| September 2002 Newsletter |
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Nescopeck Summer Biathlon
What is Summer Biathlon?
Summer Biathlon is a copyright-protected name referring to the sport that combines running and shooting. It began as an informal summer training exercise for winter biathletes, but in 1988 became an independent, organized sport of its own. Racers alternate several times between running and shooting, with typical total running distances of anywhere from 5 to 10 kilometers combined with 2 to 4 stops for the shooting stages. When transitioning from running to shooting, a racer walks into the shooting range, picks up the .22 caliber rifle, and depending on the stage, takes position either standing or lying down (prone) to shoot 5 targets typically placed 50 meters away. Following each shooting stage, racers must run a short "penalty lap" for each target they failed to hit during that stage.
With only about 20% of summer biathletes coming from a shooting background, one of the questions in many people's minds is inevitably: "I'm a great runner, but I don't know the barrel of a rifle from the butt. What if I just save all that time by not shooting and going directly to running the penalty laps?" The answer is that all participants must go through the motions: walk into the range, pick up a rifle, load the rifle, get into position, and take 5 shots in the general direction of the target. Presumably the few extra seconds it takes to actually take proper aim is less costly than the time it takes to run a penalty loop - IF you hit the target, that is. For this reason there is considerable strategy in figuring out how long you should spend setting up the shot, and the optimal amount of time will of course vary based on factors such as length of the penalty loop, shooting proficiency, level of fitness, and so on.
Impressions of a summer biathlon (and where the heck is Nescopeck?)
The small, unassuming village of Nescopeck, located along the Susquehanna River some 15 miles southwest of Wilkes-Barre, PA, features cornfields, a church, a grocery store, more cornfields…and a rifle club. It was here that the event would be held. As race volunteers worked to unload refreshments, set up the start/finish area, and prepare the shooting range, the 20 or so first-timers that had gathered near the start were called inside to the beginners clinic to learn about the sporting event they were about to undertake.
The clinic began with a short video describing the sport of summer biathlon, followed by presentations on rifle use and safety, as well as tips for the first-timer and an opportunity to ask questions. Following the indoor clinic was a brief trip to the shooting range for a live shooting demonstration, after which participants were given a chance to try it out themselves with a clip or two before heading back to the start line to await their turn to begin.
By the time my start time came around, there was action everywhere. There were people just starting their first lap, people just finishing their last lap, people shooting prone and people shooting standing. Off to the side were people running their penalty laps around brightly colored stakes, a sight I couldn't help but think looked comically similar to something you'd see at a child's birthday party.
The run was flat and fast, and pure country bliss: around the side of the gun club, past a small cemetery, and right smack through the middle of a corn field down a dirt path and back. Down a small hill and into the rifle range, my moment of truth was upon me - and the truth was, I couldn't shoot! Oh sure, I could take some sort of aim and pull the trigger, but I quickly discovered that there are many subtleties to shooting well, the complexities of which are compounded by the shakiness that inevitably follows a period of heavy physical exertion. I ran penalty lap after penalty lap for what seemed like forever, then repeated the whole fiasco a second time to run countless more.
In the end I couldn't have had more fun. Both the participants and the volunteers were friendly and helpful at all times, with vigilant attendants right there at every instant to offer help or guidance with the rifles to us novices while we were in the shooting range. Unique, hand-made awards were given out at the awards ceremony, and I even got to take one home! It was a fun and educational introduction to the sport of summer biathlon, and I would recommend it to anyone who has even the slightest interest. If you're at all curious about the sport, go ahead…give it a shot!
Interested in learning more?
The United States Biathlon Association website is a great place to start and includes contacts for many regional biathlon clubs. The Pennsylvania Biathlon Club hosts the Nescopeck summer biathlons, held each year in April and July.
United States Biathlon Association
Marc Sheppard
Program Director, Summer Biathlon
P.O. Box 1028
West Yellowstone, MT 59758
Phone: 1-800-BIATHLO (1-800-242-8456) or (406-646-9222), fax: (406-646-9433)
E-mail: summerbiathlon@aol.com
http://www.usbiathlon.org/summer/
Pennsylvania Biathlon Club
Frank Gaval
369 Turkey Path
Sugarloaf, PA 18249
(570-788-4219)
-- Steve Darrow
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