Align with Challenge, age group winners get free entry into Roth, 2nd and 3rd get 66% off.

I got a laugh out of this -

Planning on moving there myself shortly, but have visited many times as well:

for starters i would call it something like "iron distance" instead of "ultra triathlon" distance..... just hearing the name with ultra I assumed it's one of those double ironman crazy distance races (as opposed to normal ironman distance which is not insane haha)

also not having it right in the middle of Kona, IMFL, Miami 70.3, Rev3 FL time frame would probably help! since FL is nice all year you have a 5 month winter window with very little competition, can't see why you do it mid-Oct

get Disney to sponsor it and help out!

Their FB advertisements always say something to the extent of "harder then an ironman" or something like that... Normal people think 140.6 is hard enough, I don't feel there's a reason to advertise how extra difficult there race is. They need to stop thinking like hardcore triathletes and look to the bulk of the market which is first timers.

Make the goal of a 140.6 as painless as possible both physically and financially. Just my .02 cents.

I was going to the the TGF, until I kept reading how hard and lonely the course is.

As a person that has done IMFL (which is hard enough)- "easier" with more people sounds fun to me. I don't mind spending double the price for that.

DANG - you beat me to it.



Also, you spelled Floridiot wrong.



Sorry, hope all goes well with your race. Advertising and volunteers.

Couple more,
1. offer 50% off to the club that WTC wanted $3000 from for putting chalk on the road.
2. Flatten the course as much as possible, move to end of September, make it Nice distance 4k/120k/30k and sell it as a leadup to Florida, also try to get it to be long course worlds qualifier.

I wish Fred the best of luck, never done the race but have wanted to for a long time, one of my athletes did it last year and really liked it.




Ultra is the official nomenclature of the iron distance, and calling it iron distance would probably get a cease and desist letter from WTC. Even if they don't have a case, it would cost money to defend yourself against it.

You are correct though, iron distance would mean more to people.

Your comment about the time of year, the floridian predates all of those race except for Kona. IM FL was put in Florida in the fall in order to kill the great floridian, it has pretty much worked. But maybe it would get more traction as a spring race.

BAM. Best distance ever. Raced it twice now. Way more fun than iron, but still plenty long...

I can't offer much advice since I've kinda departed from the tri scene (HH in B'ham). I came down, if I recall correctly, three years in a row about ten years ago doing full, half, full. I loved it. Great message board at the time, and loyal fans. But the numbers were declining even then so I'm not surprised by your news, especially seeing how many more "official" Ironman(R) races there are now.

Please convey to Fred thanks from this grateful customer.

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________
It doesn't really matter what Phil is saying, the music of his voice is the appropriate soundtrack for a bicycle race. HTupolev

Move it to the end of May.

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Marty Gaal, CSCS
One Step Beyond Coaching
Triangle Open Water Swim Series | Old School Aquathon Series
Powerstroke® Freestyle Technique DVD

x2 to all of this.

Also, having the race in October competes head to head with Beach to Battleship. Move the date.

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Pink? Maybe. Maybe not. You decide.

Sugarloaf one year for the GFT..



GFT Legend TimAquatic finishes one year..

I participated last year and it was my first Iron/Ultra distance. I think a couple people hit the nail on the head. When I was training for it, I was consistently told that Fred had made it more and more difficult over the years. My friends cheered me on, but thought I was crazy for doing that as a first. The reputation for being hard is what I think keeps people from it. I no longer live in Haines City, but my club of 75 people had no other people race in the GFT, the reason being that it was just too hard for a first IM (which would attract locals) and a PR killer for MOP athletes. I'm glad it did it, but it probably wasn't the best choice for a first ironman. Never recovered after that first climb of Sugarloaf Mountain. I heard rumors it might wrap up, at 25 maybe 30 years. Too late to train now if this is the last, but I want to be there again. But I'm a glutton for punishment.

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"In the world I see you are stalking elk through the damp canyon forests around the ruins of Rockefeller Center. You'll wear leather clothes that will last you the rest of your life. You'll climb the wrist-thick kudzu vines that wrap the Sears Towers. And when you look down, you'll see tiny figures pounding corn, laying stripes of venison on the empty car pool lane of some abandoned superhighway." T Durden

Now that is just crazy. The course is all open with no shade except on the run. It was 95 degree heat index in October last year. Florida 70.3 which was at the end of May in 2013 and literally 30 miles south of the GFT was 100 degrees heat index and had one of the highest drop rates for heat exhaustion. If anything, the race could be moved to early December, where it is still very possible to swim in a wetsuit (I OWS all winter in a wetsuit), and there is little competition nationwide in December. But, the season is officially over at that point (after IM FL).

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"In the world I see you are stalking elk through the damp canyon forests around the ruins of Rockefeller Center. You'll wear leather clothes that will last you the rest of your life. You'll climb the wrist-thick kudzu vines that wrap the Sears Towers. And when you look down, you'll see tiny figures pounding corn, laying stripes of venison on the empty car pool lane of some abandoned superhighway." T Durden

Interesting discussion. It would be a shame if this race doesn't make it to 2015 or beyond, but the competition is fierce and independents better offer some real value along with something unique if they are going to compete with WTC.

I've done the aquabike at the GFT twice in preparation for a fall IM and am already entered to do the same this year 2 weeks before I race IMFL. I get the whole swim and bike, and I typically run 5-6 miles of the marathon before pulling the plug. So I know the feel and vibe of the race. And by the time you are on the third loop of the bike, it feels like you are on a solo training ride.

I think the ideas above to link up with Challenge or converting to the triple-O and vying to be the ITU Long Course World Championship would be great. Could you imagine the attraction to the GFT if you could line spectators up 6 deep on each side as you went up SugarLoaf on the 1st loop aka Roth...or even 1 deep? The problem is no one cares. When you go to an IM, everyone in town knows what is going on, but when you go to Clermont...the home of triathlon...the city (apart from the few hotels) has no idea that there is a race. At least that's how it feels to me.

For 2015, I think you should focus on the history. It's the 25th right? That should be a huge deal. Have you talked with Vineman to see if they were able to leverage that angle at their 25th this year? Shirts should be extra special. Participation is historic. Bling-bling 25th annual anniversary medal...and post what it looks like well before the race. And to celebrate the anniversary, offer a big discount to past finishers to come back and celebrate. The more times they finished in the past, the bigger their discount should be.

I support the GFT with a large entry fee for the aquabike but it is run as a complete afterthought to the full even though the event is helping cover costs. You finish the bike leg and go into T2 ... and what? The answer is nothing. You just take your bike right out of T2 and go home. No finish line or thought given to that event, and nobody knows what's going on anyway. Last year, I just went straight to my car, packed the bike, hit my cooler for some drinks, then hit the trail for my 5 mile run.

And get an IT professional to make some sense of all the websites that Fred has out there. He has info on the sommersports website, then websites for individual races, and another website for chiptimes. It's nuts. They need one professional website that has all that info without flipping you other websites. As a layman, his IT presentation appears unprofessional which could lead some people to incorrectly believe that his races are the same.

Start on an island in the gulf. Swim to the mainland. Bike east all the way to the atlantic. Run 26 miles into coco beach. Pick up an overnight bag at the finish and walk to your hotel.

Looped courses are boring. Let people go somewhere! If I've just swam/biked/run for the better part of a day, I sure as hell don't want to end up where I started.

PS: I hate Florida, but even I'd consider something like this in December/January.

Vineman actually did a really good job in celebrating their 25th. They had a special reception (with wine) to celebrate the highlights from the last 25 years. They had displays with mementos and even had a recreation of the finish line and announcer's stand from 25 years ago. They also gave out conmemorative wine glasses engraved with the 25th anniversary logo. They had a really cool participant's shirt's with a big old #25 in front and the finisher's shirt was even nicer, also with a "25 Years" in front. The race medal was also super nice.

They are very good at using social media to drum up the event and the community support in Windsor and Guerneville is very strong. Everyone knows Vinaman is on that weekend. They had about 800 registered and about 600 starters. They also had a ton of people on the Aquabike and a ton of women on the women-only HIM Barb's Race. In all there were about 1,500 people racing that Saturday. I think Vineman benifts from the fact that a couple of weeks before the Full they hold the Ironman-branded 70.3, which always sells out. I think this gives a lot of visibility to the Full event. Quite frankly, execution is also a big part of it. Vineman is a well-oiled machine and an incredible value for athletes.

I agree that the best shot for the Great Floridian is to either affiliate with someone like Challenge and/or find major sponsors that will help update the brand "package". Meaning the marketing in social media, price points and promotions, and good old print and online ad marketing. I think changing the distance would be a mistake. The 140.6 distance is a sticking point with many triathletes. You should also really push the Aqua Velo as a great prep to IMFL. You can probably count the full-distance AquaVelos in the US on one hand. So this is a unique ofering that may be appealing to those already commited to IMFL. However, without some funding help and investment the future is bleak for GF.

It really is too bad that the sport's media, including ST, does not give ANY attention to the independents. There is so much outside of IM, but unfortunately this is quickly changing and I don't think it's good for the long-term viability of the sport.

