7:00 a.m.: Beth Calabotta SWIM CHALLENGE: 5k or 10k swim in a 50m pool (100 x 100m)

• LOCATION: Sheridan Swim Club, Quincy, IL
• Enjoy the beautiful 50m outdoor pool. Athletes have the option of a 5k or 10k swim.
• This is not only part of our EPIC weekend, but it is also a fundraiser for metastatic cancer research.
• CLICK HERE FOR INFORMATION ON THE BETH CALABOTTA SWIM CHALLENGE.
• For athletes who want to be considered “ECo EPIC” you must complete the 10k swim. You have 5 hours to complete the 10k swim.
• Swim cut-off time: 12:00

11:00 a.m. 1:00 p.m.

• Relax and eat (and nap??) at Sheridan Swim Club and prepare for the bike ride.
• Lunch will be provided at Sheridan.

1:00 p.m.: BIKE: 60 miles

• 60-mile bike ride from Quincy, IL to Bowling Green, MO
• Assume that this portion will be self-supported, so be sure to bring adequate water and nutrition.
• There will be a SAG vehicle that will take your equipment from Quincy to Bowling Green.
• The SAG vehicle will have tools, gels, water, etc, but don’t count on the vehicle being available when you need nutrition (in other words, plan ahead and assume this is a self-supported ride).
• We require rear flashing lights and cell phones for each rider.

SAG and SUPPORT:

• The SAG vehicle will be on the route, stopping at designated checkpoints.
• There are THREE designated checkpoints along the route (see below).
  • If a rider does not make a checkpoint by a certain time, the rider will be shuttled to the next checkpoint where they can resume riding.
  • Riders also have the option to hop on the SAG vehicle or get off of the SAG vehicle at any of the checkpoints.
  • The reason for this is to keep the group in relative close proximity and to allow riders to ride as much or as little as they wish.
  • Riders are able to ride or omit portions of the course if they wish.

The checkpoints for Saturday’s ride are:

• 2:20 p.m. MILE 17.5: Hannibal, MO. Mark Twain Brewing Company parking lot.
• 3:15 p.m. MILE 30: Scenic overlook, top of the hill on left side of Route 79
  • This is the END POINT for the 1/2 EPIC participants.
  • 1/2 EPIC participants will be shuttled to Bowling Green at 3:30 p.m.
• 4:30 p.m. MILE 44: Cemetery at the intersection of Route 79 and Route AD
• FINISH: Bowling Green Super 8.

 CLICK HERE FOR A LINK TO SATURDAY’S RIDE

6:30 p.m.: Dinner in Bowling Green

• Southside Bar & Grill (across from the courthouse on Main St.)

LODGING

• Bowling Green, MO. Super 8. 1216 East Champ Clark Drive, Bowling Green, MO.
• LINK TO Bowling Green Super 8. From $84 per room. 573-324-6000.

7:00 a.m.: BIKE: 75 or 150 miles

• 75 or 150-mile bike from Bowling Green, MO to Columbia, MO (we said EPIC, right??).
• Assume that this portion will be self-supported, so be sure to bring adequate water and nutrition.
• There will be a SAG vehicle that will take your equipment from Bowling Green to Columbia.
• The SAG vehicle will have tools, gels, water, etc, but don’t count on the vehicle being available when you need nutrition (in other words, plan ahead and assume this is a self-supported ride).
• We require rear flashing lights and cell phones for each rider.

SAG and SUPPORT:

• The SAG vehicle will be on the route, stopping at designated checkpoints
• There are SIX designated checkpoints along the route (see below).
  • If a rider does not make a checkpoint by a certain time, the rider will be shuttled to the next checkpoint where they can resume riding.
  • Riders also have the option to hop on the SAG vehicle or get off of the SAG vehicle at any of the checkpoints.
  • The reason for this is to keep the group in relative close proximity and to allow riders to ride as much or as little as they wish.
  • Riders are able to ride or omit portions of the course if they wish.
  • To “finish” EPIC, you must ride the entire 150 miles.
  • To “finish” 1/2 EPIC you must ride the entire 75 miles portion.

The checkpoints for Sunday’s ride are:

• 9:10 a.m. MILE 28.6: Buell, MO,  Route 161.
• 11:10 a.m. MILE 53.5:Warrenton, MO. Flying J. Just after crossing over I-70 on Route B.
• 12:45 p.m. MILE 75.0: Rhineland. Where the KATY crosses Route 94.
  • This is the ENDPOINT for the 1/2 EPIC participants
  • 1/2 EPIC participants will be transported to Columbia, MO at 1:00 p.m.
• 2:30 p.m. MILE 96.9: Mokane, MO. Intersection of Route 94 and Route C. General Store.
• 4:05 p.m. MILE 117.0: Holts Summit, MO. Casey’s General Store. Just after crossing over Route 54.
• 5:30 p.m. MILE 135.4: Ashland, MO (Break Time).

 

 CLICK HERE FOR A LINK TO SUNDAY’S RIDE

~7:00 p.m.: Dinner in Columbia, MO

• Pizza at the hotel (included with your ECo EPIC registration)

LODGING

• Columbia, MO. TownePlace Suites. 4400 Nocona Parkway, Columbia, MO
• LINK TO TownePlace Suites Columbia. 573-817-0012.

