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Kona To Fitness 2023

SMILING TRI COACH VIRTUAL CHALLENGE 

“FROM KONA TO FITNESS” 

Travel 15,311km as a team from Kona to the UK

Race Starts 8am Saturday 7 January 2023

 

A very, very warm welcome to you all! After the amazing success of Corona to Kona, and then later Challenge 19, for the last 2 years, Christmas to Kona, we are delighted to run a Fitness Challenge to boost your training mojo in the new year! .  

 

We will be starting in Kona on Saturday 7 January and travelling via Australia, Germany and Norway before we reach a new finishing line in sunny Wales for the end of the journey.  

 

We are visiting iconic race destinations this time, via Cairns (Ironman Cairns) , Roth (Challenge Roth), Eidfjord (The Norseman), and Tenby (Ironman Wales) for the challenge. 

 

As with our previous challenges, we have designed it to be a lot of fun, with a competitive edge!  It's designed to help you to pull together as a team, get the winter kms in and have lots of fun along the way. 

 

Race Directors - Kate Offord & Mel Hayes
 

 

THE TEAMS

 

Teams will be a maximum of 20 per team - if you have less in your team, then your results will be weighted up! We recommend a minimum of 8 people per team.  If you have more than 20 people wanting to be in your team then you can split into 2 teams.


 

THE ROUTE

The total distance that needs to be travelled is 15,311 km - this is the same distance as we travelled in the very first Lockdown Challenge Corona to Kona. 

 

The challenge is split into 4 stages - each stage is nominally 3,828km long. 

 

START - KONA, HAWAII

 

The stage finishes are at:

 

  1. Cairns, Australia  (Ironman Australia) 

  2. Roth, Germany (Challenge Roth)

  3. Eidfjord, Norway (The Norseman) 

  4. Tenby, Wales (Ironman Wales)

 

If you have raced, or are racing any of these events, it will be very inspirational to add this Challenge into your training programme!

 

Teams can cover the km via swimming, biking, running or walking.   Team members must abide by the rules in their country of residence on each day of the challenge. These may be subject to change. 

 

Each discipline will have a weighting factor applied to ensure that all the disciplines carry equal value:

 

5km outdoor cycling = 500m swimming = 1.6km running/walking

[Indoor cycling will be awarded 25km/hr to discourage monster sessions.]

 

Power Up Challenges

Before the beginning of each stage we will set a team challenge that will enable your team to gain 400km on successful completion of the challenge. These challenges will be known as 'Power Up Challenges' and are inspired by the spectators you see at races who hold up Power Up boards to supercharge your energy. There is no obligation to complete the challenge but it is a way of pushing your team forward and coming together as a team. Some of the challenges might involve everyone in your team taking part to earn the 400km, other challenges might involve you choosing a member of your team who you think is the best person in your team to complete the challenge. As the challenges will be announced a few days before the beginning of each stage of the race your team will have time plan how to complete the Power Up Challenge and potentially getting your team a 400km early boost.

 

We start at 8am on Saturday 7th January from  a virtual Kona, Hawaii  (this is a line in the sand to officially start the race, any kms logged prior to this after midnight still count for those early birds!). The start will be announced on the Smiling Tri Coach public facebook page and Challenge group page. 

 

Each week teams will aim to complete each stage, there will be tie breakers and bonus points to spur you all on. 

 

RACE RULES

  1. Government guidance within your home country or region must be strictly followed at all times even if this guidance changes through the course of the challenge. 

  2. The “swim” can consist of pool or outdoor swimming (but please ensure you are responsible for your own safety) This does not include tethered swimming. Log the number of metres (m) you actually swim each day into your challenge spreadsheet - the sheet will convert the kilometres (km) for you.

  3. The “run” can consist of RUNNING outside or on a treadmill, or WALKING outside or on a treadmill.  No steppers, cross trainers or other inside gym equipment can be substituted at this time unless agreed by the race team. Log the number of kilometres (km) you actually run or walk each day into your challenge spreadsheet - the sheet will convert the kms for you.

  4. The “bike” can consist of riding on a turbo trainer indoors (smart trainers, and dumb trainers are equally welcomed) or riding  outside on the roads.

  5. Due to the different calibrations and set ups of different trainers and software (also the effect of gear selection on smart trainers) ALL TIME SPENT ON THE TURBO MUST BE RECORDED BY TIME.  This time will be converted to 25km/hour for all riders. Team members will log onto the sheets by the hour for indoor cycling and the sheet will calculate the kilometres

  6. All teams will be weighted to 20 members.  Each day the weighting factor will be applied to your team results by the Race Directors. This is a simple average of your total, divided by your confirmed number of team members, and multiplied by 20.