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http://dontletitdefeatyou.blogspot.com

Hey KG , Lew here
I have been here since 1995 , raced the GFT 96,97, 98,00,01,02 and coming from Miami it was tough at first with the hills.
But when i raced here and living here for some time, i felt a advantage on the course.

I took time away from racing ,not training, to raise my daughters, but that itch is coming back , kinda sad to see the GFT head south .
Looking at the race now is so much different than back in 1996 when i first raced it and because of that changes have to be made to save it and grow it .

I see it as a mom and pop race where 500 is that good number to shoot for.
And make it 1st timer florida guy or gal friendly there race to do .
They don't need to be scared away by the course .

Hawaii dropped there tough hill on there run called the PIT, so any race can change its course .

Mdot those who run from it is because of its price .
Back in 1980 when Dave Scott raced in Oahu when he did his 1st Ironman , his parents drove behind him about 400 yards back.
in a small race like the GFT it could help make it 1st time friendly , where families drive behind there athletes , giving then aid and support and safety .
And give the families instruction to fall back , keep flashers on and give aid every 10 miles to there athlete , this is a family race , so include the family .

Make sure to have downtown finish, same metal , same finisher shirt , creating a history .
That is my 50cents worth Lew

Did the GFT 3 times. Don't think the bike is all that hard but to attract more participants take out the hills and bill it as a new easier bike course. Also It's always very hot & humid in Mid October.
If it was moved to mid November to mid December I would consider doing it again.

I did the race in 2009. Man, it was hot that year. I'd hate to see this race go away, but I'm not surprised. It was a fairly small turnout.

I agree with a lot of the suggestions. I think using the word ultra and calling it tougher than iron is a mistake. Extremely tough races are a tough sell, especially if they're in Florida. It doesn't have to be an easy race, but don't make it sound harder than an Ironman.

I like the idea of the Nice distance. Or just making it a really good half iron. I also like the idea of it being a spring race. I live in WI, so a good early season race in Florida followed by some time on the beach would be awesome...and an easy sell to my girlfriend.

I love looped courses and my girlfriend does too from a spectating viewpoint. If the roads are in good condition, definitely advertise that. I'll travel for good roads...and sunshine, especially in March.

Making it a warm up race for IMFL would probably work well. There's a really popular half iron here in WI, the Door County Triathlon. It's about 2 months before IMWI and Door County is a bit of a vacation spot so people do it was a warm up race and then vacation for a few days.

Just go with the Nice distance. Call it the TinMan. Give it good pricing, a cool logo, a fun course and design some cool finisher's medals. People love cool finisher's medals.

Can you still order hamburgers at that one aid station? I remember something about being able to order a burger and they'll have it ready for you on the next loop.

Being good at social media is huge these days. I did a half marathon a couple of years ago in KY called Run the Bluegrass. The race director is all over social media. If you tweet about the race, he replies. If you ask a question on FB, you get a quick reply. He's out there all year talking about the race, and it helps that he's kind of funny. It made the whole race experience a little more fun because he would joke around with you, and since he's always out there you never forget about the race. I'll probably do the race again someday even though it's a long drive for me, partly because of him. Also because they had some really cool age group awards and I missed one by a few spots. Little KY Bourbon barrels. They were cool.

This made me laugh as one year at GFT husband raced and Bottom Feeder (anyone remember him from old Slowtwitch days?) chalked his name up Cherry Hill. Race pamphlets said "DQ to anyone associated with chalk on the road!" Luckily, they didn't follow through (I laid into Bottom Feeder for doing that) and the chalk lasted for a very long time on that road afterwards.

But suggestions? It's tough; making it late or really early in the year when it's actually nice down in Central Florida will get all sorts of complaints from the Northern crowd about training. I don't think the Key West 1/2 and full have good numbers in January. May can be brutal, although early May may still work. I'd hate for it to go away but you can't put a race on like that without the numbers. Partnering with another race organization may not be what Fred is looking for, but might be best bet.

Someone talked about the website needing some updating, I think that's definitely a necessity. Most people get there info online these days, so a clear and easy to navigate site with some nice appeal could go a long way. With that said, the race last year did do pretty well bringing in people from other places, but failed on the local level with only 2 FL residents in the top 10, and 7 in the top 25. So that's something that us local athletes might be able to help with through word of mouth, encouraging other locals to participate, and coming out to volunteer or cheer during the race. I can't make it this year, but I was hoping to come out in 2015 and help out, then join the party at KG's! It looked like everyone was having a great time at the aid stations (especially KG's), this race in 2013 was my first full so it was special for me, and I'll be bummed if I don't get to experience this race from the sidelines as well.

Kevin,

After competing in three Ironman races and the GFT, I have to say Ironman was a better experience. There are a few things that come to mind when I think about why though:

1. Support, support, support! Ironman has such a strong relationship with the cities they go to, and the shear number of spectators and volunteers on the course is really unbeatable. For athletes this means no having to worry if the next aid station is running out of cold drinks (most the time, except IMKY 2008), or coming up to a table with no volunteers late in the evening. It also provides so much motivation for the athletes to hear those annoying cow bells and to see the dressed up super heros, or the sounds at the finish line from a large crowd. Not to mention, there is one thing first timers have been training for all year, and that's to hear that they are an Ironman at the finish line, which can occur no where else.

2. Pre-race and post race activities are also a major plus for Ironman events. If you are a first time Ironman, it is pretty impressive to seat with 3,000 athletes and their families at the banquet. The food isn't usually very great, but the entertainment is typically very motivating. Simple things like having the pro's talk, having an inspiration story or two, and the marketing involved with race videos to get you pumped up and excited.

3. Marketing is huge for Ironman. They reach hundreds of thousands of athletes through email with updates almost once a week about upcoming races and results. One of the real keys is that they have cornered the market on iron distance races, and by that I really mean they have a long history of more than just one city, one race. We are talking about 30 some iron distances races across the world, with over a million finishers. It's hard to explain to first timers that they should do a local iron distance race, when they have heard from all their triathlete friends about Ironman races.

Overall, I think Fred has done a great job with his races over the years. Here are the things I would like to see improved at GFT:

1. I think in order to get the numbers up at GFT he must get the community more involved in volunteering and spectating. With more hype, comes more athletes. Make this a BIG event in Lake County and in all of FL. Market to the big cities, Orlando, Tampa, Miami, etc. Get tri clubs across the south east involved by any means necessary.

2. Once you get the crowds, GFT has to focus on better serving the athletes on the course so they come back and truly enjoy their time. There can not be empty aid stations on the run course at night, they can't run out of ice and liquids ever at any station. Put more into the finish line, make it grand and exciting. Make athletes feel special like GFT is the best race experience they have ever had. Marketing has been the key success for Ironman in my opinion.

3. Consider course changes. I don't think that the hills scare people away, but I do think that three loops on the bike and run will. I would suggest taking the bike course out further north where there is a break from the hills and you could remove the loops possibly (go out on 561 to Astatula and Tavaras). On the run, maybe go past the current turn around at old 50 and instead have them go all the way down the trail to the NTC and back. That would not only remove the loops probably, but also allow for involvement at the NTC and hospital which would be great.

There are definitely some things that can be attempted because I think you have a great course in Clermont. Good luck, and I hope to race GFT in the future again soon!

#tbt..

Molina Still A Contender In Triathlons
GREAT FLORIDIAN TRIATHLON - TODAY, CLERMONT
Scott Molina, 42, Was One Of The First Great Triathletes, And He Will Compete Today.
October 19, 2002|By Joe Williams, Sentinel Staff Writer
CLERMONT -- Race Director Fred Sommer laughs as he says the triathletes of today probably don't know who is Scott Molina.

Just as today's baseball players are believed to be negligent of the history or the tradition in their sport, a lot of today's triathletes may not know Molina as one of the pioneers in their sport. As one of the three Scotts, Molina, along with Scott Tinley and Dave Scott, was one of the first big names to come out of the sport in the 1980s.

Molina, 42, who was a pro triathlete from 1982-1995 and won the 1988 Ironman World Championship in Hawaii, will compete Saturday in the 12th annual Great Floridian Triathlon, an iron-distance event (2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bicycle, 26.2-mile run) that gets under way at 7:30 a.m. at Waterfront Park.

"He's still racing seriously and still does times in the low nine hours," Sommer said. "He could very well be up there [among the finishers]."

Approximately 800 triathletes are expected to compete in the race and another 600 competitors will compete in a half-iron-distance (1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bicycle, 13.1-mile run) race, scheduled to start at 8:45 a.m. Longwood's Jeff Cuddeback is among the local favorites in that race.

Molina, who is originally from California but moved to Christchurch, New Zealand, in 1994, has a total of 104 professional victories to his credit.

Among the favorites is Peter Kotland, a native of the Czech Republic who ran cross country at Wofford College and now lives in Spartanburg, S.C., and Konrad von Allmen of Switzerland.

Kotland won the 1997 Ultraman World Championship, which included a 6.2-mile swim, a 261-mile bicycle and a 54-mile run. More recently, he won the Vineman Ironman Triathlon in Santa Rosa, Calif., in August and was fifth in Ironman Wisconsin on Sept. 5. Among von Allman's best finishes was a fifth in Ironman Utah and a seventh in Ironman Wisconsin.

