Clutch Rescue
@ Owl's Nest

September 15, 2024

A brand-new adventure triathlon. This out and back race will take place at the Owl's Nest Resort.

2024 Clutch Rescue
@ Owls Nest

The Clutch Rescue is a one-of-a-kind experience. This adventure triathlon is an out and back race, where athletes will retrieve stolen eggs from the top of Mount Tecumseh & return them to the Owl's Nest. Athletes will start with a 1000-yard swim surrounded by beautiful mountain landscapes and spectators. After the swim, racers will head out on a challenging 14-mile bike, mainly uphill, to Waterville Valley. Athletes will switch to their trail running gear and race to the top of Mount Tecumseh to grab their egg. Next, it's time to get the egg back to the Owl's Nest. Athletes will race back down to their bikes for another 14-mile ride. Once at the Owl's Nest, there is a 1-2 mile run to finish off the rescue. Athletes will cross the finish line with their egg in hand placing it in the Owl's Nest to stop their time. This nest and egg will also serve as the event's finisher medal.

Clutch Rescue Course Info

Description of the swim, bike and run courses for Clutch Rescue courses are below.

The Swim: The Clutch Rescue swim is a 1300-yard 2 loop course that will be marked by buoys and supported by lifeguards in kayaks and in the water. The swim takes place in a lake that is not accurately shown on. aerial maps.

The swim start format will be a traditional “mass start”, with men and women starting in two separate waves. All athletes will wade into the water and start 3 minutes apart. An athlete's time will start when their wave takes off.

Tentative swim wave starts are:

All men 9:00 AM
All women 9:03 AM

The swim will start and end at the same access point. (Transition 1 & 4) Water temp in the lake was mid 60's in October of 2023.

PLEASE NOTE: The Owl's Nest is a private resort. Please do not show up without permisssion to swim prior to the event.

Bike 1: The 14-mile bike course climbs from the Owl's Nest to the parking lot of Waterville Valley Ski Area. This is a self-supported race on an open course. You must follow all traffic laws. The outbound ride is mostly uphill and will be a challenging ride. Please note the elevation gain of 1509' over this route. The roads are in good condition & traffic is typically on the lighter side on these roads during September. Cell phone signal is spotty on Route 49.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Prior to the start of the race, athletes will hand their Transition 2 & 3 bag to a staff member from Outsider Endurance. We will deliver that bag to a designated transition rack location in the parking lot of Waterville Valley. (Transition 2 & 3) This bag will be waiting at the athletes designated spot upon their arrival. We will not require a porter for this race since it is an out and back. Athletes are not allowed to take supplies from any moving vehicle.

The Hike: Athletes will leave T2 and head up "Mount Tecumseh Trail via Waterville Trailhead". This hike is an out & back 4.9 trek, generally considered a challenging route. We will have Outsider Endurance staff/volunteers along the course for safety and to ensure all athletes stay on course. Upon reaching the top of Mount Tecumseh, all athletes must grab an egg from the nest prior to heading down the mountain. This egg will be with you for the rest of the race. Please plan accordingly so that you can carry the egg on the last 3 legs of your race. Exact dimensions will be available as we approach the race. Plan for it to easily fit into a pocket of a cycling jersey or in the palm of your hand. (The size of an actual egg.). Athletes will be rescuing these stolen eggs & returning them to the Owl's Nest at the finish line. Total elevation for this hike/run is 2295'. Elevation at the summit of Mount Tecumseh is 4003'.

All athletes will be encouraged to hike/run with a pack of supplies.

36+ Ounces of water or hydration
300+ calories & a source of sodium
Basic hiking first aid kit
Waterproof top outer shell. (Expect cool conditions at the summit of Mount Tecumseh)

We will. have EMT on site at Waterville Valley with radio communications with our staff along the course. If an athlete plans to use trekking poles, please practice with them prior to this race.

Bike 2: Athletes will depart Waterville Valley and return along the same 14-mile bike course back to the Owl's Nest Resort. While the elevation gain will show a steady decline overall, there will be a few nice climbs mixed in. Again, this is an open course requiring athletes to obey all traffic patterns and laws. It is possible that athletes will be required to stop/yield to traffic at certain intersections.

