Testimonials From The Racers

swimbackstrk4 said:

This was my first year for the race and I'd like to say I look forward to next year. I think that with everything put in front of Steve at the last minute with the weather conditions he did a great job of pulling it off! Sure the weather was crappy and you were standing in water up to your shins eating breakfast after the race, but that was half the fun of it! Everyone was soaked from the rain and just having a good time with eachother! For having to move to plan "F" on the run course, it worked out well. I was dissapointed that the swim had to be cancelled since that is my best event, but once again it was uncontrollable due to the hurricane! Yes the cost may have been a little steep, but I feel they made up for. The breakfast was huge and very good. There was more than enough food to go around. The prizes I feel were respectable and they had a lot of them, bascially if you stayed for all the awards you were bound to get something even if it was just a Tshirt! GREAT RACE AND LOOK FORWARD TO THE 7TH ANNUAL!

pserfass said:

Personally, I had a good race despite my disappointment of canceling the swim, so I had an overall positive experience. But in terms of managing the race, here are some reactions/suggestions: I was impressed with the way that Stephen was able to change the run course to deal with the tide/weather issues. Adding the section along the bike path to the south of T1/2 turned out to be a very prudent decision. I'd suggest that the course always be designed with 2 out and backs since it's good for spectators and racers to see each other more than a couple times during the short race. I did miss running down by the water though. the bike course has issues because it's a small course with tight turns. I've done this race for many years and this year was no worse or better than previous years. However, it would be nice in the future if the loops could be a little longer to spread out the racers and reduce the number of times the fast racers have to plow through the field at each corner as the faster racers are catching the other racers. I'd also suggest starting the age groups a little further behind the elites might also help a little bit. The real issues come when there are large discrepancies between the speeds of the faster and slower riders. For this field size, I definitely would not make the course ANY smaller and making the loops a little longer might spread out the field just enough to reduce the congestion. I continue to enjoy the unique challenges that this race brings with an often rough swim (when held), tricky bike course and challenging run. I hope that whatever changes are made for next year, those aspects will be preserved.

Laura Martini said:

This was my second year participating in this event. I love it! Some of the great things about this race are: The fact that it maxes out at 500 participants (I'm tired of doing those large races and having to wait in line for everything before/afterwards), The fact that it takes place at the beach, The volunteers are always awesome, and The food rocks! Also, the communication was fabulous! The email updates let us know the plan way ahead of time. It must have been a logistical nightmare to have to change everything at the last minute due to Hurricane Bill and the high tide, but you still managed to pull it off. I had a blast, especially in that wonderful monsoon-like weather. I felt like a kid playing in mud puddles. Great job! I can't wait until next year.

S_Lewis said:

I look forward to this race every summer, and once again, it did not dissapoint. As mentioned by everyone else, the weather conditions were completely uncontrollable, but the organization and adaptability shown by Steve and his crew was amazing! This race continues to prove to be one of the best organized races I've ever done. Great job!

mchubri said:

Extremely well organized! Most race directors have a backup plan, but Steve had 5! As a triathelete, you always have to expect the unexpected, and this was certaintly the case! Next year, I'd like to see a steamroller packing down the soft sand prior to the run. The 1st leg was tough, but the 2nd run was brutal, but a tremendous challenge! I heard the breakfast was awesome, sorry I missed it. A Event!

Vincent Spina said:

Steve does a great job with this and although the weather did not work out in our favor this year, he seemed to still have a good attitude. Plans A, B, C, D, and E failed and he had to resort to Plan F (just to give you an idea of how on the ball Steve is). Luckily the weather held off just long enough for most of the race.

uwaape said:

As stated by everyone else, this could have been a disaster, but through a combination of careful and prudent management, realistic assessment of conditions, and awesome volunteers, the event went off without a hitch. I was sort of dreading what was coming before the race, but they did such a great job of being flexible I had a great time. Just as I finished the bike leg it began pouring rain, and I was actually smiling and looking forward to the run. Kudos to all involved!

David Stanislawczyk said:

Second time participant in this Tri. The event is well run and despite the uncontrolled weather conditions due to high surf and rising tides, the event still turned out to be one of the more organized races out there. No frills here, just nicely run. Not to mention a real breakfast with "real" food. I do not participate in these other than to keep my fitness levels in tact. There were plenty of amateurs in there but a good mix of serious skilled triathletes. All in all, one I would put on my calendar every year. At the beach, on the beach and in the ocean.....what more can you ask....

gsherif said:

This was a very hospitable and well-organized event. The commitment of the directors and numerous volunteers was evident. Advance communication was effective and day-of modifications went smoothly.

Kosmo8 said:

Great race in a great venue with a lot of serious copetition including some local pros. I can't stress enough how well the race was managed. The weather and(especially) the surf conditions were a nightmare and this thing easily could have been a disaster, instead, the race crew made adjustments, simplified the game plan to one that would have the least variables and made it happen with everyone having a safe, fun race. I was real impressed with the management as I have done a few races with no weather or logistical issues that have turned into horror-shows with people going off course or intersections being uncontrolled, just because of poor management. This race had tons of things working against it, but if got pulled off as well as could be imagined. Nice work!