They will be going after the race record of 8 hours, 55 minutes and 22 seconds set by Renato Danta de Lucas of Brazil in 2000.

But it is Molina who is adding some excitement even before the horn sounds.

"He is definitely a legend in the sport," Sommer said. "If he sets a course record, wins the race or even wins his age group, Scott Molina will add some instant credibility to this race."

Lot's of great ideas here so I'll just "vote"

Align with Challenge, age group winners get free entry into Roth, 2nd and 3rd get 66% off.
Makes sense

also not having it right in the middle of Kona, IMFL, Miami 70.3, Rev3 FL time frame would probably help! since FL is nice all year you have a 5 month winter window with very little competition, can't see why you do it mid-Oct
Maybe do it really early in the year... like march... where you don't have much competition from other races.

get Disney to sponsor it and help out!
I've got a lot of ideas for a course involving Disney :) If GFT partnered with Challenge and got attendance up, I could see this as a possibility.

Kevin, I've done 6 GFT's over the years and loved every one of them! I think what hurt the GFT the most was when IMFL started back in 1999. I've done one IMFL and decided not to ever do it again because of the blatant drafting on the bike. That is why I love GFT because the hills will limit the drafting. Ever since IMFL started the numbers have been falling at GFT. If Fred wants to continue with a 140.6 race I think he should think about the following:

1) Simple easy website and advertise the race here on slowtwitch
2) Offer a discount to Tri clubs who participate and somehow get that word out to all the Federations
2) Need community support down at waterfront park in the form of entertainment and different choices for food
3) Having Finish Line in Downtown seem to have more spectators then down at Waterfront Park
4) Bring back the 3 lap run course around the Lake but add more lights on the back side.
5) Bring back the 1 lap bike course from 1998. It was mostly flat with a few bumps including SugarLoaf
6) Partner with WTC and let GFT be a build up for one of its races whether its a 140.6 or 70.3

I really hope a solution can be found because it is a great event.

Rex

I've done the race 3X.

1. Give free entry to a few high-caliber AGs, so then winning time is 9:XX and 10:XX again;
2. Return the 3 loop run course and maximum 2-loop bike
3. Update the website
4. Better marketing with local community
5. Downtown finish
6. Tie-Dye T-shirts
7. Keep the "Greatful Dead" of the tri world vibe.
8. Get rid of the medals and engage a local artists or school to come up with something unique each year. E.g., top 10 in each AG get a hand-painted finisher plate (painted by local kids, maybe in hospital or local art school)

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Damn, that's a cold ass honkey.

GFT was my first full. Good course, well-run race. Alas, I got stuck on the KQ treadmill, and haven't done an independent full since B2B in 2010.

Personally, I think the race is too early. It's early enough that it's still pretty hot in FL but cool every where else. IMFL is just a little bit later, which seems to make a difference for temperature and humidity. Why not early December? Would the week before Christmas be ridiculous?

I think you are the exception, not the rule. I would say most people enjoy the legal draft. Being passed or passing people or groups makes it feel like you're actually racing.

When I'm in a race and there isn't anybody within a football field of me, it's a real morale killer. It feels like I'm doing boring training.

My question to Mr. Sommer is what do you want to GFT to be?

I am a newbie/wannabe triathlete having completed only two triathlons to date. One with enough success to become addicted, and the other with enough challenges to smack the proper amount of respect for the sport into me.

The things that most of you are talking about are beyond me, and quite frankly I would not make a decision to race or not based on the how many loops are in a particular course, how many hills are in a course, or whether or not I am surrounded by other racers through most of the course, I am slow so being alone is a given. I want to be inspired!

I have watched every Ironman World Championship that is available on youtube, multiple times, starting with 1981, and the thing that keeps me coming back for more is the theme of overcoming the seemingly impossible. Whether is was the gentleman with polio in 1981, Julie Moss crawling across the finish-line in 1982, the Dick Hoyt pushing his son Rick 140.6 miles in 1989, John Maclean becoming the first person in a wheel chair to complete Kona in 1995, or Jon Blais log rolling across the finishline in 2007, these as well as all of the others inspire me to one day cross the finish-line of a 140.6 mile triathlon as well. It may never be Kona, and god willing I will not have to over come the same challenges to complete my race, but I want to finish.

The volunteers/fans along the route, as well as the finish-line also provide a level of inspiration. The continual "Great Job!", "You Got This!" and so on during a marathon this past February kept me in great spirits, and reminded that my family and friends would be there at the end, and if I didn't finish the race, the past few months of training and time away from my family would be worth less than if I finish. Not worthless, worth less.

All of that being said, the footage of GFT that I have watched does not inspire me. Last year's GFT overall winner won with a time of approximately 12 hours, and crossed the finish-line to hardly any fan fare. Another video, from 2007, showed someone cross the finish-line with hardly anyone around to greet him. Not exactly inspirational.

I served in the military and have run half marathons and a full, so the importance of training is engrained in me. If I am going to dedicate so much of my life to accomplishing this goal, and take time away from my family. It is important to me to know that I will be supported on the course and rewarded at the finish-line.

So, back to my original question. What does Mr. Sommer what the GFT to be? If he wants newbie/wannabes, I'd like to think that I am not the only person wanting to be inspired out there.

1. Team up with the Challenge Athlete Foundation
2. Highlight past first time finishers and what they overcame to cross the finish-line
3. Hook up with Bob Babbitt and see if he would do a Breakfast with Bob at the GFT
4. Do not sell out to WTC, Hits, Rev3, or Challenge
5. Encourage the local community to become more involved, finish-line on main street if that will help
6. Create a volunteer race credit program. MultiRace in SFL gives $10 in race credit for every hour of volunteering at a race. Yes please. It worked on me and many others.
7. Leave loops in the course if it will reduce the number of overal aid stations and increase the quality of each remaining aid station. In the words of Christopher Watkins "I need more Cow Bell!"
8. Consolidate your race offerings into only a couple of mainstream, recognizable, options
9. Provide course maps. I download and print every course map that I can get my hands on
10. Revamp the website
11. Examine Challenge Roth's success. 14 hotel ROOMS in the entire town, but almost 5,000 people arrive to either race or support racers every year. Mirinda Carfrae stayed in a retirement community leading up to Roth.
12. Maybe there are some out of the box solutions to reducing costs for athletes, and increasing community involvement.
13. Is there a local college that has dorm rooms available?
14. High schools that have students in need of volunteer hours?
15. Is there a local video production company that would be willing to video the race, edit it, and post it on youtube for marketing purposes. If not, maybe the the college with the dorms or the high school with the volunteers has video production classes and students in need of a project for a grade.

Hopefully some of this helps.

You forgot Race# 1390.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sx8ae4TfwrE

Thank you for reminding me.

The same year Macca DNFed and bailed into Mark Allen's car. Three years later he would be the champ!

I was there! Brings back great memories. At the pre race dinner, there was a talent contest and anyone who participated got 1/2 off the entry price. Some guy got up and played "ironman" on the trombone with his son on the drums. Too funny except when the next guy got up and in front of multiple young families acted out what seemed to be his really bad college acting class skit of him being raped in a prison or something like that.
Weird and disturbing!
I have no real suggestions except for what someone else mentioned and that is social media sells everything these days. Anyone get spam in the last 48 hours from ironman or the ironman store? How bout anyone who has done GFT n the last ten years qualifies as an AFA or All Floridian Athlete. Now that would be special.

I haven't done an ultra/iron distance race or plan to, but had done some of Fred's other races, the HIM in March, TriAmerica 2k-60k-15k in 2007 and will be doing the TriAmerica again in Oct on the same day as the Ultra. Can't beat his prices on early sign-up dates. I post them on the local FB tri-run pages.

Being from the coast I love the area for racing, even Sugarloaf and the other "bumps"! I like how he's trying to keep it a busy day with doing a 15k and 5k run the same morning. My wife will be running the 15k while I'm out there. Same for other friends doing the TA race, their spouses will be running.

I think the run might need to be addressed as others have said. A friend did it 3 years ago for his 1st and really didn't like the run in the pitch black trail areas. Running around the lake seems like a great idea.

Website(s) needs a revamp for sure.

Time of year, maybe early in March would be better, I don't know. This year for the HIM race (march 22nd) turned out to be the hottest day of the year up to that point so it's a toss. Mid November or early-Mid Dec could be worth a shift. I know HITS is in Mid Jan and Rev3 HIM is early-mid Nov and MiamiMan HIM is also in Mid Nov.

I like the idea someone stated of him adding/changing to a 4k-120k-30k race. Something I would consider doing.

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<We all know that light travels faster than sound. That's why certain people appear bright until you hear them speak>

• Contact UCF (both sport management and the B-school). GFT is a small business case study. Could become a senior project or even a master's degree project.
• Do research. Collect actual data. Focus groups, online surveys & so forth. Speculation & intuition doesn't appear to be working right now. Why are people NOT doing the GFT?
• Resist the urge to make the course like Ironman Florida. An actual hill in Florida! Amazing. Embrace it.
• The "independents" need to talk to one another. Links could be created to assist with marketing & promotion. Create a massive data base.
• Work with USAT & the regional federation. Work with the training center.
• Resist the urge to discount. You're giving away inventory. Discounts cheapen the product. Consumers than expect it all the time.
• GFT is family friendly. Mom and/or dad do the race. The kids get the Mouse House or Harry Potter.

