September 2020 Dates TBA

The Salem Rotary Multi-sport Riverfest involves three downtown parks, two walking bridges, and the Willamette River.

Triathletes will enter the water at the Wallace Marine Park boat ramp, swim a triangular course in the Willamette River, and exit at the boat ramp. After transitioning to bikes at Wallace Marine Park, riders will cross the Union Street Bridge, go past Riverfront Park, and eventually ride along rural River Road South and back. The transition from biking to running will take place in Riverfront Park. Runners will cross the Peter Courtney Minton Island Bridge, follow trails in Minto-Brown Island Park, and return to the finish line in Riverfront Park.

Duathletes will first run a 1-mile course in Wallace Marine Park before transitioning to bikes. All cyclists will leave the park, cross the Union Street Bridge, cycle past downtown Salem, and ride along River Road South before reversing direction and returning to Riverfront Park. At Riverfront Park athletes will transition to the run. The running event will take participants across the Peter Courtney Minto Island Bridge and along trails on Minto-Brown Island Park before returning to the finish line at Riverfront Park.

All 5K and 10K runners will begin at Riverfront Park, cross the Peter Courtney Minto Island Bridge, and complete the same 5K or 10K circuit on Minto-Brown Island Park used for the triathlon and duathlon.

The Family Fun Run will start in Riverfront Park, cross over and back on the Peter Courtney Minto Island Bridge, and loop around the Eco-Earth Globe before crossing the finish line.

Swimmers will enter the from the boat ramp at Wallace Marine Park and swim across the river, turn upstream along the bank Minto-Brown Island, and then diagonally downstream to the boat ramp at Wallace Marine Park.

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The City of Salem has been collecting monthly water quality samples in the Willamette River near the site of the swimming event since the mid-1990s. Based on an analysis of data collected between 2001 and 2017, the Willamette River scores 90 out of 100 (Excellent) year-round. These values are determined using a methodology developed by the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality. Known as the Oregon Water Quality Index, the scores provide a summary measure of the overall health of a water body based on temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, bacteria, and other contaminants.

Based on water quality sampling conducted for the 2017 Rotary Triathlon, it is safe to swim in this portion of the Willamette River. If any condition exists that calls into question the safety of having swimmers in the water—a pollutant spill up river or excessively high river flows, for example—the swimming stage will be canceled and race organizers will transition the triathlon into a duathlon.

Safety measures include:
(1) A trained safety observer on the river;
(2) Kayaks and paddleboards ringing the periphery of the  course to provide opportunities for swimmers to rest by holding the bow, stern, or sides;
(3) The City of Salem Fire Department’s Swift Water Rescue Team positioned downstream of the course; and
(4) An ambulance on standby prepositioned at Wallace Marine Park in the vicinity of the boat ramp. To protect the triathletes’ feet, a mat will be placed on the boat ramp.

We have posted a swim guide on our website. rotaryriverfestsalem.org/event#tri-du

After transitioning from the swim to bikes at T1 (See Question 7 under “The Swimming Event”), riders will exit Wallace Marine Park and cross the Union Street Bridge to the other side of the Willamette River. The course will then take riders past downtown Salem and along River Road South. The sprint distance turn-around point is at the intersection of Brown Island Road and River Road South; Olympic distance riders will change direction at base of the Independence Bridge just prior to crossing the Willamette River. The bike course will end at Riverfront Park, where riders will transition to the run.

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To reduce the number of vehicles on the road the event has been scheduled for early Sunday morning, a time typically with a low traffic volume. Safety mats will be placed at points where the bicycle course crosses a rail line. Among others safety measures to provide for a safe route for the biking stage of the event:
(1) Traffic barricades, cones, candles, and signs will mark the route and discourage traffic along the course;
(2) Where possible, segments of the route will be closed to all vehicular traffic;
(3) Volunteers will be placed along the route to provide information to residents, businesses, and spectators;
(4) Notices will be distributed well in advance to residents and businesses along the route informing them of the event and encouraging them to avoid using vehicles if possible;
(5) Motorcycle-mounted marshals will be contracted to serve as safety observers and to provide on-scene updates to Race Managers; and
(6) Professionals will be hired to manage traffic flow at key points along the route.

All runs start and finish in Riverfront Park. Triathletes and Duathletes will transition from the bike to the run stages in Riverfront park, cross the Peter Courtney Bridge and enter Minto-Brown Island Park and follow a network of paved trails. After completing the circuit of trails in Minto-Island Park, runners will again cross the Peter Courtney Bridge to the Finish Line at Riverfront Park. Participants in the 5K run/walk and 10K will follow the same courses as the Triathletes/Duathletes (but not at the same time).

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Absolutely. The event is be open to participants, friends, families, and all park patrons.

Vendors interested in displaying or distributing goods at the event but who are not official sponsors will be considered on a case-by-case basis. For additional information regarding an opportunity to be a sponsor, please contact Whitney Pitalo, Sponsor Chair, at wepitalo@willamette.edu.