I loved the format of this race! The Double Sprint was an amazing change to the standard sprint format. The second set of T2 transitions (ride/run) was an incredible feeling – and going at the course a second time gave the athlete a chance to correct gearing/pace mistakes of the first time around! My second pass was by far smoother and faster than the first!
The set-up was phenomenal – expo sites, transition area, swim/ride/run in and out were within 20 yards of each other and made for an enjoyable easy access for friends and fans to watch the event! My wife literally watched everything from “Swimmers…GO” to transition, to final 50 yards of the run by simply turning in a circle! The organizers, volunteers, competitors and expo booth personnel were outgoing and friendly. Special kudos to the staff of Hi-Tech Bikes for setting up their booth with spare inner tubes, bike check-ups, and tire inflation. The availability of last-minute assistance was invaluable.
The event offered BEST raffle prizes I’ve ever seen at a race! XTerra wetsuits, $2600 wheel set, Cytomax supplements (I won three tubs of this!) on top of the free swag AND top 3 finisher prizes made this an event that EVERYONE stayed around for.
My only negative critique would be that the athlete package was not clear where to pick up packets the day prior – took us about 40 minutes of driving around San Diego to locate the table – please make sure it says exactly where the expo tables are.
Other than that, I can’t wait for September to do this again!!