6:00 a.m.: RUN Heart of America Marathon, 26.2 miles or relay

• Heart of America Marathon! This is one of the oldest and toughest marathons in the U.S. Enjoy some of Columbia’s most beautiful and challenging roads as you complete your EPIC challenge with this 26.2 mile run!
• YOU MUST REGISTER FOR THE HOA MARATHON ON YOUR OWN!!
• To be considered “ECo EPIC,” you must run the entire marathon.
• For 1/2 EPIC, you will team up with another 1/2 EPIC participant and complete the relay. One person will run ~11 miles and the other person will run ~15 miles.
  • Once you sign up for EPIC, you will have access to our ECo System Facebook page where we can help match you with another 1/2 EPIC participant. 

~12:00 p.m.

• Celebration lunch in Columbia at Sophia’s

We start in Quincy, IL. So, you’ll need to be in Quincy by 7:00 a.m. Saturday morning.

We have a welcome dinner scheduled for Friday at 6:30 p.m.

Since the event begins in Quincy, IL and ends in Columbia, MO, we have a couple of options for parking. 

1. Park in Quincy.
   • Drive to Quincy and leave your car parked in Quincy.
   • You car will stay in the Sheridan Swim Club parking lot.
   • Monday afternoon, after the Heart of America marathon and the Celebration Lunch, we will shuttle people back to Quincy, IL. 
2. Park in Columbia.
   • Drive to Columbia, MO on Friday afternoon.
   • Your car will remain parked in Columbia.
   • We shuttle people and equipment from Columbia to Quincy Friday afternoon at 3:30 p.m.

Our goal is to enjoy training, enjoy hanging out with other endurance athletes, and keep it affordable. But, we also want you to be comfortable.  So, our lodging options allow you to either have a hotel room by yourself or match up with another EPIC participant. The choice is yours, but we will help you find a roommate if you want. Here’s what you need to do before EPIC weekend to be sure you have lodging taken care of:

• You are responsible for reserving your own lodging.
• We encourage sharing rooms with other EPIC athletes.
• The earlier you sign up, the sooner you can reserve rooms and find potential roommates.
• Once you sign up for EPIC, you will have access to the ECo System Facebook page.
• We will post notifications for who’s doing EPIC and who wants to share rooms.

• FRIDAY, August 30: Quincy, IL.
  • Stoney Creek Inn, 3809 Broadway St. Quincy, IL.
  • LINK TO STONEY CREEK INN.
  • From $80 per room. 217-223-2255.
• SATURDAY, August 31, Bowling Green, MO.
  • Super 8. 1216 East Champ Clark Drive, Bowling Green, MO.
  • LINK TO Bowling Green Super 8.
  • From $84 per room. 573-324-6000.
• SUNDAY, September 1, Columbia, MO.
  • TownePlace Suites. 4400 Nocona Parkway, Columbia, MO
  • LINK TO TOWNE PLACE SUITES.
  • From $85 per room. 573-817-0012.

We will provide BASE nutrition and water at the swim and during the bike. Otherwise, you are responsible for your own gear and nutrition. 

Here are some tips for what to bring with you:

SWIM:

The swim is hosted at Sheridan’s 50 meter outdoor pool. In case of bad weather, we will move the swim inside to the 25-yard pool.

The goal is to set the stage for you to succeed and cover the distance. 

Here are things you may want to have poolside:

• swim cap
• goggles
• water bottle
• nutrition (gel, bars, drink, etc.)
• wetsuit (not necessary, but allowed)
• pull buoy (not illegal, but you may get some eye-rolls from participants that do it without gear 🙂 
• fins (not illegal, but you will probably be accused of cheating (in a fun-loving way))

BIKE:

Road or tri bikes are fine. If you have a cyclocross or mountain bike, you can use that, but we encourage road bikes.

Our goal is to take care of the details so you can focus on training. We will have two SAG vehicles for 1/2 and FULL EPIC. These vehicles will have your gear and will also have tools, tubes, spare tires, water, and BASE nutrition products. 

Even though we have the SAG vehicles, you may not always have immediate access to SAG, so you need to prepare as if you were riding unassisted. 

Here are some things you need to bring with you:

• Bike (required)
• Helmet (required)
• Rear Flashing light (required)
• Cell Phone (required)
• Water bottles (we have 24-oz Polar insulated ECo EPIC bottles for sale on the sign-up sheet!)
• Sunscreen
• Nutrition 
• Tubes
• CO2 or portable bike pump
• Cash/credit card (for gas station stops)
• Appropriate gear (watch the forecast… rain gear? (hope not…) arm warmers… etc.)
• Sunglasses
• Bike gloves
• Anything else you find useful on a bike ride.

RUN:

Even though we are using the Heart of America Marathon as the run portion of EPIC, it is its own event. So, once you enter for the HOA marathon, you will be under the rules and course aid of the HOA marathon. Be sure to check the HOA website for course aid and the course maps.