Introduction

The 1st Annual TejasFitness Challenge will take place at Retama Park on Saturday, April 30, 2016. This is a unique race. To compete you must have strength, speed, and endurance.  The events include rowing, lifting weights, and running.  You will move from one event to the next in heats of 12.  The fastest total time wins!  You can compete as an individual by age group (20-29, 30-39, etc..) or on a team (male or female).  Teams must have a minimum of 6 members and a maximum of 10 members.  The times of the fastest 6 members will be used to score the team.

Multiple Sclerosis Society Donations

My wife, Enjonli Hutchison was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 2007, two years before we met.  When we started dating I became fascinated with helping her fight this disease by improving her fitness with running, cycling, resistance training, and diet.  She is as healthy as she has ever been and she will be competing for Team TejasFit at the TejasFitness Challenge!  TejasFit is proud to partner with the South Central Chapter of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.  We have scheduled the event to coincide with World MS Day in an attempt to raise awareness of this treatable disease.  TejasFit is donating $5 of every entry fee we collect and an additional 10% of our net sponsorship proceeds to the South Central Chapter and we encourage all entrants to donate at least an additional $5.

Event details and schedule

Schedule

The race will start at 7 AM sharp.  The parking lot will open at 5:30 AM.  We will run waves of 12 competitors every 10 minutes until all entrants are finished.  To keep us on time, there will be 9-minute time limit to complete the first five events.  In other words, you must start the run within 9 minutes of beginning the race or you will be disqualified.  We are expecting the last competitor to cross the finish line shortly after 11 AM.  We will post a heat sheet on Friday, April 29, 2016 on our website (www.tejasfit.com).  You can check this to get a rough estimate of when your heat will start.  During the competition, we will announce and post which heat is currently running at all times.  Please check in with the clerk of course as soon as you arrive at the venue.  Please arrive in the on deck area when the heat before is starting.  If you arrive late for your heat your will be disqualified.  We will run all the men first.  While we are changing the course for the women, we will have a short awards ceremony for the men.  As soon as this is done we will start the women’s competition.  The women’s award ceremony will follow immediately after the last female competitor finishes. 

Packet Pickup

All competitors must pick up their packets during the week prior to the race.  There will be NO RACE DAY Packet pickup.  You must pickup your own packet.   Please bring a picture ID with you.  The one exception is that a team captain can pickup the packets for the rest of the team members.

Packet Pickup will be held from 10:00 AM to 7:30 PM, Monday, April 25-Thursday, April 28 at TejasFit, 4904 Broadway, San Antonio, Texas, 78209.  Please park in the Osaka parking lot on Terrell Rd.  DO NOT PARK in the Broadway Theater Parking Lot.

Course Info

The TejasFitness Challenge will consist of the following six events:

1. 500-meter row on a Concept 2 Rower.
2. 150-ft sandbag carry (80 lbs for men, 40 lbs for women).
3. 15 pushups, must be on your toes, elbows must come to at most 90º at the lowest point and at least 180º at the highest point of your range of motion.
4. 10 hang cleans followed immediately by 6 overhead shoulder press (95 lbs for men, 45 lbs for women).
5. 10 standing dead lifts (185 lbs for men, 95 lbs for women).
6. 1 mile run on the horse racing track!  

Click on the following links to see overhead pictures of the Competition Area, the Run Start/Finish Areas, and the Run Course.

Judges

Each competitor will be followed by a judge through the end of the overhead shoulder press to make sure that proper form is used to complete each lift.  For example, a pushup is defined as complete when the competitor’s arms bend to at most 90º at the lowest point and must straighten to at least 180º (i.e. straight elbows) at the top of the range of motion.  If you do not complete a rep to the judge’s satisfaction, they will call a “failed attempt” and you must repeat that rep.

Please Click Here to watch our orientation video.  It provides examples of the required technique for each event.  Ignorance of the rules before the event is no excuse for a “failed attempt”.

Age Groups

Men and women will compete separately in 10-year age groups.  See below.  Your age on the day of the event determines you age group.

14-19

20-29

30-39

40-49

50-59

60+

Team Competition

You can also compete as a member of a team.  Each team must have at least 6 members and no more than 10 members.  Teams will be separated by gender, i.e. male and female.  There will be no coed team competition at this event.  The times of the fastest 6 competitors will be added to determine the winner of the team competitions. 

