Over three hundred athletes set to race in the third year of the Zone Urban Epic Triathlon and Festival

Saturday, July 18, 2009 at 8:30 a.m.
Portland, Maine

The third annual Zone Urban Epic Triathlon and Festival will take place in downtown Portland on Saturday, July 18. Three hundred fifty athletes will gather at East End Beach at 8:30 a.m. to compete in the ½-mile swim, 13-mile bike, and 3.7-mile run event.

The enhanced 2009 Zone Urban Epic (ZUE) event will feature a new finish on the Maine State Pier with a prominent post-race festival that includes a Smuttynose Beer Garden, Mammut climbing wall, local food and retail vendors, and live music by the Jason Spooner Trio. The spectator-friendly festival is free and open to the public.

Racers will start at 8:30 a.m. at East End Beach with a ½-mile out-and-back swim in Casco Bay, followed by .5-mile run down the East End Trail to the main transition area located inside Portland Yacht Services at 58 Fore Street. Next, they will embark on a 13-mile bike course up to the Eastern Promenade and down to Baxter Boulevard, completing two loops along Back Cove before heading back to the TA along the same route. Athletes end with a 3.7-mile out-and-back run along the Eastern Promenade and a big finish on the Maine State Pier.

Also new in 2009, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southern Maine will present an Urban Epic Kids Race following the adult event. Kids ages 4-6 can compete in a 200-yard-dash Fun Run, and kids from 7-13 can fundraise and compete in an Aquarun (swim-run) race. Both races will finish on the Pier, where there will be a special family-oriented play and learn area. All proceeds will benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters.

Seventy percent of the athletes hail from Maine, while 30 percent will be traveling in from 14 states and Canada. Athletes compete both individually and in relay teams and range in ability from first-timers to seasoned pros.