Run to the Finish: Once athletes return to the Owl's Nest Resort, they will rack their bikes in TA and take off on one final run. The exact distance of this run is TBD but athletes should prepare for the 2.8 mile paved/trail run below. Athletes will need to remember their eggs out of transition as they will need to put them in the nest as they cross the finish line.

Outsider Endurance will have Gatorade Endurance along the course. Expect these products to be near transition areas.

Clutch Rescue Event Details

Event Date and Location: The Clutch Rescue will be Sunday, 9/15/24. This event takes place at the Owl's Nest Resort in Thornton, NH. The event will start at 9:00am with swim waves featuring all male and female athletes.

Event Distance: The Clutch Rescue consists of a 1000-yard swim, a 14-mile bike, a 4.9-mile hike, a 14-mile bike and a 1-2 mile run.

Race Categories: Athletes in the triathlon may register for any of the following categories:

Age Group
Relay (2-3 athletes of any gender)

The Swim Start Format: Athletes will be sent into the water as a mass start. The first start will be all male athletes. The second wave will be all female athletes.

Water Temperature and Wetsuits: The Clutch Rescue is a USAT sanctioned event and per USAT rules wetsuits may be worn if the water temperature is 78F or less. If the water temperature is between 78.1F and 83.9F participants may wear a wetsuit but will NOT be eligible for awards (they will still receive all timing splits). USAT rules also mandate that if the water temperature is 84F or higher, no participants will be allowed to wear a wetsuit. The lake water temperature was in the mid 60's on October 1, 2023. Plan for a wetsuit legal race.

Swim Caps: All participants will be given a swim cap that must be worn during the swim. The swim cap color corresponds to the wave each athlete is assigned to.

Timing: Triathletes will receive multiple timing splits: (1) the swim, (2) bike 1 (3) the hike, (4) bike 2, (5) the run (6) overall.

Awards: Awards will be given to the top 3 male and female triathlon finishers in each Age Group & top 3 relay teams.

Post Race Food and Refreshments, Music and Giveaways: After the rescue, athletes and spectators are invited to enjoy a pizza & salad buffet. The Owl's Nest will also provide bar service for those who chose to enjoy responsibly. We plan to have live music and festivities throughout the day for spectators during the rescue.

USA Triathlon Membership: This is a USAT sanctioned event and all participating athletes age 18 or older must have either a valid annual USAT membership OR purchase a 1-day USAT license ($15). Athletes age 17 and under who aren’t already a USAT annual member can purchase an annual license for $10 (there is no 1-day license fee option for athletes under the age of 17).

Rules: USA Triathlon rules will apply. Please review the rules at www.USATriathlon.org. There will be USAT Officials present at the event. Three areas of common violations are (1) Drafting, (2) Blocking and (3) Centerline. To avoid drafting violations you must stay at least 3 bike lengths behind the competitor in front of you. When attempting to pass you must do so within 15 seconds. Blocking violations are assessed for failing to ride to the right (except when passing). Centerline violations can be avoided by not crossing the yellow centerline of the road. HELMETS ARE REQUIRED. Chin strap must be buckled at ALL times you are on the bike even when in the transition area. Handlebars/aerobars must have bar-end plugs securely inserted into the bar. Taping over bar ends is not permitted. Lack of bar end plugs will result in disqualification.

Registration Fees

This is a USAT sanctioned event and all participating athletes must have either a valid USAT annual membership OR will be required to purchase an adult 1-day USAT license.

NOTE! Register for this race and one or more others and SAVE! Click here for details on our Discount Race Packages.

In addition to a safe, fun and well-managed event, the registration fee for the Clutch Rescue includes:

Unisex or women's cut (until 3 weeks before the race) shirt
Water bottle wrapped in a cold hand towel at the finish
Swim cap
Unique finisher medal
Race photos
Finish line food & drink/ post race catered meal. Additional meal tickets may be purchased for spectators and family.

Triathlon Individual (Adult): Only 150 available spots.

$425 From the open of registration to 5/01/24
$435 from 5/2/24 to 7/31/24
$450 from 8/1/24 to close of online registration.
$465 during packet pick-up hours on Sat, 9/14 2:30pm-5:30pm and on Sun, 9/15, 7:00am-8:30am.

