There were three races going on at once. A 5K, Duathlon and a Triathlon. All start at same time from same place. The instructions prior to the race were not thorough and poorly communicated. He mostly alluded to ‘just like last year’. For those of us first-timers we were a little better than clueless.
I decided to just follow the person ahead of me and hope I did not get too far behind.
The start was fine and the 5K was clearly marked. Water ( full bottles) was offered at two locations along the course. There were signs directing you along the course so you would stay on course. At the end of the first 5K things got messy. Half of the runners ran past the timing table, some cut directly to their bikes saving time. I was competing in the duathlon and exited the transition area correctly but had no idea how to properly get back on the bike course. Others had the same problem. The bike course was good, a bit hilly at first but fun. There were not enough volunteers, a few turns were covered with gravel. Downhill was fast and then a turn around at Opal St. and back again for the second 5 mile loop on the bike. The transition from bike to run was uneventful but again no signs directing you how to get back to the course. On the second 5K all signage was removed! Fortunately a traffic policeman I asked pointed me in the right direction. I know I ran the course earlier but when you are tired and competing it would have been nice to see the signs. I ran for a mile before I knew I was on the right course.
I will do this race again but they need more volunteers and better signage.
The coffee and muffins were great and the cause is fantastic. All in all a fun day!