  7. Entries close on Saturday 31 December 2022, so teams must be agreed by then. 

  8. Team members must log their daily activity onto their individual race spreadsheet (provided by us) as early as possible to get an accurate view of the race. 

  9. The Race Directors will then apply the weighting and update everyone on race positions the following day. 

  10. Anything not logged won’t be counted, we can’t log backwards

  11. All Teams should nominate a Team Captain

  12. Team Captains are responsible for ensuring that all team members are logging honest kms and sticking with the spirit of the challenge. Everything is based on honesty, but please use the facebook group to post your “proof pictures”  

  13. Any issues should be flagged to your Team Captain.  Issues will be reported by your Team Captain to the Team Captain’s Whatsapp group and the group will endeavour to sort out the issue.  If a majority decision cannot be agreed, then the Race Directors have the final say. 

 

 

ADDITIONAL EVENTS

Each Saturday, teams will be encouraged to do a “virtual parkrun” - where as many team members as possible complete a 2k run or walk. Each person participating gains a point for their team. 

 

There will be tie breaker activities as we go along for extra points for the teams during each stage.  There will not be points for general social media posts this year.

 

There are 3 separate Team Competitions within the Challenge:
 

1. Stage Race - For each stage, teams are awarded points based on where they place in the stage based on the number of teams in the challenge down to one point. These points add up across the 4 stages and the team with the most points at the finish is the winner. 

 

2. Community Winner - the team that collects the highest community/team spirit points and parkrun points. This team must finish by 10pm on the Friday of the same week as the Stage winner. 

 

3. All round “Team of the Challenge” - the team with the highest number of stage points and community bonus points combined that finishes the challenge distance in the same week as the first team across the line.


 

Themes 

W1 - Ironman Cairns and Australian theme

W2 - Challenge Roth and European theme

W3 - The Norseman, adversity and hygge theme

W4 - Ironman Wales and celebration week


 

 

HEALTH AND SAFETY

Everyone takes part in this challenge at their own risk.  The challenge is a fun challenge and the organisers/other participants cannot be held liable for any accident or illness occurring to any team member during the time of the challenge.  By signing up to this challenge you are confirming that you are fit to train and to take part.  You must answer the question certifying that you are fit to train on the entry form.

 

Whilst the endurance element of this challenge is undisputed, please ensure that you stay within your limits and abilities so that you do not unduly injure or exhaust yourself whilst taking part in this fun challenge. 

 

Rest days - all team members must take a rest day, only 6 days can be recorded each week. 

 

Juniors must have permission from an adult to take part, and the adult is responsible for their safety. Parents and Team Captains are responsible for ensuring that the Junior Team Members are not over doing it. Junior km earned will be worth a weighting of 1.5.


 

PAYMENT

The fee to enter the challenge is £22 per participant for the full 5 week challenge, the entry fee also includes a Challenge Buff. Please email smilingtricoach_mel@yahoo.com and pay via bank transfer:

 

Mrs M J Hayes

Sort code 05-00-05

Account No 07437102

 

The entry form is here 

https://forms.gle/t5cAQHDCx7ovroiL7

 

 

CHALLENGE BUFFS

This year the entry fee includes a Challenge Buff which you can wear all year round to celebrate your participation in Kona to Fitness! 
 

PRIVACY STATEMENT 

Personal Data 

While using our service we may ask you to provide us with certain personally identifiable information that can be used to contact or identify you (“Personal Data”). This may include (but is not limited to) 

Email address 

First name and last name

Age category information 

Challenge completion information

 

Use of data 

Your personal data will be used only for the direct administration of the challenge, for example working out the scoreboards and team competitions. 

 

We will not use your data for any selling or direct marketing purposes. 

 

Social Media 

We reserve the right to post any images shared with us by you and your team on our social media platforms for the purpose of promoting and communicating the challenge. Any requests to remove posts made in error should be directed to Smiling Tri Coach.


 

MEETING THE GOVERNMENT GUIDANCE AROUND CORONAVIRUS 

All activity must be completed in line with the current Government guidance of your country/region. Should the guidance change, activities must continue to be in line with any changes.

CONTACT

If you have any queries then Mel and Tom would love to hear from you. 

 

Please e-mail smilingtricoach_mel@yahoo.com or get in touch using the form below.

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© 2024 by SMILING TRI COACH. Site by Izzie Hornby

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