Photo above: Amy Byard and her daughter Avery and son Cooper participating in the 2020 Hagerstown Duathlon
By Laura Oates | Racine MultiSports | February 9, 2021
With COVID-19 still looming in 2021, many are wondering if LIVE “In-Person” racing will go forward this year. Athletes are nervous to sign up for a race, unsure if the event will end up getting canceled, causing them to lose their money or be forced to do another option decided on by race management. Racine MultiSports has a plan for 2021, including their “No Risk Registration”, that will put all those fears to rest.
Racine MultiSports’ “No Risk Registration” promises that if they have to cancel any of their 2021 events due to COVID-19, they will refund 100% of the race fee, or allow participants to defer to a later race, whichever is the participant’s preference. This was successfully offered in 2020 which built trust and confidence with race participants.
Racine MultiSports was one of the few race management companies that successfully pulled off LIVE “In-Person” racing in 2020, in the height of the COVD-19 pandemic. They are coming into 2021 with experience under their belt.
Courtney Smith, a triathlete and a member of Team Triumph, shared her experiences with racing with Racine MultiSports in 2020. “Racine did an incredible job pulling off in-person races, at a time that many races had been canceled or deferred. I think I speak for many athletes in saying, we all missed racing so much, as it is a huge part of our lives. Participating in both the Fort Ritchie SUPER Fest Sprint Triathlon and Hagerstown Duathlon were such bright spots during a tough year for me. Both events were well-organized, put health and safety first, and were well executed. From staggered athlete check-ins, to timed starts, I felt completely safe as an athlete. I give kudos to the entire Racine team, as they hosted races that obviously required enhanced logistics and presented a unique set of challenges. The best part? We got to race in a safe environment and had a blast.”
Photo above: Courtney Smith competing at the Hagerstown Duathlon in 2020
Amy Byard, another Racine MultiSports race participant, said she and her family had a blast at the Hagerstown Duathlon in 2020 and was thankful that Racine MultiSports put on a safe race in the middle of the pandemic. Amy also shared, “Our family is very Covid cautious but when we read about all the precautions Racine was taking to put on a well organized (as always) and safe race with no crowds or grouping of people, we couldn’t wait to race. We felt safe the whole time and the athletes were very respectful of the rules. I plan to return for the Spring Hagerstown Duathlon this year in 2021, our whole family will do the summer 2021 Hagerstown Sprint Triathlon and I’ll be in Luray for the Luray International Triathlon. We can’t wait!”
Racine MultiSports is confident in their plan for 2021 LIVE “In-Person” races. Precautions will be taken to ensure proper CDC, State, and Local agency COVID protocol. Wave format will be established to ensure proper social distancing. Details will be communicated closer to the event and will have real-time restrictions to guide their COVID Mitigation plan.
Owner and Founder of Racine MultiSports, Ken Racine, said, “The knowledge we gained in 2020 puts us in a great position to safely execute races live this new year. We are dialed into the industry and are continuing to learn best practices. Our COVID mitigation plans will evolve throughout the year and will contain real-time safety protocols. Come join us in 2021, we all deserve to get back to racing.”
Race participants can feel confident in having a safe race day experience. The reassurance of the “No Risk Registration” allows them to register now for any Racine MultiSports events. Check out the list of 2021 LIVE “In-Person” race events HERE.
