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Submitted by asdbarnes
June 10, 2013
Review
If i could give this race a B-/C+, I would. This was my first time racing in LA and I read the web site thoroughly to get an idea of what to expect. I like that there is no pre-race packet pick-up. That being said, i do recommend getting to Bonelli early, as traffic really backs up. We were one of the last cars let into to the lot — and we got there at 6:30. The overall vibe is pretty pleasant. The expo is a handful of tents, so don’t expect much there. The racks are first come, first serve, which would normally be fine, but sprint folks were mixed in with championship folks, and I heard a few racks collapsed during the transitions from people trying to cram their bike in.
The swim is a pleasant beach start, and the water was on the warm side. There was some crowding toward the end, with the championship and sprint waves finishing at the same time. The run from the beach to T1 is carpeted, so that was a nice touch.
The bike course is challenging and by no means flat. The first right out of the park is flat, and you can pick up some speed, but there are some nice hills. My biggest complaint is the roads weren’t all that great, especially back by the golf course on the way to the equestrian center. The road was HORRIBLE. There were also several potholes along the course that were unmarked. I found that many of the cyclists also had no idea what “on your left” meant. Many rode all over the bike lanes, making it difficult and sometimes dangerous to pass them, especially on the big downhill where the road was open to traffic.
The run, while also challenging, was well supported with aid stations. But if you were looking for something other than water, you were out of luck. The championship run was a 10k that took you on a loop through the park, on some dirt trails, by the campgrounds, and all the way back around to the start.
I am normally a sub-3 hour finisher, but due to some injuries and health problems, I finished in just over 3 hours. There was nothing but water at the finish. No bananas, no bagels, NOTHING. It was all gone, and there wasn’t a lot of water left either. I was a little disappointed, especially given how hot it was. Some of the other tri clubs and groups brought food their teams. Next time, I know to bring my own food for the finish.
All-in-all, it was an OK race. I have definitely been to better — and worse.
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Submitted by RaceGrader
June 9, 2013
Review
I have done a handful of the LA Tri Events at Bonelli Park. This last one, was the best so far. They are really “stepping up” their game and producing a high quality event. This race series has been around forever and is known as the “oldest triathlon series” in the world.
Pre Race: My suggestion is to get there early. There can always be a bit of traffic entering into Bonelli Park because of the limited ways to get there. But the race begins at a very tri-friendly time of 8am! There is no pre-race packet pick up. You get all your stuff the day of the race. They don’t have any “pre assigned” bib numbers which really helps speed things along. You just get the number that is sitting on top of the stack, a timing chip, a shirt, goodie bag and your off to set up your transition. Super easy.
Course: Overall I gave this race an “A” but the course I had to give a “B”. Two main reasons: First, because they offer a “sprint” and “olympic” distance option, there is a merging of the two races. It gets a bit crowded at the end of the swim and on the first lap of the bike. It’s not super crowded but you do get some congestion. Second, the bike course is bumpy. Leave your performance tires at home. I saw at least 4 people with performance tires changing flats on the side of the road. Course tips… the swim start is off the beach and is in a very wide area. You can start off to the side and find an open lane right away. The water is a very pleasant 71-72 degrees. The bike course is 3 loops…be ready for some hills! There is very little “flat” on the bike course. But you are always rewarded after a climb with a nice downhill. Especially going down Via Verde road. When you’re heading down Via Verde try to carry some speed as you pass under the freeway. You begin a slow ascent right away and you can really make up some time if you plan ahead. I’d also tell you to use caution at the entrance back into the park. The express riders are done after one lap and there can be some confusion at that point. If you’re doing the championship distance, stay far left and clear of the “exit ramp” and you should be fine. The Run… I loved that they had mile markers on the run. A lot of times you don’t find that in a triathlon. They also had aid stations at least every mile with volunteers passing out water. The run course is also not flat. For the championship distance, you’re gonna mostly spend the 6.2 miles either going up or down. The course overall is challenging and fun.
Post Race: The post race festivities at an LA Tri Series event are great. It has a very cool triathlon “vibe” with a lot of people sticking around with their club teams or hitting up the vendors. Grab a seat on the grass with a view of the lake and soak it all in. For this event, they decided to give finisher medals to everyone. GREAT idea!! Everyone loves getting a medal!
Overall: I give the LA Tri Series a solid “A”. Fun, challenging course with a great triathlon vibe. I highly recommend checking out the LA Tri Series in 2014!
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Submitted by Justin AndDennise Jarvis
June 19, 2012
Review
A challenging course for sure, but well marked and even better organized. Make sure you pay attention to the swim course briefing, they explain it to you every time before the swim starts. Awesome post race raffle, just like all tri-events races.
The atmosphere is great, it is the only race I’ve done where everyone hangs out afterwards, you get to talk to competitors and have fun. I highly recommend this race
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Submitted by phankin
June 11, 2012
Review
I loved the relaxed atmosphere pre race. Was very happy with the ease of getting to the event and the ample parking. Didn’t like that there was no signage to assist in finding the parking from the entry to the park. Thought the course was good but could be better. The lake was nice but very, very murky, couldn’t see my own hands in the water, forget seeing a person in front of you. The markers in the water were very hard to see and were only explained once pre race so if you didn’t hear it, you were out of luck. Everyone I asked right at the water had no idea were we were going, blind leading the blind. Getting out was painful, lots of rocks at the shore. The transition area was great!! The bike course was very nice except for a long patch of horribly bumpy road, very dangerous and uncomfortable. I enjoyed the hills and diversity of views. The run was very nice, only a few little hills and very scenic around the lake. Post race was very low key and most left right away, not too much of a party atmosphere but nice. It was a great race for the whole family to enjoy. Very nice park and lots of open area for family. Many choices of clean bathrooms throughout the park and even along the run, in case of emergency!
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Submitted by runnerdude
April 4, 2012
Review
I’ve done this race a few times. I would suggest getting there early to avoid traffic. There is only one way into the event and cars start to back up off the freeway. Lake swim which I like, and both the bike and run are a bit hilly. And depending on the weather, you may have some wind. It was a well organized event and I enjoyed hanging out after it was done. Fun race but don’t expect a PR.
