COVID-19 Updates

Update 7/10/20

Michigan Titanium 2020 Cancellation

Since our last update on June 11th we have been working diligently behind the scenes to modify our procedures, the event layout, and literally every other aspect of Michigan Titanium to meet and/or exceed the ever changing local, state, and federal guidelines.  At the time of that update we saw a path forward as Michigan was trending positively and the number of new Covid-19 cases was declining.  Unfortunately, like much of the nation, Michigan has seen an increase in cases of late with Kent County (where Michigan Titanium is held) being labeled a high-risk area earlier this week.  After many discussions with our staff and local officials, along with our medical provider, Metro Health, and taking into account the number of out of town athletes for an event like Michigan Titanium, we have made the extremely difficult decision to cancel the 2020 race.

We desperately wanted to hold this event, especially after not being able to put on Grand Rapids Triathlon last month. Like you, we are triathletes and understand your strong desire to compete.  Sadly, in light of where we are at right now, it would be irresponsible to continue planning to hold the event. We simply cannot put our athletes, their families, volunteers, spectators, and our community at risk given the current continued state of the pandemic.

Athlete options due to the cancellation are:

1. Automatic deferral to next year’s MiTi to be held on August 15th, 2021 as outlined in our June 11th update. You will receive an email later today regarding how this works.
2. If 2021 does not work for you, we will offer deferment to 2022’s event. Contact Lori at info@tris4health.com for details.
3. Free transfer to another athlete via our athlete forum. We will continue to waive the
   $35 transfer fee.
4. Donate your entry to our charity partner, World Vision. Contact Lori at info@tris4health.com for letting us know.

Virtual Titanium

As a completely separate side event, we will be offering a virtual MiTi for those looking to apply their many hours of training to. This will occur in August and participants will earn a worthy medal and shirt for their accomplishment. Details coming next week.

We really, really tried, guys.

Jon & John

Update 6/11/20

Thank you for your patience as we work towards MiTi 2020.  For those of you outside of Michigan, our Governor recently opened the northern portion of the state and it seems to have gone well.  We are cautiously optimistic that we will be able to hold MiTi as planned in August, although with significant modifications.  We want to give you an update on what those modifications may look like, with further details coming very soon.

Please keep in mind that while things are looking a bit more positive locally, COVID-19 continues to be a very fluid situation. We are presenting the information below based on the best available data we have to date. If additional restrictions are put back in place between now and August and we are only allowed to have 100 or 250 people gathering, then Michigan Titanium will not happen this year and all entries will be deferred to 2021.

• Athlete Cap –  As of right now we are projecting that cap to be somewhere in the 500 athlete range, depending on state and local regulations at the time of the event and the physical capacity of the venue. If we can safely and logistically raise the cap as we get closer to the event date, we will certainly do so.
• New Registrations – With the cap in mind, we are closing Olympic and Swim-Only registrations but leaving open the Half and Full distance events.
• Expo/Packet Pickup – This will be very different from previous years, specific details announced soon.  Our goal will be to limit contact while still allowing everyone to pick up their packet.
• Bike Drop Off – This will still happen the day before the race.
• Preview Swim – This July preview is cancelled for this year.
• Kids’ Triathlon – Cancelled for 2020, returning for 2021. Please email Lori for next steps if you already registered your child(ren) – info@tris4health.com
• Swim – The swim start will most likely be a rolling wave format with 3-6 people going off at a time and 15-30 seconds spacing between waves.  We are working on how best to handle the different distances to limit the number of people in transition at one time.
• Transition – Transition will be modified significantly with 3 people per rack and two lanes of one-way traffic to limit potential contact.  Previously, athletes 1-8 would be on one rack, 2-16 on the second, etc.  This will be changing and athlete 1 will be on one rack, athlete 2 on a second rack, etc.  Our hope is that by the time the next athlete racked on rack 1 comes out of the water the first athlete will be long gone.
• Bike – We are looking at revising the bike course to reduce the number of aid stations so as to not require athletes to completely self-support their hydration and nutrition.
• Run – Like the bike course, the run course will most likely be revised to help limit contact.
• Finish Line – We are asking that people not congregate at the finish line.  To help move things along we will be making awards available for pickup at a later date and will ship them to people who are not local.
• Deferral – If you register for MiTi 2020 and decide you are not comfortable racing this year we will allow a 100% deferral to next year.  There will be no refunds and a virtual event alternative is highly unlikely.  We will also offer a 100% deferral policy in the case of cancellation due to Covid-19. Again, there will be no refunds.
• Transfers – Athletes can transfer their entry to another athlete FREE of charge (we are waving the $35 fee) for an event of equal or lesser value. There will be no refunds or credits given for the difference.
• Pricing – We will keep tier three pricing open through the end of June.
• Prize Money – Due to this crisis, there will be no prize money for overall winners this year.
• Spectators – We ask you to please limit the number of spectators at the event.  If possible, let them know when you expect to finish so they can be there at that time.