GFT was my first ultra triathlon in '94. It'll always hold a special place in my heart.

Good luck.

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#swimmingmatters
Laugh hard. Run fast. Be kind.
The Doctor (#12)

Eric Graveling; Deltona, Florida
10:23:28


My picture; but your right about the finish & fan fare.

I've never done The Great Floridian but was considering it over a WTC 140.6 next year so hopefully its around. I think if you could partner with another company such as Challenge or Rev3 that their brand recognition would help. I've done the Florida Challenge half which I think is half the GFT's bike and agree drop the "tougher than iron". Is the bike tougher than IMFL? Yes. However, having done IMFL, that is possibly the most boring ride. The rollers in Clermont weren't terrible and I could fight my fatass up Sugarloaf so I don't see why anyone else couldn't. Having year round racing temps I also like the recommendation of moving it to possibly Jan or Feb. Hopefully it's still around next year, and if so, I'll be there.

It's hard to compare the fanfare with Ironman because they draw 2,000+ participants, and therefore friends and family and people of the community who are come out to see the 'spectacle' . So the question becomes how to get more spectators at a small event, and make it feel like a 'spectacle' event though it's much smaller. There is a music festival in Clermont at the same time, could the two events benefit from working together instead of independently? It would take coordination as having live music and a race announcer going at the same time would create it's own problem. Having a downtown finish (as others have mentioned) while the music festival is going on would inherently help with the lackluster finish. After bringing the two events together, spread the word locally to build hype, similar to how Ironman does it; with posters and banners through out town and the neighboring areas.

I say keep the hills, at least one iteration of them, like the early years. The hills in Florida are what make this race unique.

Up the distance beyond Ironman, 200 or so miles and live up to the 'tougher than iron' slogan.
Make the race more family friendly by allowing outside support, possibly in designated 'zones' on the bike.
Allow outside support and limited running('pacing') with friends/family through the waterfront park section.
Go back to loops on the lake rather than back and forth on the trail.

Racer #1!

Bradford Rex was the man.
Now we need some Joe Bonness pics winning

If two people are both registered for the event, then there is nothing stopping them from running together. Pacing is a non issue in that case.

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Pink? Maybe. Maybe not. You decide.

Now I could get into a Florida "Coast to Coast' crossing triathlon. Kind of like the old Liberty to Liberty tri, that started at the statue of Liberty, and then ended at the Liberty Bell in Philly. Very cool event.

I did the GFT as my first full in 2003, and have been back almost every year except 2011. A couple of suggestions:

1) There were *always* a bunch of people walking up Sugarloaf, and sometimes Snowhill. Sometimes on the first loop, always on the second loop. Personally I preferred the years where the first loop was in the hills and the second loop was out Northeast or to the West, both of which are partial flatlands.
2) The downtown finish was more fun, but I think all the lakefront bars nearby are closed...might not be so much fun these days. The new pavilion is really nice, and a lot better than finishing in the middle of a dirt field like a couple of years back.
3) Distance-wise the 140.6 is the reason I keep coming back. Changing it to something slightly different but still close to "iron" wouldn't bother me much, but I think would take away from the accomplishment for first timers.
4) Overall concentrating on getting people to the finish line is key. I can't tell you how many times I heard people get off the bike and say something like "I can't believe the hills and the heat. I'm not sure I can walk to the finish." Part is the heat. Some years on the bike the water stops looked more like triage units, just without the doctors, beds, IV bags. Okay they just looked like people struggled to make it to the next stop and just sat down in the grass. Moving to mid November or late April would take the heat out of the equation. Making only "part" of the bike course tough would get people off the bike and still able (and willing) to run. Putting it in May or September is absurd, no one would show up. I wouldn't...and I live 40 miles from Clermont!!! I quit doing IMFL 70.3 because of the temperature, and went back to the "slightly" cooler GCT.
5) For quite a few years the GFT was the US long course championships. Participation dropped off a LOT after that went away. Consider teaming up with Challenge or other groups for co-marketing promotions, but don't sell out to them!
6) The run course around the lake was more fun but tougher. The cars were annoying, but the themed water stops were always fun (where did that go??). The shade on some of the out and back trail course is great, but there was something special (ed) about being on the far side of the lake and seeing the finish line lit up across the water.

I do like the idea of doing a 140.6 across FL, the shortest distance is from Crystal River to New Smyrna or Port Orange at a bit over 100 miles. That would be a logistical nightmare but sounds fun! There are a couple of cross-FL races, but I don't think the GFT should do anything like that. But it needs some marketing push and maybe a few week's time change (or to mid-April) to get a significantly higher participation and especially a higher finishing rate. Plus then it can stay around for a few more decades. I need to ensure the Jenkins Jinx continues to thwart Grogan's attempts to finish the bike course.

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This is my biggest concern coming and doing the GFT. I did The Florida Challenge half this year for the first time. Sommer Sports advertised water on the bike every 10-15 miles. I planned on that and only had a bottle of Infinit on my bike with plans of picking up water at the first aid station. The first AND ONLY water stop was just over the top of Sugarloaf. Thankfully there weren't a lot of us coming through together and the 4 person team could hand off bottles. The price was right but I wasn't given what was advertised and that rubbed me the wrong way. I did overhear people saying that MOP/BOP racers got another aid station that was put up late. Even then they advertised 4 aid stations and only supplied 30% of the racers with 1.

The other thing is that the aid stations are more like pit stops. You need to be prepared to come to a complete stop if you expect to get something. Since I do the aquabike as a catered training day, this isn't a big deal, but it would bother me if I were facing the full for time. And I have stopped at a 7-11 during the GFT bike leg for more fluids...something I haven't done in an IM.

That's a HUGE problem.

Could you imagine at IMFL having to STOP to get your fluids/nutrition? Their would be outrage.

If the GF can't even do that, that's a serious issue.

Also, that picture a few posts up is crazy bad ass.

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I did the half this spring also. I carry one aerobottle and always drain it completely by the first water stop on Cherry Lake Road. In 11 years of doing races out there (10GFTs) that was the first time a water stop had no water. I came around the corner to go up the last hill towards the water stop...no water. I lucked out because I'm a MOP swimmer, so the water uHaul passed me on SR19 just before the second stop. I picked up a bottle but should have stopped and grabbed two. I was cramping from dehydration by the time I got to Sugarloaf, and never recovered. I'll emphasize again, this has NEVER happened to me on the GFT. I never found out exactly what went wrong that day...

I've had no problems grabbing a water bottle on the bike course, but I carry my own nutrition. I've never tried to grab more than one bottle from any aid station at any of my 11 iron distance or 20+ half distance, so I can't judge whether the 4-5 volunteers at each aid station would have a hard time handing out extra items. I've always been in a position to grab a bottle, even back when there were well over 1000 racers.

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Support Crew
This information contained herein has been assembled for your assistance and convenience. It is believed to be reliable, however, its accuracy cannot be guaranteed. All opinions shown are subject to change without notice.

I did the GFT in 98-2000. Stayed at the famous Vacation Village. We did a loop to the north that was hilly, came back into town, and then did a loop to the west which was flatter. Going over Sugarloaf once is a plenty. I think moving it to a little later in the year is a good. Cooler temperatures and no drama whether it is being wetsuit legal or not. 140.6 is hard enough for people without adding hills and heat.

Joe! Great picture..

These finishing pics are depressing! There's more people screaming at the finish line of any podunk sprint race I've participated in. I'm sure it's a bit of a chicken and egg kind of thing, but based on comments here and feedback from a few friends, it sounds like a really long solo training day which I can do around here and stop at convenience stores along the way.

Thanks everyone for the feedback and suggestions. Many of the suggestions offered in this thread were also brought up at a recent Friends of the GFT meeting we had a few weeks back where we discussed the strengths and weaknesses of the race. About a dozen GFT participants gathered here in Clermont to discuss the race, and many others from out of town offered their feedback on the Friends of the GFT Facebook Page. Our next meeting is scheduled for Thursday, August 21, and will be focused on the race experience and how to get the community more involved. We expect to have representation from the City of Clermont, the Local Chamber of Commerce, the Clermont Downtown Partnership, and the organizers of a downtown music festival taking place the night of the GFT.

Florida is a very saturated market when it comes to late season racing. You have IM Florida, Miami 70.3, MiamiMan, and Rev3 all within a 3-4 week window. When I started the GFT it was the only late season ultra in the country and the only late season long-distance tri in the Southeast. While the IM races are at capacity, MiamiMan is struggling to get numbers this year and Rev3's numbers have not been that impressive since it landed in Florida.

One of the challenges we have is the economics of scale. A typical Ironman Race may have 2,000 participants and if each athletes brings 3 people with them, you have 8,000 people at the venue. Even if the community does not come out to support the race, you still have lots of people at the race. If the 175 ultra-distance athletes of the GFT bring 3 people with them, we now have 700-800 people at the venue, not really a crowd. Like many races, we've added other distances and events to the GFT to boost the overall attendance, but it is a challenge to get the participants to hang around after their event is over. Even having a local food truck at a race can be a challenge when your numbers are low.

