Escape From Alacatraz Triathlon

griffin100

Has anyone here done this race - www.escapefromalcatraztriathlon.com

It's on my list of must do races (I was thinking 2011) but I entered the lottery for next years event and I got a place. From the look of it it can be quite hard to get a place in the race - non US entrants are the last group picked in the lottery. Judging from the 2009 results there were no Irish entrants.

If anyone here has done it I'm woundering if the hype that goes with the event is justified - is it worth the costs involved to do it? Is a place on the start line list that hard to get or if I pass will it be easy to get a place next year? Oh, and whats the swim like - 2.4km in the hour limit would be bang on my race pace for last summer (sad I know).

I'm doing IMUK in August and this obvioulsy has an associated cost so I'll have to work hard to sell this to the wife, although she seems happier about the prospects of a few days in San Fran that Bolton:)

I have to make a decision in early January so any help appreciated.

hunnymonster

I've not done it but I've heard second hand from a couple of people that it is well worth it. We tried to swim from Alcatraz when we were in San Fran but there was an oil spill and it was banned :-( Any of the big US triathlons we've been involved with have been great.

daymobrew

I did the Alcatraz swim back in 1998 (I think), when I lived in the area. It took me about 1hr10m (thankfully I wasn't last); the winners were done in about 25mins.

The water in SF Bay is freezing.
We took a regular Alcatraz ferry and it stopped close to the Alcatraz Island dock at which point everyone jumped off. And off we went.

Obviously for a tri race you won't be pausing to enjoy the view and tranquillity (courtesy of going off course a little). And I am sure you won't have a support steward in a canoe asking if you are okay

I enjoyed the event.
I saw highlights on the Alcatraz Tri on TV last year. The 400 Sand Ladder steps up from the beach during the run look very tough.

griffin100

Thanks for the replies.

A quick question for you Daymobrew, if it tool you 1hr10mins to do the 2.4km swim, how did that compare to a typical open water swim time for you for this distance. I'm concerned over the 1hr cut off time for the swim, although its not a DQ if you dont make the cut off, a boat will pick you up and drop you onshore to continue (although that would be embarassing).

catweazle

Thats not an easy cut off time at all for the swim, is there currents there and they are trying to put off poor swimmers???

griffin100

Thats not an easy cut off time at all for the swim, is there currents there and they are trying to put off poor swimmers???

There are currents but they will be with you for the swim - or so the website says. Thats part of the cutoff time I think, they want you out of the water before the tide turns (or you get hypothermia). It averages out at 2.30 per 100m pace, which is about my race pace for a typical open water sea swim (I'm typically a middle of the pack / third quarter finisher in a triathlon swim)

daymobrew

griffin100 wrote: »

A quick question for you Daymobrew, if it tool you 1hr10mins to do the 2.4km swim, how did that compare to a typical open water swim time for you for this distance.

I don't do tris, only duathlons, so I don't have any other swims to compare to.