What's new for S2S 2008

Base on our observations on race weekend last year and from feedback from 2007 participants, we have made some key changes to the 2008 course. The most notable changes are below:

Removal of the long section on Talbot Line leading into the Finish of Stage One

We will now continue straight on Blacks Rd and cross Talbot Line and head North
Leg 5 will be extended and Exchange Zone #5 will be approximately 2km North of Talbot Line
The course will then parallel Talbot Line towards Ridgetown and will feature much quieter roads
The NEW course will rejoin the 2007 course approximately 1.5km from Morpeth and will approach J.R. Smith Park in the same manner as 2007

Different Approach to Sarnia (Mike Weir Park) with Less Traffic

We will be turning East off the St. Clair Parkway earlier on Roxeby Line
This will give us a much quieter, albeit slightly longer route, into Sarnia
We will now head North on Waterworks Rd to reach Lakeshore Rd and back-track slightly to Mike Weir Park

Earlier Start Times & Revised/Consistent Stage Start Order

Due to the longer route we will be starting each wave 2hrs earlier in Port Stanley
Wave 1 will start at 6:00AM, Wave 2 at 8:00AM and Wave 3 at 10:00AM
Wave 3 will now start each Stage last thus keeping the race closer together, particularly in Stage Five
The majority of the teams will now finish within two hours in Grand Bend

Reroute OFF of Hwy 21 in Stage Five

Hwy 21 is the most direct route from Sarnia to Grand Bend, but also the busiest
We have selected a route that is much quieter and follows within 5-10km of Hwy 21
The route passes by the Towns of Thedford and Forest giving teams two convenient opportunities to resupply in Stage Five
Stage Five has increased in length by approximately 18km, but the quiet roads and increased tree cover will be worth the extra distance
The approach to Grand Bend will now be from the South on Rd 81 (Grand Bend Line)
The finish line will be located further away from the large washroom building in an area where there is less congestion

Other Race Improvements

More On-Course Medical Support
More of the Larger 2'x2' Free-Standing Turn Signs
We Guarantee that it will be COOLER than last year
Quiet Zones for Sleeping at Brander Park (Stage 4 Start) and Mike Weir Park (Stage 5 Start)

More Porta-Johns!!!

We have worked out a system with our supplier that will have their team follow along ahead of the race
Units will be dropped ahead of the race in safe location (with low risk of damage to the units and clear of any main drainage ditches) by the first half of their team
After the units are used, the 2nd half of their team will service and clean them.
After the first team has dropped all of its units, they will loop back to pick-up freshly cleaned units from the earlier part of the course and the process will repeat
This system will allow us to provide excellent coverage of the course and keep the time that the units are on-course to only the time that they are needed.

Any questions, please feel free to contact us should you need any further clarification about the above mentioned changes for 2008.

Jason Vurma
Technical Director
2008 Westover Shore to Shore Relay