The race at the Escape the Cape triathlon in New Jersey, USA gets off to a high start atop a 12-foot (3.6m) ferry!
If you’re afraid of heights, that will be one thing to conquer before you even hit the water to complete race. There’s also a chicken-out option, but everybody wants that perfect ‘Facebook profile photo’ for bragging rights so hardly anyone takes the option.
“It’s definitely a nice rush when you hit the water. As a kid you wonder what it would be like to jump off the ferry … and now I know.” said triathlete Mike Mader, who grew up steps from the Cape May-Lewes Ferry terminal.
For many like Mader, it’s the dramatic 12-foot leap off the front of a ferry at the start of the Escape the Cape Triathlon that has kept him coming back year after year for the race which started in 2013.
Sponsored by DelMoSports Inc. and Inspira Health Network, the race attracts a maximum of 1,700 triathletes due to the ferry capacity and has been listed as one of the top five “bucket-list” races in the world. Escape the Cape has become a favourite among residents and visitors in the Cape May area, drawing more than 2,000 spectators along the triathlon course.
The race offers two distances in a Sprint consisting of a 500m swim, 20km bike ride and a 5km run; and the Olympic distance which covers 1.5km swim, 40km bike and 8km run. The run and bike course are closed to traffic for the race, with coastal winds guaranteed to change up some of your cycling plans on the picturesque route dotted with vineyards, and bird sanctuaries.
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