The economics of scale also have a major impact ont he funding of the race when it comes to adding the bells & whistles that add excitement to an event. A typical Ironman race has a $1.5 million budget to work with. We have a very small fraction of that. For instance, we have a $15,000 police bill associated with the GFT. If you were to divide that among the 150 ultra participants from last year, that means $100 of the entry fee they paid would go directly to cover police costs. Now put 2,000 athletes on the same course and each athlete only has to contribute $7.50 of their entry fee towards that same police bill. That is just a simple example as to why a smaller race may not have the financial resources available to add even simple enhancements like athlete tracking.

For 2014 we know that the top priority has to be for us to produce a flawless race with a ton of support. That I know will happen this year based on the people who have already come forward to offer their support. We also have new leadership and a new community focus within the City of Clermont and that is going to make our job much easier.

We are starting to make changes for 2014. You'll soon see a new easy to use website loaded with the things athletes and spectators want to see. We've decided to drop the "tougher than Iron" slogan and go back to our original "Are you tough enough" slogan we have used since the very first GFT back in 1991. We are going to focus on the family friendly aspects of the race in our future marketing. Many people do not realize we are only 30 minutes away from Disney, Sea World and Universal, and an hour away from east coast beaches and 1.5 hours away from the Gulf. We want your kids and supporters to share the finish line experience with you! We are lining up a shuttle bus service to bring people up to Sugarloaf in hopes that we can line the entire climb with spectators much like they do at Savageman. We'll even be giving everyone who takes the bus a GFT cowbell to help make some noise. There will be lots more announcements to make after next week's meeting.

For 2015 we are exploring moving the race to mid-November. Moving the race earlier in the year is not an option for us. Next month we will be announcing a very special offer for anyone who has finished a previous GFT Ultra. We hope that will entice previous participants to return. Of course we'll have lots of special commemorative activities taking place in conjunction with our 25th.

As for the course, contrary to what people think, we do not make the course difficult by choice. We have to work with the constraints of HWYS 50 & 27 and that limits our options. Our surveys and feedback show that athletes do want Sugarloaf to remain as part of the course. We always welcome course suggestions and during the course of the next several months we will look at all the the course options available for 2015.

Switching from the run around the lake to the current out and back run on the trail was one of the toughest course decisions I had to make. But when participation dropped the change was required. It turns out that the course change was well received by most and it made the run much more spectator friendly and safer. Once the new western trail extension is completed this fall it will make the course even better.

Please keep the suggestions coming. We know we cannot compete with the Ironman experience so we just need to focus on the making the GFT experience a better experience for all.

If you do not want to post publicly, then email your thoughts to me privately. I also encourage everyone who wants to contribute to join the Friends of the GFT Group as well.

Thanks!

Fred Sommer

Fred, shuttling people to Sugarloaf is an awesome idea. I did (and completed) the race in 2005, the year we had 3 storms come through the state. I've written about my experience that year, so no need to rehash.

I am glad Sugarloaf is still going to be part of the course (in 05, we went up 2x). I personally have zero issues with a tough course, but that's just me.

If you go back to the three loops around the lake, please make sure there's plenty of sufficient lighting on the back side. That was a lonely, dark, and a little scary on that third loop.

And I'm in the minority...I like that last weekend of October (before Halloween), but that's for personal reasons. I would be thrilled if you kept it then!

Good luck. Can't wait to suit up for 2015!

That busing people to sugarloaf is a great idea to cheer on . And that western extension on the trail will make the run really wonderful with shade and running with the lake right there on the side .

I'm registered for the TriAmerica long distance race this year (not the Full) and really excited to get back on that course. I really think that the race needs to move back a few weeks, maybe into the first week of December. You aren't risking bad weather outside of a potential 55 degree morning before the sun comes up. You ARE risking a hotter than hell race keeping it in mid October. The only weather respite that we have with the current race date is it won't be 90% humidity the whole day.

The issue with the date is that it will, in effect, end your season. A mid-October race will put you on a recovery plan, or completely on your ass, until the first week of December. At that point, there are no races left in the year. The TriAmerica intermediate distance is still perfectly timed, as it can be a supported hard training effort with more manageable distances before an A 70.3 a month later. you can recover for a few days and be right back at it by the following weekend. An Iron distance race necessitates longer recovery (I know I am preaching to people who have far more experience than I in this department) and will remove the possibility of having a solid race within the following 4-5 weeks.

I have no issue with the course, or the spectators on the course. The spectators will come as the registration numbers rise, but this isn't something residents are taking time out of their Saturday to watch. We should all get images of cyclists climbing the Solarberg at Roth out of our heads, because that ain't happening. That is a really awesome sight, but it isn't the reality at almost every single race in the world.

Mid November would great for the date. I did the GFT 98-2000 then life got in the way. I cannot make it in 2014 due to work but will make every effort to make it 2015.

Call it "Iron Man." Hide from WTC's lawyers.

Does anyone know if GFT does increasing price similar to HITS or is it set price like WTC? Planning on signing up for next year just wondering when I'd need to sign up.

There have been a lot of great suggestions here and I don't have much to add. I did the half as a relay team in 2002, I think it was. I seem to remember it being the same time that Molina was racing. I did the bike portion of the race and we had a great time. But it was definitely tough, even though I just did the bike. I live in southern Georgia and we don't have hills here. And that is the reason I haven't done the GFT since. In 2005, I decided to do an iron distance race late in the year and had two to choose from: the now-defunct Duke Blue Devil and the GFT. I chose the Duke race for two reasons: 1) I thought it might be easier than the GFT (not sure it was) and 2) If I didn't finish the Duke race I could fall back on the GFT a couple of weeks later. My wife and I were having our second kid then and I knew that the fall of 2005 was my only shot to do 140.6 for several years. I bounced back and forth deciding which one to do for several weeks. In the end, my primary reason for not doing the GFT was because of its difficulty. Not only is it hilly but it can be brutally hot in October in central Florida. The day we did the relay it was over 90 degrees with high humidity -- our runner very nearly dropped out of the run due to the heat but he managed to finish (I should have ridden faster so he would have gotten out on the course earlier!). I would say consider making the course somewhat easier. You don't have to take out the major hills but if you have some options to flatten it a little you might be able to attract more athletes. It doesn't have to be easy (as if a 140.6 ever is) but it doesn't have to be a soul-crusher, either.

And back in 2005, I managed to finish the Duke race but I had a major mechanical on the bike that I thought would end my day. I was sitting beside the road already making plans to enter the GFT when a support vehicle showed up and changed my back wheel. But for a few minutes there, I thought my day was over. I haven't done an ultra since.

RP

Yes, the sooner you enter the more you'll save. As part of our 25th birthday celebration, athletes who have completed one or more GFT Ultras will receive even better deals with the potential to even receive a complimentary entry if you qualify. Watch for details later this month.

Fred

In celebration of the Great Floridian's 25 birthday, we are considering offering everyone who has finished the GFT 140.6 distance a complimentary entry into the 2015 race. There would be a $50 non-refundable administrative fee in association with the entry and you would have to enter by November 30.

For those of you out there who have finished the GFT, would this offer help entice you to join the GFT's 25th birthday celebration and race on October 24, 2015?

I did GFT last year as my first 140.6 and would definitely consider the offer and even try to drag out some of my training partners to join in the misery that is the bike course! I'd love to see the event continued.

*****

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"It's too dangerous and expensive to ride with d*ckheads" -tridork

Not to be difficult, but why don't you just say that you are offering a $50 race entry to any previous finisher, because that is really what it is.........

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Pink? Maybe. Maybe not. You decide.

Yes, I'd do that today, if it was available.

And I agree with the poster above to just say it's a $50 entry fee.

2x finisher here. Would seriously consider an "alumni" weekend.

We discussed this when the idea was introduced at our focus group meeting. At the time the consensus was that we should promote it as a free entry. Originally it was proposed as 100% free but we felt we had to associate a minimal fee with the entry in order to help weed out people who would sign up just just because it was free, with no real intention of racing the race.

Fred

Same here - 2x finisher from the 90s. Reduced cost wouldn't pull me in (as much as a quality event, good location, etc.). Something unique (alumni division, alumni race, special items such as early start time) might be fun. You have a great race - I don't think you have to give it away at such a deep discount.

Exactly. Truth in advertising. Please. IE they need the $$ now.

I think this is a great idea Fred! I didn't finish last year, but I would certainly enter the 2015 race and drop out at the same spot as last year for $50!!

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Austin Hardy -

Sure, I would seriously consider it.

Mark
GFT '98

Fred

Just a minor clarification please...would this be offered if you've 'ever' done GFT or just the most recent one? i did it in 2002 so it's been a while but have always said i wanted to come back.

Thanks

The offer would be for anyone who finished the GFT 140.6 distance in the past 23 years, and for those who finish it this year.

Fred

Fred,
Have you made any kind of a play for the 2000+ folks currently trained and ready for an Ironman who were left out in the cold, errr smoke, at Lake Tahoe? A majority of these folks are likely Mdot or bust types, but you might find that a little incentive to those ready for a fall Ironman and left hanging could snare you more than a handful.

