BIG SHOULDERS COURSE MAP

Big Shoulders Course: The race starts and finishes at Ohio Street Beach in Lake Michigan, just west of Navy Pier in Chicago. Participants will line up in the water, behind a line between the beach and the starting boat, facing the buoy on the far East side of the course. Swimmers will start out swimming Northeast, toward the first of three 8 ft. buoys. Swimmers will turn left around the first buoy and head Northwest, to buoy No. 2, turn and head Southeast, parallel to Lake Shore, back toward the beach one lap around is 2.5K, two laps is a 5K! Swimmers will finish by running up the beach, through the chute and over the timing pads.

Big Shoulders 2011 Race & Safety Instructions Safety Instructions 1. All swimmers have signed a waiver acknowledging that they are physically fit, and that they understand the inherent risks associated with open water swimming. 2. All swimmers will be required to wear a brightly colored cap, provided by race personnel, the color signifying the heat that swimmer is in. 3. The course is patrolled by 35 Chicago Park District Lifeguards including two motor powered patrol boats, several row boats spaced out along the course, and several stationed along the lakefront wall parallel to the final leg of the triangular course. 4. The Chicago Park District patrol boats will keep other boats out of the break water where the race will take place, until the conclusion of the race at 11:00 a.m. 5. Swimmers are advised to swim safely and courteously. Avoid contact with your fellow swimmers whenever possible, and never intentionally swim into or over another swimmer. Any swimmers displaying aggressive or unsportsmanlike conduct will be pulled from the water and disqualified. 6. Swimmers who experience difficulty on the course are instructed to lift their arms and signal a nearby lifeguard for assistance. Swimmers will be assisted by CPD lifeguards off the course and out of the water. 7. In the event of a weather or other emergency, CPD lifeguards will assist swimmers in exiting the water by escorting them to the nearest beach access point. Swimmers adjacent to the lake front wall will be directed to exit using the ladders spaced out along the wall. 8. A Superior Ambulance unit and crew will be on hand to provide medical assistance and support. Northwestern Memorial Hospital is less than mile from the race site, and easily reached by ambulance in less than 4 minutes in an emergency. Check-In Instructions 1. Swimmers are required to check-in on race day, between 6:00-7:30 a.m. at Ohio Street Beach. At check-in, swimmers will receive their swim cap (color according to wave), D Tag and strap, t-shirt and goody bag. GET THERE EARLY!!! 2. There will be a gear check available at registration for swimmers to leave their belongings. Please note race officials are not responsible for any lost valuables. 3. There will be a course and safety talk in front of the announcers table at 7:45 a.m.

Race Instructions 1. Swimmers are permitted to warm up between 7-7:40 a.m., if they have completed their check-in. 2. Swimmers will be started by a countdown, followed by a single beep from a bullhorn. Race personnel will also raise the starting rope at the start of each wave. 3. Course is marked with at least three (3) orange buoys that are 8 feet tall. Swimmers are required to swim around the outside of each buoy, keeping the buoy to the swimmers left as each turn is made. Marshals will be on the course to monitor the conduct of all swimmers and will disqualify any swimmer that engages in aggressive or unsafe behavior, or cuts the course. 4. Swimmers are timed using a DTag timing system. All swimmers must wear the chip they receive at check-in around an ankle, using the Velcro strap provided. Time starts when a swimmers individual wave begins, and stops when swimmer crosses timing pad at the finish line. 5. In the event of a timing malfunction, a back-up system will be used to track order of finishers and approximate times. 6. First wave begins at 8 a.m. Swimmers in wave #1 will be directed to enter the water and stand behind the starting line at 7:55 a.m. Waves will be as follows: Time Wave 8:00 8:02 8:05 8:10 8:15 8:20 8:25 1st Wave 2d Wave 3d Wave 4th Wave 5th Wave 6th Wave 7th Wave Group Top 50 Elite 5K Swimmers 18-34 year old 5K Swimmers 35-42 year old 5K Swimmers 43 -50 year old 5K Swimmers 51 & Over and 5K Swimmers 42 & Under 2.5K Swimmers 43 & Over 2.5K Swimmers Cap Color Pink Purple Green Blue White Yellow Red

Post-Race Information 1. Upon exiting the water and finishing the race, each swimmer will be required to remove the D Tag and strap from his or her ankle, and given a finishers medal. 2. Results will be announced as soon as results can be tabulated, estimated to be at 11 a.m.