Why spend the first day of the year nursing a hangover, when you can actually do something that will help cure it? Following in the theme of other bar-inspired triathlon events such as Stupidman and Unsupportoman: Introducing Polarman 2013!

The Swim

The swim takes place at 12:00 noon at the base of Sunnyside Pavilion, as a part of the Toronto Polar Bear Dip, in support of Habitat for Humanity. To enter the race, you would be required to fundraise a minimum of $30 for the event. Since there’s no actual swim, and not everyone is interested in jumping into frigid water without a wetsuit, there’s a bit of a change from a traditional triathlon.

Whoever would like to do the dip automatically gets a three-minute bonus subtracted from their time at the end of the race. On top of that, the person who stays in the water the longest gets an additional three minutes subtracted from their race time (for a total of six minutes).

For those who are unable or unwilling to swim, they can choose a swimmer as a proxy for them. If they choose the swimmer who stays in the longest, they will also get the winner’s three-minute bonus (just the three minutes, not the full six).

Transition 1

There is no rush for the first transition. All participants can dry off, warm up, and get their bike gear on in peace. The timed portion doesn’t start until the bikes leave en masse.

The Bike

The bike course is a 12.5k route that starts at Sunnyside Pavilion, travels west along the Martin Goodman Trail, then up the Humber Valley Trail to Old Mill. From there the trail goes out to the main street, turns right, goes down a cobblestone street, and up a fairly decent hill. At the top there is a left turn, a steep descent, and then the course follows the same route back.

In case of deep snow… well things might just get a little interesting.

Preliminary route is available here.

Transition 2

Simple enough: throw your bike in the car or lock it up.

The Run

The run is a simple 5k out-and-back along the Martin Goodman Trail. It encircles Marilyn Bell Park (the first person who swam across Lake Ontario), and ends back at the transition area. Here is the preliminary route.

Transition 3

This ends the timed portion of the event. From here, all participants will meet back at the transition area / finish line for the last participant to finish. At that point, the trip is made to as-yet-to-be-determined location.

The Recovery

From here, participants will be able to consume Irish and Spanish coffees and greasy food, thereby eliminiating any last possible side-effects of the previous night’s escapades.

This is a work in progress, so everything is subject to change and will be updated as it goes along!