That's a great idea and something we discussed internally. We are just working on a fair deal that would not alienate athletes who recently signed up.

The challenge is reaching those athletes to let them know about the offer.

That is AWESOME! I hope to be there for the 25th GFT in 2015. It will be my 6th GFT (96, 98, 00, 01 & 13). It will also be my 25th ultra distance triathlon. I was wanting to pick a special race for my 25th, seems like I found it.

By posting the intention here on ST you just told them all :)

It's official, we will be offering all Great Floridian 140.6 finishers from 1991-2014 a complimentary entry into the October 24, 2015 GFT 104.6.

Details will be posted next month.

Please keep the suggestions coming on what we can do to grow and improve the GFT.

Fred, please update this thread when we can register, if you remember. Thanks.

Will do! Registration for 2015 will open on October 18, 2014.

What about a free or reduced entry also to men and women who have achieved a certain time standard (in the last 18 months), but have not yet raced a Great Floridian? It would not need to be an elite time standard, but something to increase the depth of the winning and top 10 times. It could be 10 hours for men and 11 hours for women. I have done GF 2X, so it's not for me. But somehow the quality of the event might be viewed as higher if there were 4-5 guys under 10 hours and 4-5 women under 11 (like the old days of GF).

This might draw some of the KQ crowd that decided not to go, or the folks that barely missed a KQ - with GF being a solid alternative. I don't think you need an 8:XX performance, but just a few "elite" 'ish times to provide credibility the race. You might also offer free 2016 entry to anyone that beats an age group record (although Joe's are probably out of reach for many!).

When I look for marathons to race, I want to see that I won't be running alone at 3 hours. I don't care if there's one 2:30 guy and then the rest are over 3:20. I just want to know that I'll have company between 2:50 and 3:10. I think the MP folks would enjoy being part of an iron distance with KQ caliber racers, without losing any of the traditional GF vibe. It could also become an event where a KQ caliber athlete might win overall in a respectable field.

I love the GF and want it to return to the golden years - I tell everyone "it's like Woodstock on disc wheels." I will be there in 2015!

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Damn, that's a cold ass honkey.

This is very exciting! I'll be there!

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Mandy

I used to live in FL and race a lot of SommerSports in Clermont. When I moved away I would race the half iron length and later the shorter than half iron length race on GFT endurance festival. But right now 2 or 3 things have kept me from visiting Florida and racing. 1st there are already lots of Iron Distance races in Florida around October...There are also a lot of IM branded races that got moved to October. I live in Maryland now, and last year I did IM Louisville, and this year I did IM Maryland. I would do both of those races again. But the GFT also has to compete with IMFL, IM Chattanooga, as well as IM Louisville, and IM Maryland. I think changing the date to March would work for me.

The second thing that kept me from racing at GFT festival, was I liked having the choice of either the full, or half iron length distance. I was kind of disappointed when the half iron length race was shortened. I have friends that I like to visit that live right by the start, but I am not too keen on driving down there for the bike race that is shorter than the half iron length.

Last week I was kind of looking for a 140.6 race on the southern east coast in the Spring time, and I didn't find too many. I didn't have much time to look too hard though. How many other long races are down there during that time frame? I would suggest moving the GFT 140.6 to March/April, and combine it with the Intimidator 70.3 length race, similiar to how it was done before.

You might consider trying 2nd or 3rd weekend in March when a lot of colleges are on Spring Break, and you might get a few college athletes... my college tri club travels to your neck of the woods each year during spring break.

-Rip

"And get an IT professional to make some sense of all the websites that Fred has out there. He has info on the sommersports website, then websites for individual races, and another website for chiptimes. It's nuts. They need one professional website that has all that info without flipping you other websites. As a layman, his IT presentation appears unprofessional which could lead some people to incorrectly believe that his races are the same. "

Especially this...

Love to see the race survive...a shift in dates to spring could be a winner...March perhaps? Early for a hard IM though, and the lake would be pretty cold...like the idea of getting some fasties who didn't KQ in there to generate some interest...how 'bout what Frank tried at Silverman full a few years ago, offering prize money for a relay team that could go under 8 hrs? That'd benerate some publicity/interest, I'd bet...

Thanks for the offer! My first race at that distance was your race in '94. My last finish at that distance was in 2006, but this is a tempting way to possibly complete the circle.

I think you might be happy to hear that Toughman Florida is to be announced this week - it is planned for March 15 in Bradenton. Keep an eye on http://www.toughmantri.com for more news!

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Travis Rassat
Vector Cycle Works
Noblesville, IN
BikeFit Instructor | FMS | F.I.S.T. | IBFI
Toughman Triathlon Series Ambassador

I'm not sure what toughman has to do with improving the Great Floridian, but if you are looking for a half distance triathlon, there is the Intimdator, the 31st Annual Florida Challenge Triathlon on March 21, 2015 in Clermont. For several years the Intmidator was held in conjunction with the GFT. It's a great warmup event for the GFT.

After next year's 25th birthday celebration, if next year's GFT participation merits it, we are seriously considering moving the GFT to April of 2016. Then just like the old days, you can race the Intimidator a month before the GFT 140.6.

Fred

Last minute I know, but does anyone have hotel,motel,b&b, suggestion for Fri and Sat night? Talking 10-17 and 10-18 . My son is doing the full, I'll be there to support him. Thanks, Allen

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TRIATHLON ART FOR YOUR PAIN CAVE: https://tinyurl.com/ydefvjhq

Loved the race as well. I think everyone and their mother wants to do an MDot. No way around that. Unfortunately its all sort of psychological. That said partnering with someone..challenge or some other independents is the only way to survive

Registration for the Great Floridian Triathlon XXV just opened. This is going to be one crazy birthday bash and the invited guests, past finishers of the GFT 140.6 distance, get a complimentary entry into the 140.6 distance as promised!!! Newbies can enter for $250!

http://bit.ly/103gwnv

Please keep sharing your suggestions on how we can improve and grow the GFT in 2015. It will be a make or break year for the 140.6 distance. If participation does not rebound that distance may be bumped in 2016.

Thanks.

Fred

I'm in, registered this morning!

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Damn, that's a cold ass honkey.

Registered. Now, let's hope my body holds up to the training!!!

I've got a training partner I talked into racing this year, and I'll be back next year to pick up some of my ego that I left out there in the heat of 2013!

****

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"It's too dangerous and expensive to ride with d*ckheads" -tridork

In! Best deal in the sport. Can't go wrong. Sleep in my own bed. Easy for friends and family with lots of spectating options. loops with special needs avail multiple times on bike and run. Challenging course!

I signed Joe up for GFT 2015 this morning. 1991 was his first "Iron" distance race and look what happened. 2015 may be his last. ;-)

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Support Crew
This information contained herein has been assembled for your assistance and convenience. It is believed to be reliable, however, its accuracy cannot be guaranteed. All opinions shown are subject to change without notice.

Fred,
My name is Austin Hardy. I raced the Tri America distance today. I am a Lake county resident, and would LOVE to see these races return to their glory of the late 80s to mid 90s. You come onto slowtwitch, and ask what to do about your races, and your low attendance. I have ONE answer.

EXECUTE!! It is as simple as that, do what you say are going to do. I left todays race with a sour taste in my mouth (again!). If you can return some integrity to your races, people will come and race them. If they are a debachle, like todays Tri America distance people will leave, as they have been leaving every single year.

Below is a list of what you said would happen, vs what really happened.

1) The run distance. The advertised course was 15K. The leaders were directed to run 10.38 miles. The below link is NOT what we were instructed to run today.. Not even close.
http://www.greatfloridian.com/...ourse%20-%202014.pdf
I knew the course, but I had run marshalls telling me to follow their directions.

2) At the very last minute we were told to swim around a cylindrical red bouy, and ignore the Orange turn bouy.. This was news to all of us, and not what was stated in your pre race info.

3). You state that. . My wife was volunteering at the aid station at 455/SR19. They were never supplied with a first aid kit. There were many long course athletes that were very unhappy when they stopped for Vaseline, advil, sunscreen, ext.. Only to find out that there was none of that on site.

4) The Gatorade on course was NOT the sport top bottles as advertised.. Its a little thing, but, little things add up.

5) Awards.. According to you
The awards did not start until 3:45. I watched at LEAST 10 people walk away between 3pm and 3:45.. By the time you started awards it was a pathetically small gathering. That is YOUR fault by not starting at the stated time.

6) Run Support , according to the website
There was ZERO Gatorade for me on the first 10K of the run. And there was NEVER cola, salty snacks, or fruit.. The Grogan station did have Gatorade and gel on my second time through.. But that was 12K into the run!

7) Final Standings - Lets talk about the dude that you currently have listed in 2nd (and for a long time had in first).. Does that run split really make any sense to you? Fred, you have been doing this for 31 years. When was the last time you saw an AG athlete pass 21 people to go from mid pack to win the race?!? His splits were 5:23 miles, yet Nina Kraft, Jeff Cuddeback, and Nat Glackin were all in the low 7:00 range.. Does that make ANY sense to you? How do you go all the way through the award ceremony without bouncing that outlier out of the standings?