Triathlon Relay Team:

$525 From the open of registration to 5/01/24
$535 from 5/2/24 to 7/31/24
$550 from 8/1/24 to close of online registration.
$565 during packet pick-up hours on Sat, 9/14 2:30pm-5:30pm and on Sun, 9/15, 7:00am-8:30am.

Click here to register. (3/2/24 for non waitlist athletes.)

Event Schedule

The tentative event schedule for the 2024 Clutch Rescue is below.

Packet pick-up hours for the Clutch Rescue are below. Note that one member of the relay team can pick up the team packet, but must have a picture of all team member's ID. Athletes may pick up race packets for friends with a picture of their ID. Packet pick-up will be in the Boat House located along the lake at the Owel's Nest.

Saturday, 9/14/24:

2:30PM: Packet pick up
5:30PM: Packet pick-up concludes

Sunday, 9/15/24:

7:30am: Transition opens, race packet pick-up begins for the Sprint race at Ted Williams Camp
8:30am: Race packet pick-up concludes and pre-race meeting with announcements from the Race Director; athletes must be in or near transition
8:40am-8:55am: Warm-up swim
8:50am: All athletes must be out of transition
9:00am: Race start
12:00pm Post race food service begins
1:30pm (est): Awards ceremony begins

Directions & Parking

Directions to Owls Nest: From Boston (117 miles): Follow I-93 N to NH-49 W/State Hwy 49 W in Campton. Take exit 28 from I-93 N. Take Owl St to Clubhouse Ln in Thornton

Parking: The grounds of the Owl's Nest Resort offer ample parking for athletes and spectators and our parking crew will be in place on race mornings to help direct you where to park when you arrive.

Volunteering

Volunteers wanted!

Volunteers are the backbone of any good triathlon. If you aren’t racing this year’s Clutch Rescue but still want to be a part of the action, help support the event as a volunteer. All volunteers get a free t-shirt, food and drinks and the satisfaction of contributing your support to the athletes that are giving it their all in a triathlon.

Are you looking to raise money for your community group? If yes, we should talk. We partner with a variety of community groups who volunteer for our races as part of a fundraising effort. To learn more about volunteering at our events as an individual or as part of a community group fund raising effort please contact us at info@Outsiderendurance.com.

Event Policies, Cancellation, Refunds, Deferrals & Transfers

Refund Protect: Refund Protect is a program made available by haku, our registration partner, that will protect 100% of your registration investment due to illness (including COVID-19), injury, flight disruption and other reasons based on specific terms and conditions. There is a cost to purchase Refund Protect. Details on this program can be found here.
Refunds: This event is non-refundable. You must purchase refund protect (third-party insurance) to receive a refund. This product is less expensive than our old previous cancellation fee & allows you to have more flexibility to cancel closer to race day.
Deferrals: Athletes may request a deferral of their 2024 Clutch Rescue entry to the 2025 Clutch Rescue up until 7/1/24. Deferral requests must be submitted in writing to info@outsiderendurance.com. The deferral schedule and deferral fee are as follows:
- Athletes requesting deferral between 1/1/24 & 7/1/24 will pay a $50 deferral fee at the time they defer to the 2025 race. Athletes will then be sent a complimentary registration link for the same category of the 2025 Cranberry Trifest when registration opens. Deferrals will only be granted 1 time per race entry. Athletes may not roll over a deferral beyond the next sequential race.
- No deferrals will be granted after 7/1/24.
Cancellation: If the 2024 Clutch Rescue is canceled for adverse weather, natural catastrophe or terrorism registered athletes may receive a full or partial refund through our partnership with haku, our registration partner, and their relationship with Adventure Advocates (note: cancellation due to COVID-19 or other infectious diseases are not covered by this policy). Click here for more details on this refund program. Should a partial or full refund not be possible, Outsider Endurance would extend athletes a partial credit towards entry in the 2025 Clutch Rescue.
Course Changes: Event Management reserves the right to alter, cancel or eliminate any portion of a race at any time in the interest of athlete safety or for other reasons beyond our control. No refunds will be issued if changes are made to a race due to these circumstances.
The exchange, transfer or sale of entries to other athletes is strictly prohibited.