transition area.

7. Please be patient and give other racers the courtesy of completing the race.

8. If you need something important to your health and safety (such as medicine), please leave it at the information tent or with a medical officer.

RACER INFO: AWARDS

You are only eligible to receive an award in the division you enter. Age group participants are not eligible for Weight Division awards. Clydesdales (men weighing 220+ lbs.) and Athenas (women weighing 165+ lbs.) are not eligible for Age Group.

ENTRIES WITH NO DIVISION MARKED WILL AUTOMATICALLY BE PLACED IN THE AGE GROUP DIVISION. CHANGES IN DIVISION ARE SUBJECT TO A $10 TRANSFER FEE. NO CHANGES WILL BE MADE AFTER MAY 14, 2018.

AWARDS GO TO THE TOP MALE & FEMALE in:

1. OVERALL WINNER

2. MASTER DIVISION: Overall fastest time for male and female racer in the 40-49 year age group.

3. GRANDMASTER DIVISION: Overall fastest time for male and female racer over 50.

4. RUN, BIKE, SWIM SPLITS

Top 3 Male & Female in the following categories:

1. AGE GROUP DIVISION: Comprised of those wishing to compete only against other athletes of the same sex and age. Some waves may consist of more than one age group and/or may contain both males and females.

• Under 20, 20-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, 65-69, 70-74, 75-79, 80-84, 85+.

2. CLYDESDALE DIVISION: Comprised of men weighing 220 or more pounds. Clydesdale participants are not eligible for Age Group awards.

3. ATHENA DIVISION: Comprised of women weighing 165 or more pounds. Athena participants are not eligible for Age Group awards.

4. FAT TIRE DIVISION: For folks who are using a mountain bike for the race.

5. FIRST TIMERS: In order to qualify for this category, this must be your first ever triathlon. Everyone will be checked through USAT! A $10 fee will be charged if category changes are required.

Top Three TEAMS: For those who don’t want to go it alone. Teams can consist of 2 or 3 individuals taking on 1 or 2 legs of the race. They can be comprised of males and/or females. No individual teammate is allowed to race the entire race.