8) Sugarloaf Challenge.. You had a sponsor donate 4 awesome helmets as primes for the climb up sugarloaf. You even had us wear special race numbers just for that.. yet, there are no results posted.. That's an embarrassment. The climb happened 5 hours before awards. It is amazing to me, you get a $600 donation from a sponsor and don't even have the common courtesy to post those splits, thank the sponsor, and award the prizes? (didn't this same thing happen in 2012?)


To summarize.. You want to know what WE can do to help get people to your races? What can YOU do to live up to your advertisements and claims?

You have a great venue, you have a great bike course. As a local resident, and avid triathlete I WANT to see you guys succeed. But your poor operation and lack of execution is scaring customers away.

Respectfully,
Austin Hardy

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Austin Hardy -

I had to boogie before awards to get my son to a birthday party, so I am still unaware of the final standings. I did appreciate the transition staying open so we could grab our bikes almost immediately after finishing.
I fell apart at 4 miles on the run, so I was doing lots of mental gymnastics to motivate and push myself on to the 9.3 mile distance. So when I completed lap 1 and I was at 6 miles, I was getting a bit concerned. Then at the first aid station, a turn cone had appeared and I was told by the Gear for Multisport crew to turn there. Even with the earlier turn (which from the start was where the advertised turn should have been) the course was 10.3 miles. I will assume that a cone didn't get put out, and volunteers weren't in place, and that it wasn't a mis-measurement.
I have no idea what is going on with the Sugarloaf climb split. Results are still not up, so I can't dig around, but I thought it was a great idea and promotion.

I there were were some items that were out of Fred's control as well. The Sheriff's deputies were, for the most part, great. I try to always say thank you to the guys out stopping traffic and keeping us safe. However, there were a couple that were not keeping the roads safe for us. The the bottom of the hill where we turned right on to SR 19 after the first aid station, we had a T-stop and crossing traffic didn't have a stop sign. I was on my way down the hill and noticed an oil truck almost splatter a cyclist making that turn. The Sherrif's Deputy was sitting on the corner talking with his partner. I am not kidding when I say this other athlete could have been killed had they taken the turn a little wider. That is NOT something that I would blame on the race management.

I had fun, and will continue to use this race as a tune up effort for late season 70.3's.

So they changed it while racers were on-course?
That's bunk.
It's bad to go out like it's a 15k and realize you have another mile&change to go. That sucks, no doubt.
But it's unacceptable to have the course change while you're out there. That's very not cool.

And letting people into transition early is really unfair to the late finishers. I always appreciate it, but I'd be pissed to come into transition with a mob of folks dallying around and clogging up the flow.

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@christopher_borden •
Spinning Spoke • Dimond Bikes • Flo Cycling • Castelli Cycling

I have sent my money, this is exciting hope to be number 3 for 2015.

this was my first 140.6 distance and was able to meet a bunch of great people AKA the Tribe.

Fun times for sure, just need to make it to the start line

Darryl

The results keep changing too!! Just like the course!

It is hilarious how how little integrity this race has.

Still no KOM splits posted.. That might be 3' of my life that I never get back. It was fun though, I like seeing little red dots while climbing the biggest climb in the state.

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Austin Hardy -

I did the GFT aquabike in 2010, 2012 and again yesterday. I love the venue and the three loop bike course just can't be beat. For me, the aquabike serves as a hard catered training event, and I can brush off the things that would really annoy me if I were actually racing the full 140.6. I've seen some improvements over the years, but there are still issues.

1. Having the swim for the Tri-America distance be a little longer than the 1.2 mile loop is just plain stupid. Two years ago I got suckered into swimming around the red pillion but this year I knew to turn at the same orange buoy (the red pillion isn't there on loop 1). Since I am a MOP swimmer, I started lap 2 with the Tri America distance folks and as we approached the first turn I saw long course athletes wondering if they should go out to the red buoy and the intermediate athletes wondering why swimmers like me where turning at the orange buoy (they probably thought I was cheating). Having a 1.2 mile loop and a 1.25 extension just adds needless confusion. Stop that nonsense now and let the "Tri-America" distance just be 1.2 miles. GFT is just shooting itself in the foot with their gimmicky swim distance. Note to Fred: the 101 distance didn't work out either. Nobody is going to complain if the one-off Tri America distance has a 1.2 mile vs 1.25 (or whatever it was) swim.

2. Gatorade bottles with regular caps. Really? You either had to stop and refill your bottles or stand there and slam the Gatorade down. Again, just a nice training day for me, but if was racing I would have been pissed. This is why folks pass on the indies and go to Ironman.

3. I ran out of Gels on the 3rd loop and asked for one at an aid station. Silly me, expecting they would have gels at a bike station. Took a banana instead so I made it through fine. See number 2.

Again...outstanding bike course...don't change it. Kudos to all the volunteers especially the UCF Knights tri-team. That aid station had a lot of energy!

I did the ultra aqua bike today and have nothing but compliments for the way the race wad run, the marked and aid stations stocked and manned. Yes the course kicked my butt, but was well run!!!

Fred, if you really want to grow this race I have one suggestion - work with WTC to guarantee the overall male and female winner a spot a KONA next year. I understand that the quick answer is that they are your competitor, but independent events help to build the sport and the stronger the sport is the more they will continue to sellout their races in minutes. If you could work this out think of how many athletes would travel to FL for a late season 140.6 for a shot at KONA, heck how many local A list triathletes that local would enter?

If this event is going to survive and I hope it does, the one thing you can't do is nothing!

You mean well but that ship sailed for the GFT long ago, and you clearly don't understand how WTC operates and the direction they've been going. They aren't going to sell a competitor even two Kona slots. And at this point, I don't think WTC would even offer to buy the race if it were for sale. Fred has got to figure a way to get folks to come without Kona spots. I think a license from Challenge with guaranteed entry to Roth would be much more feasible, but even that won't happen until Challenge gets off its butt and leverages Roth the way WTC leverages Kona.

This is probably the worst part. I hate it for the GFT specifically, but every time one of theses "grass roots" races drops the ball, the WTCphilia is strengthened and it hurts all the non-Mdot events.
At IMChoo, those guys had a trainwreck of issues to deal with and still pulled it off. I left pretty dang impressed with it and even thought it was a bargain considering the challenges they faced. I mean, for the masses, why risk a year of training and possibly the most significant athletic achievement of your life to save a few hundred dollars on a non-branded event?

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@christopher_borden •
Spinning Spoke • Dimond Bikes • Flo Cycling • Castelli Cycling

That's a pretty decent list of legit complaints. I'm torn because I want to do this race. Logistically it's perfect for me. However I had issues at the half put on in March (1 water stop for FOP on the bike) and now hearing this I'm torn. If I were just doing the half it wouldn't be such a big deal, but to put in the training hours for a full and be let down on raceday would suck. I don't really care about awards and standings. Those are legit concerns but can be taken care of after the fact. It's understandable to have computer issues ect. Little dumb on their part to even quote a time if they're doing awards right after. WTC even does them the next day. It's the aid station issues that worry me. My only 140.6 to date I was saved on the run by the aid stations. Sure would make an already long day a lot worse having to deal with issues at aid stations on the run.

I have to agree. First, I have never done this Ironman but many of Sommer Sports sprint and oly races plus numerous road races. And I have volunteered at several full and half events.

I have experienced everything from no port-o-potties at an event until almost race time (locked bathrooms). No race shirts available and then having them mail to me a shirt either xl or last years race shirt. Really crummy after race food (after promised fantastic spread). No gels, running out of gator aide, lack of aid at aid stations. Poor timing and/or no results. Clueless confused volunteers, bad directions, and lack of communication.
The website is terrible and hard to navigate and results hard to find.

It just seems like this company tries to scrimp and save on virtually every part of their events. And. It. Shows.
It is sad because while living in Orlando I loved to go to Clermont and do the tris starting in the 90s. Back then the sprints would have 800-900 athletes. Then it pretty much went downhill due to the multiple little things that would constantly go wrong. And the seemingly uncaring attitude of the staff with this organization toward the athletes and any issues.
It is amazing that your events seem to be the antithesis of your advertising "the peoples race etc".

Unfortunately the norm for your events are underwhelming. It doesn't matter how much you claim you are about the people unless your actions back your claims you will continue to have low turnout and athletes leaving with bad tastes in their mouths. I believe you have a few running events coming up this fall so my challenge to you is put your money and actions where your mouth is.

I would really like to see the GFT turn things around and at least get back to the size of the Vineman full. Part of the execution problem may come from having so many events going on the same day. But on the other hand, he can't make it work without the revenue from those other events. Catch 22.

Looking at the results I see 81 finishers on the full for the 24th edition. HITS Naples had 71 finishers in their full last year. If current trends hold, in a few months, HITS will surpass GFT as the 2nd largest iron distance race in the state ... didn't see that coming!

I would like to see it turn around also. It would be said for triathlon to leave the Clermont area. But I just don't see them upping their game at this point. And the question is; is it too late? Many people don't complain but just walk away.

I think they are fooling themselves if they think people don't notice that these events just don't live up to their billing.
For instance, currently Sommer sports has a 10 mile run in November that is $40.00. But you can pay twenty extra dollars and run up a set of stairs at the completion of the race.