Please understand that this is by no means a comprehensive list of the changes necessary to hold a triathlon in today’s world. We are giving you the most information possible given what we know at this time.  We will be providing comprehensive documentation very soon going over everything from packet pickup through to finish line food.

As always, please feel free to reach out with any questions or concerns.

Jon & John

Update 5/21/20

Another 4 weeks has passed. We held our first full MiTi staff meeting this week via Zoom and are still hitting our race planning marks on schedule. There have been several developments the past month that all participants should be aware of.

USA Triathlon Safe Return to Multisport Guidelines

USA Triathlon recently launched their “Safe Return to Multisport Initiative” which recommends guidelines under which multisport events may be held. It is extensive and alters all aspects of holding an event.

A general overview of the guidelines can be found by clicking here.

We have been reviewing the guidelines and while certainly challenging, we can see a path forward to hold the event as scheduled. Would it be the “normal” MiTi as years past? No, but any race that is able to be held for the foreseeable future will not be “normal” given the extra safety procedures that absolutely need to be put in place and social distancing that needs to happen. This will alter everything from event size, transition, aid stations, volunteers, finish line, post-race activities and more. USA Triathlon has also released a comprehensive guide for race directors which expands on the guidelines linked above.

Return to Racing Recommendations for Athletes

In addition, USA Triathlon released today their Return to Racing Recommendations for Athletes, which details procedures and considerations all athletes should be taking for themselves before and during an event.

What does this mean?

Bottom-line, we are working on how to hold this event with the USA Triathlon guidelines in mind which are meant to keep everyone, participants, volunteers and race staff, as safe as possible. We still do not know what local, state and federal rules/mandates will be in effect beyond the end of this month. We do not know yet if there will be any municipal rules that will prevent large gatherings to happen.

What we do know is that should we not be able to hold the event, we will do our best to present viable and fair options to our participants much like we did with our partner race, the Grand Rapids Triathlon. We will have updates coming more regularly going forward and will make decisions based on the best available data and recommendations we have.

Stay safe & healthy,
Jon & John

Update 4/22/20

We are proceeding on schedule in planning for the 2020 edition of MiTi. However, we are extending our pricing freeze into the foreseeable future until we can determine what August will look like in terms of races. Since our last update, we have postponed our partner race, Grand Rapids Triathlon to 2021 and added a virtual event in its place. We are monitoring the situation closely in relation to MiTi. Should we not be able to safely hold this year’s event, we will be providing our athletes with ample and reasonable options much like GRTri.

Stay safe, stay put & stay healthy,
Jon & John

Update 3/13/20

As race directors, the health, wellness, and safety of our athletes and race community are paramount. We are keeping on top of this unprecedented situation as it unfolds and are working tirelessly behind the scenes to mitigate any potential impact on the races and your months of training. We are athletes, too, and understand the stress of the situation. Currently, time is on our side with Grand Rapids Triathlon 3 months away, Michigan Titanium 5 months away, and The Dirty Mitten Gravel Triathlon happening this Fall.

To help our athletes navigate what their race season will look like considering this challenging time, we are extending our current registration tiers into the foreseeable future. As we continually reassess over the next few weeks, we will share when the next tier change will occur.

Stay safe & healthy, brighter days are ahead!
Jon & John