The Escape From Angola Triathlon is Announced

Escape from Angola is a long course triathlon consisting of a 1-mile swim, 44 mile bike, and a 10 mile run hosted at Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola. The event will take place on March 20th, 2016. .

In 2014, a friend of FRESHJUNKIE Racing, a Louisiana-based endurance sports company, and the Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola suggested that the grounds of Angola would make for a great triathlon course since it has its own lake, is surrounded by some scenic, quiet roads perfect for biking and has a nice paved road that meanders throughout the 18,000 acres of property, making it ideal for a run.

Angola hosts numerous other events on the property each year, most famously its prison rodeo each fall which draws a crowd of thousands every weekend in October. After several logistic meetings and facility tours, Escape from Angola was born.

FRESHJUNKIE wanted to offer a non-traditional course length that spoke to the intensity of this historic prison while presenting a unique challenge to the athletes.

The swim is a single loop, 1 mile course in Lake Killarney, an oxbow lake formed from the waters of the Mississippi on the grounds at Angola. This swim venue is very serene, surrounded by beautiful cypress trees, and has ample viewing area for spectators.

The bike course takes you off the prison grounds through the main gate and into the Tunica Hills of West Feliciana Parish. This 44-mile course is comprised of constant rolling hills with over 2300 ft. of elevation gain. Majestic oak trees shade the majority of the course with views of the beautiful Louisiana countryside.

The flat and fast 10-mile run course takes the athletes out to the top of the Mississippi River Levee, which will allow you an overview of the dramatic 18,000 acre facility and culminates in the Angola Rodeo Arena.

Finisher Medals will be a replica key to the prison and the overall male and female winners will receive retired keys from the prison.

The race also has an overnight package for those wanting to sleep on site. The overnight guests will sleep in a former cell blocks unit that, until 2006, was death row. This building is being renovated to house the new Angola Museum and is regularly used to house church groups and prison ministries who stay overnight for their service to the inmates. Part of the money from this overnight packages goes to the prison’s museum fund that will depict the history of the museum.

FRESHJUNKIE is a brand committed to healthy living. They are a brand of dreamers and doers, of believers, achievers and go-getters; FRESHJUNKIE is more than a company name, it’s their motto. They offer a variety of services in the race directing and training arena. They provide comprehensive race directing; which, includes branding, marketing, race planning, race ops, etc. and often join forces with other race teams to contribute to part of the race day operations. They also offer athlete training for endurance racers of all skill level and they typically host impressive post-race celebrations.

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