Awards

The top three finishers in each age group and the fastest overall finishers in each gender (Overall) will receive plaques.  The Overall Champion will not receive an award for their respective age group as they are the Overall Champion.  The top three teams in each category will also receive plaques.  Since all entrants will compete as individuals, it is possible to win an award in your age group and the team competition (assuming you’re on a team).

Team Registration

Each team must assign a Team Captain to register the team.  The Team Captain will be given a password to distribute to the remaining team members.  Each team member will then register themselves using the team password.  Please remember that teams must have at least 6 members and no more than 10 members. 

Entry Fees

Individuals

Until December 31, 2015                $50.00

January 1- March 31, 2016             $55.00

April 1-28, 2016                             $65.00

Teams

Until December 31, 2015                 $45.00 per member

January 1- March 31, 2016              $50.00 per member            

April 1-28, 2016                             $60.00 per member

Directions

From San Antonio take I-35 north to Selma.  Take exit 174A (Evans Road).  Take the turnaround under I-35 and head back south on the feeder.  Turn right on Retama Parkway.

From Austin take I-35 south to Selma.  Take exit 173 Retama Parkway.  Turn right on Retama Parkway.

Arrival Time

Please arrive at least 1 hour before your heat is scheduled to start.  The parking lot will open at 5:30 AM.  We strongly recommend that you warm up prior to starting the race.  You can bring small pieces of equipment to warm up with, e.g. jump ropes, small kettle bells, and medicine balls.  However, please do not bring larger items like barbells or plate weights.

Parking

Upon your arrival volunteers will direct you to park in either Parking Area 2 or 3.  Click here to see a map of the parking areas.  Please take up ONE SPACE PER CAR.

What to Bring

You must have the following items to compete:

1. Your race number attached to the FRONT of your shirt.  This is how we will keep time.  If you do not have your race number, you will be disqualified.
2. Close-toed shoes.  You must wear close-toed shoes.  You may not wear sandals or go barefoot.  You may NOT change shoes in the middle of the course before the run.  The shoes you start with must be the shoes you finish with.  NO EXCEPTIONS.
3. A shirt or tank-top with hemmed edges.  In other words, no home-made tank tops with frayed edges and no under-shirts.  Ladies may compete in sports bras if they choose.  But they must have their numbers on a number belt or attached directly to their shorts.

The following are items that we suggest you bring with you:

1. Food and drink.  Concession stands will be available for you to purchase food and drink, but feel free to bring your favorite fluids and snacks.  However, no outside alcoholic beverages will be allowed at Retama Park. 
2. Sunscreen
3. Hat
4. Wrist tape

The following are items that we DO NOT want you to bring with you:

1. Please DO NOT bring grills, pits, or anything on which to cook food.  These items are strictly prohibited at Retama Park.  If you are caught with these items, the Sheriff’s deputies will escort you from the premises and you will be disqualified.
2. You may not bring your own drinks or food onto the course.  There will be a water/Quench station at the start and finish of the run course.
3. You may not use personal music devices such as IPods or iPhones, etc. on the course.  You must be able to hear the judges’ instructions at all times.

Race Course Etiquette

The following is a list of basic rules for the race.  Failure to follow these rules could result in your disqualification from the event.

1. Stay in your lane.  Each lane is 9.5 feet wide.  That is plenty of room to work with.  If you lose control of your body or weight and drift into another lane, you will be assessed a 15-second time penalty.  If you impede the progress of the competitor in the other lane you will be disqualified.
2. Watch your language.  Letting loose a couple of curse words under your breath will be forgiven.  However, DO NOT curse out loud.  This is a family-friendly event.  If a judge deems it too loud you will be given one verbal warning and then assessed a 15-second time penalty for a second offense.  If you curse out loud a third time you will be disqualified.
3. DO NOT under any circumstances argue with the judges.  These good people are volunteers who have given us their time to help with the event.  If you have specific concerns please come directly to the one of the three race directors in the RED T-shirts that say “Race Director” on the back.  We will listen to your concerns and try to fix the problem.  However, remember that each judge has been trained for this event and we will defer to their judgment unless we have direct evidence to warrant an overruling.

Rainout Refunds

TejasFit has purchased an insurance policy to cover any losses resulting from the cancelation of the event.  What this means is that if we get rained out, you will get a FULL REFUND of your entry fee (not the processing fee).  So, there is no risk to you!