Please consider that this was my first triathlon ever when reading this review. The Pre-Race festivities were set up very well. I had the opportunity of meeting Chris “MACCA” McCormack during the setup of the transition area. That was awesome in itself. The SWAG bag was a basic bag with a shirt, and coupons to REI. It was very well priced for a triathlon event. I believe it was $75-$85.
The course was a short course. The most difficult portion of the course was the swim. It was an ocean swim and there were 4-6 ft swells that morning, and the water was 59 degrees!!! I must say that jumping into the water definitely took my breath away. After getting into the water, many of the swimmers were getting battered by the waves and I was very nervous. Obviously, TritheBeach (the company who organized this race) has no control over the water conditions, and I applaud them for changing the course to be more manageable for the swimmers, even though it was a tough swim. After the swim, the athletes ride for about 10 miles on the Santa Ana River Trail, and then back to the sand for the 2.5 mile run. It was different to run in the sand, but it was a welcomed change.
After crossing the line, the athletes were given a medal, water, and muscle milk, which was definitely welcomed after the swim, bike, and run. I was impressed that we received medals since the triathlon was very reasonably priced. Kudos to TritheBeach for doing that!
Overall, I give this race a B. It was a great first triathlon for myself, and I really enjoyed it. The only knock that I am give against this race was the course conditions, but unfortunately TritheBeach has no control over it. I definitely recommend this race.