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Why
is Roatan your next International Triathlon destination?
Because it is close to the U.S. (2 Hour flight from most
cities), Mexico, and Central America, in the Caribbean. See
map. It's warm, not hot, with beautiful clear water,
no waves; an incredible training ground for
gathering power on hills, and testing your skills early in the
season. Roatan is very safe, and friendly; it has inexpensive
accommodations and food; and of course it's very romantic and extremely
exotic.
ITU
News -
You
can find us in the
ITU calendar. We are making sure we comply with all ITU
requirements, and to this effect the ITU technical representative
was here to visit us, and we've implemented his suggestions. See
course map and area maps here.
A
word about our race: Roatan is only a 2 - 2.5 hour
flight from Miami, Dallas, Houston, and other U.S. cities.
Swim over crystal clear water, no waves. Bike is extremely
hilly with 16, 18 and 20% inclines. Run is practically
flat on shaded trails and paved road. Finish line is on
the beach with BBQ and beach party after the race. Beach is
flat and packed white sand. You'll run about 350 meters on
sand. Roads are closed to traffic, and all cycling roads
are well paved (holes patched if any). We have excellent
support from police, city officials, government, etc. to
ensure that we provide you with the best we can offer. Cash
purse is $8000, goes 8 deep. Our island was named one of the
TOP 10 Islands in 2004 by a reputable travel magazine.
All
race information is available at www.bayislandstriathlon.com.
Check under Athlete information, Olympic Distance,
Accommodations, and Flights for detailed information.
Best deals to Honduras:
TACA Airlines (our official airline) has
the best prices to San Pedro Sula or Roatan. Some examples:
How
to book connecting flights - San Pedro Sula/Roatan
- There
seems to be a considerable price difference when you book a
flight from an international destination all the way into
Roatan. Sometimes, the connecting flight is not found, or if
found; turns out to be more expensive than it should. This
only applies to some passengers,
How to solve this problem? You
can purchase your ticket directly with Islena
Airlines on-line for $136.74 here.
You may also choose to save a few dollars and be part of a discounted
group fare. We don't make any money on this, it's just one
more way of helping our athletes. You give us your
arrival time, flight number and date into San Pedro Sula
(Airport code SAP). We keep a list of passengers who need
connecting flights San Pedro Sula/Roatan. We make the
reservations for you and let you know your itinerary.
Once we get closer to the race we will POST it on our website.
You will purchase your ticket when you arrive in San Pedro
Sula. Nerve wrecking? Yes, but it works. Average
two-way discounted fare: $105 to $110 (under negotiation
as I write this). Remember you can also purchase
Islena Tickets on-line at the regular rate of
$136.74.
I
was also told today that Islena is adding a late flight from
San Pedro Sula to Roatan in February, to accommodate some late
night international flights. This would allow many of you to
arrive into Roatan the same day you leave home.
How
much will the average athlete spend?
- Well,
all bets are off. The last time I tried to answer this
question I found all kinds of fares. The BEST thing to do,
is to keep checking daily. The sales come and go without
notice, and when possible I try to send emails when I see
something. So here's what I've found so far. These are
Internet fares, and are subject to change.
In
average flights from Miami to Roatan (this includes the
connecting flight to the island) should be about $325 - $350
for a good fare. Taca continues
to be your best option for most cities. Don't forget to
check www.taca.com and our
special discount codes on our webpage under Fligths.
Flights
from cities like Charlotte, North Carolina-San Pedro Sula,
are $548 on American Airlines. Dallas-San Pedro Sula,
is $533 on Taca. Washington,
DC-San Pedro Sula, is $592.15. (These fares are Internet
rates and subject to change).
Food
and Accommodations: The great news, is that when the
airfare might not be exactly what we expected, food and
accommodations can be inexpensive by all Caribbean standards. Three
meals a day go for $30-$40 a day with very good food, more
than average quality I would say. You can spend as little as
$25/day if you are careful. Hotels may go from $55/night
(Fosters and Las Rocas), to $155/night at the Mayan Princess
(host hotel). See
our hotel rates.
For
hotel reservations contact my friend Sandra Sampayo, at TropicalRez.
For airline reservations see below.
TACA
Specials
|
Origin
|
Destination
|
Discount
|
CODE
|
|
Mexico
City and Central America
|
Roatan
|
30%*
|
CO0281
|
|
Miami,
New Orleans, Houston, Dallas, Los Angeles, San
Francisco, Chicago, Washington D.C., New York, Boston
and Toronto
|
Roatan
|
15%*
|
CO0282
|
*
Certain restrictions apply.
***It
is very important that you use the codes provided to make your
reservations. Only in this way will we know you're coming and
when you're coming. It also helps us track the amount of
people arriving on a particular day. ***
Making your reservations
- All athletes flying with TACA
Airlines can make
their reservations through TACA's toll free number. The
online system will not honor the discount. Call: 1-800-400-8222.
- Travelers using several airlines, and
connecting through several cities may use the
assistance of our partner company
Manaca Travel in the U.S. Manaca can
sell tickets for TACA and any other airline in the world. 1-800-477-8785.
- Hotel Reservations in Roatan will be
handled through TropicalRez. They are in the
process of obtaining the final race specials for us and
expect to have a list very shortly.
Managers
and Trainers - If you would like to find out more
about our race, and how we are assisting some
professional athletes, contact us at info@bayislandstriathlon.com.
You can also think of training for a week or more. To find out
send us an email.
Registration
- Mail-in Registration is open. For
information click here. To download the registration form click
here.
Get
fit early, and start winning early. After
Roatan, No hill will ever be too
tough! |
