Battle It Out at the Beach
Let’sface it, our families and loved ones work hard supporting us to the start line of any race, so planning destination races, where there’s a lot to do outside of racing will make the whole crew happy. Beach 2 Battleship, in the sunny climate of North Carolina certainly fits the bill.
Getting There
Getting to this venue is very easy. The larger Raleigh- Durham Airport is a two-hour drive from Wilmington, but there is an option of taking a connecting flight to Wilmington International Airport. An alternative is to f ly through Myrtle Beach, located about 120 km away from Wilmington.
As a point-to-point race, the event starts in the town of Wrightsville Beach and finishes in downtown Wilmington just across the river from the historic USS North Carolina Battleship. There are also plenty of accommodation options available along the course. The Harbor Inn located in Wrightsville offers a few more personal amenities to keep racers relaxed leading into the big day, but for those who want to be close to the finish line, the Hilton Wilmington Riverside and the Hampton Inn Medical Park are excellent options.
The Course
The mass swim start takes place in a channel connected to the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway. One of the real perks is the incoming tide that helps push you to a personal best swim time.
The 180-km bike course is flat and fast. After leaving Wrightsville Beach, the course meanders through the northern side of Wilmington, out towards White Lake before you arrive at the Wilmington Convention Center to start your run. The only elevation is the climb across a bridge to rack your bike in T2.
The run course takes place entirely in Wilmington near Cape Fear River and Greenfield Lake. It is f lat and fast, conducive to a personal best marathon time. Aid stations at every mile and the very vocal spectators everywhere you look help to keep you motivated all the way to the finish line.
Race Hard, Play Harder
Wilmington is a hip little town, full of history, art, museums and culture. Be sure to allow plenty of time to visit the uss North Carolina ( battleshipnc. com) to learn all about life aboard a SecondWorld-War Battleship. You should also put the Cape Fear Museum on your list to learn all about pre- colonization days to the present ( capefearmuseum. com).
There is also fun to be had over in Wrightsville Beach. After some outdoor fun of fishing, golfing and water sports with Wrightsville Beach Water Adventures ( wrightsvillebeachadventures. com), stop by the local museum (wbmuseum. com) before enjoying a nice dinner at a one of the many quaint restaurants in town.
The Race Organization
Set Up Events is a top-notch production company that puts on several different types of events. Their attention to detail is second to none as they strive to improve the race experience each year, using post-race athlete feedback. If you are struggling to schedule in that one special event to close out your next season, Beach 2 Battleship is worthy of your consideration.