LETTER to Editor: Some suggestions for future triathlon events

Dear Editor:

I wish to congratulate the organizers and volunteers who recently put on the Old Forge Triathlon. It began and ended without a hitch with many successful participants and no reported accidents. All participants seemed to be well aware of the rules and the pattern of operation and eagerly transitioned to each of the next phases of the event.

However, I do need to add an observation and some facts that really should be addressed for the next annual event.

If you were one of the many folks watching the race from the parking lot across from Dan’s Market, then you can attest to the near-fatal incident that occurred as the bikers were coming through the village.

Inlet had warning cones and noticeable volunteers in bright lime-green shirts directing the bikers as they came into town and had to make the right hand turn to start down South Shore Road.

On-lookers were aware that some event was taking place and heartily cheered as the racers went by. Visibility was the key word.There was no such warning or caution signs along Rt. 28 until you entered Inlet and none again on South Shore Road until the last few hundred yards where the bikers had to re-enter the transition zone. I believe this to be a potentially dangerous oversight.

When a car approaches Eagle Bay (at a legal speed of 30 mph) it passes the first driveway intersection at The Donut Shoppe on the south side of Rt. 28.

When you start counting driveway and street intersections, on the south side of he road only, you will find that there are 22 entrances coming into the road all the way up to Clark’s Marina.

is not counting the driveway and street entries on the opposite side of the road.

As to the near-fatal incident, an elderly gentleman did no see the biker approaching the street intersection across from Dan’s Market and pulled out directly into the path of the biker. The biker swerved away from the car and pulled into the middle line of the road as another car was coming at her from the opposite direction.

She was able to hold her position in the middle lane until the offending car pulled away from her and then she moved back onto the right side of the road.

There were no warning balloons, no caution signs, and no lime-green shirted volunteers slowing down traffic; no cautionary actions taken to protect the racers in Eagle Bay. Happily, it did not prove to be a fatal incident.

Here are some suggestions for the protection of the racers, and visibility is the operative word: Participants should have a large lime-green numbered sign on their back or on the seat of their bicycle as they are racing, Lime-green balloons along the route with signs indicating that a bike/run is taking place, volunteers with lime-green shirts and large lime-green flags should be placed on both sides of the road as cars enter and leave Eagle Bay and Inlet, and lime-green posters should be placed at the entrance of populated areas warning of a road race during the hours of the event.

The Triathlon event was exciting to watch and very inspiring for us all. I  truly hope that this will be another annual event here in Old Forge.

Constructively,

Margo Martin, Old Forge 

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