Yes, running up the stairs is not included in the price. You pay twenty dollars more to do this. Now in my opinion this is just gouging plain and simple.

Pics of the stairs? They'd better be epic...

Citrus Tower, Clermont:
http://www.citrustower.com/
I believe there are 25 flights of stairs and there is an observation tower at the top. You can look all around and see house after house or what use to be orange groves.
I wouldn't mind doing the race but to pay $60.00 for the 10 mile plus stairs seems a bit absurd.

For just $6, the adult admission price to the Tower, you can take the elevator and stay as long as you like at the top.

TY,
Why don't you email Fred with all your concerns. Obviously you have a lot of time to think about all this stuff so contact him if you really want to help. I am sure he would welcome your "constructive" (more like destructive IMO) criticism.
fsommer@sommersports.com
Kevin Grogan
Minneola, FL.

KJ, I can assure you that I have on several occasions emailed Sommersports with issues. And the result was a level of unconcern and enthusiasm to address the problems. You are the one that stated:
If there are any ideas out there for 2015 GFT, Fred & I would love to explore them. Fire away.
So when one fires away with suggestions they are met with said snarky reply. Nice.

Fair enough.
My wife and I have both sent Fred a (long) list of our concerns from the weekend.
I will stand behind what I wrote and to be honest it's pretty much what's said on this thread minus the cheap shots.
I think for the most part we all want this organization and event to do well.
But sommer sports needs to get organized in a big way if they want the business to succeed. Bottom line. No more pity parties. Just want organized events from them.
Again,
Kevin Grogan
Minneola, fl.

KJ you are a stand up kind of guy. Sommersports is lucky to have you in their corner. And your right. I apologize for cheap shot. I hope this business succeeds for all of us and the community as well.

Follow up--

We got an email from Sommer Sports yesterday. They had an equipment failure that prevents them from giving us our bike split times for the KOM.. Which also means they can't hand out the $600 (approx. value) in primes. That is very disappointing. Perhaps even maddening, it is a repeat of the same thing that happened in 2012.

Also in the email it said the results have been updated and finalized.

I can't vouch for ALL the results, but the top 10 for the tri America distance is a total mess. I emailed Sommer Sports about it yesterday.


I WANT Sommer Sports to improve. I want these races to thrive. But, I can't in good faith give good reviews of their races. And I can't encourage other triathletes to come down here and race their events.

How can a company celebrating its 25th anniversary be so inept at the basics of race management?

As an aside, and to end this post in a positive way.. Clermont/Winter Garden remains the best place in the world for you Northerners to come down to in the winter. Stop in and Winter Garden Wheelworks for all your bike needs. Got swim at the ole' NTC (now Livwell) and let KGrogan set you up with some shoes.. Enjoy the wonderful roads. Run on the clay trail. And might as well give your kids some money to blow at Disney while down here too!

Austin Hardy
Eustis FL

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Austin Hardy -

Fred, I signed up along with a friend. My friend has a lot of work to do cause he has not done a tri since 1998 which was the GFT.

You have a lot of work to do to give us a flawless race. Please cross your T's and dot your I's. I've supported numerous different races since 1998 that you have put on and I hope this will be your best one!

Rex

Fred!

I went to the web page and you have the wrong date for the race (about half way down the page) and there is no provision for prior finishers paying $50. I finished twice, btw, and would love to do the 25th Anniversary race. Finding race results was also quite problematical as I didn't find my results until I searched by name rather than age groups. Many of the age groups are cut off from your results page.

I did not get the email notifying folks of the $50 deal, though I've done the race twice and have done about a dozen other of your races. Why didn't everyone get the email?

So, what is the link showing I will only pay $50 as a prior finisher?

Have you finalized the bike course yet? 2 or 4 loops, or what?

Good luck!

-Robert

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"How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world." ~Anne Frank

I found the registration link! I'll register today.

-Robert

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"How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world." ~Anne Frank

Fred, are the 2015 bike course maps done? The link below has only 2014 maps. Also, is the course 'downloadable' into google earth? Or is it in google maps (or some program) that someone has already ridden the course?

Also, what nutrition will be on the course? I know I have seen it on the site, and I must be missing it on the site.

Thanks.

Bike map link: http://greatfloridian.com/...bid/961/Default.aspx

bump

Third bump, and my email with the same questions wasn't answered. I'd like to know so I can start formulating a nutrition strategy on the bike that coincides with what's on the course.

Thanks.

 
I'm not Fred, but did find this: http://greatfloridian.com/Portals/14/GFT%20Bike%20Course%20202015.pdf buried under the Run course portion of the site (http://greatfloridian.com/...bid/961/Default.aspx). It has the aid stations at 8.9, 18.5, and 24.2 miles of each lap (27 miles each). Under the course page it says that each aid station will have water, gatorade, and bananas, but that also describes last year's course, so who knows if it's what will actually be there or not.

Will

Hopefully it will be a good day for racing in Clermont today.

Since it's race day and if anybody is interested, you can signup for the 2016 for only 150 dollars this weekend.

https://runsignup.com/.../FL/Clermont/GFTXXVI

Anyone do The Great Floridian today??? How was the weather, was it wetsuit legal, was it windy, etc??? Is the run course still one 5-ish mile out-and-back, then three 7-mile loops around the lake???

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"Anyone can be who they want to be IF they have the HUNGER and the DRIVE."

Hardest and hilliest GFT bike course ever, windy and hot. Wetsuit legal but felt like a long swim. Run course is 3 laps on bike path, flat run. A out and back east of transition followed by an out and back to the west of transition x 3.

No real time link to results? I thought this was 2015.

You're treading on thin ice though if you say "hardest ever", unless you've done all 25 GFTs, since it seems to me that the half and full iron races there are always very hilly and windy, though i will readily admit that the temperature has varied a lot over the years. In any case, it is a consid harder race than most people from outside the area are ever expecting, since everyone thinks Florida is all flat. Thanks for the update:)

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"Anyone can be who they want to be IF they have the HUNGER and the DRIVE."

I've done the GTT 6 times and lived a year on the bike course in Montverde. When I first did this race in 1996, the bike had a hilly loop followed by a flatter loop. The last time I.did it before today in 2013, it was 3 hilly loops but much easier then this configuration. As far as I know, this is the first time that the course included the wall 3 times, Buckhill rd 3 times and Sugarloaf 3 times plus each and every other hill 3 times.each. I.haven't looked at.my computer for elevation data was a lot. BTW, Joe Bonness agreed with me that this is the toughest version they have ever used for the GFT. He also stated that this is the toughest Iron distance bike course in North America that he has ever done. He's done some racing too...

Honestly this type of course is gonna scare people from coming back to the GFT again.

Today was brutal. Warm, windy, hilly. Which hill is The Wall? And Buckhill Road is just horrible!

Very proud that I finished 13h19m.

The wall is that hill after that first traffic circle on hwy 455.

OK, well, it does sound extremely hilly, and def that Bonness guy has been around a bunch. Congrats for surviving, and tell Fred he needs to tone it down a bit:)

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"Anyone can be who they want to be IF they have the HUNGER and the DRIVE."

Oh, man, that was brutal. Honestly, Buckhill was much worse than Sugarloaf. I dreafed Buckhill the third loop.

Garmin had total climbing of 6690 feet.

Will add my thoughts later this week.

I'm glad that my front derailleur worked today. Spent a lot of time in small ring and still burned too many matches.

Swim seemed long to me. Would be interested to hear from someone that wore a garmin. No big deal really. I'm just curious. A lot of swims are short and people never complain about that.

Bike was hard. Sugarloaf isn't that bad. I train in Clermont every spring so there were no surprises except that f'n hill in town. Once around this course is hard. Three times was very very very hard. The blustery wind added to the challenge, although had we had the winds we had in Clermont on Thursday and Friday it would have been much worse!

Run was pretty hot on the first loop, but the breeze made it feel not too bad. After that I thought it was fine, and I came from a cold climate 2 days before the race. No comparison at all to the heat on Alii!

If you're looking for a low key race that is a significant challenge, this is highly recommended. Next year you will have a choice of 1/3, 2/3, or full. If you sign up today (Sunday), pricing is $50, $100, and $150. In the world of $750 races, this is an incredible value.

General comments
- Don't go to GFT expecting an "Ironman" race experience. You will be disappointed.
- Pasta dinner needs work.
- Some run aid stations under-resourced, and in some cases somewhat unresponsive. In fairness others were very good. Minimal trainining required so volunteers have some idea what they are supposed to do.
- The timing system sucked and I understand crashed during the race. The morning after I still don't know my time or placing. This is a reflection on the timing company and not Sommer Sports, who I'm sure pays a lot of money for this service. This shit never happens to Sportstats. Just sayin'.

Cheers!

I thought Sommer Sports did their own timing? Agree on the issues, still no times posted anywhere that I can find for any of the race distances, aquabike, 1/3 , or full.

So True, lots and lots of shifting. I thought the Wall was the toughest climb for me, Sugarloaf was longer, but I swear the Wall seemed steeper.

There was a guy on cruches, one leg (missing right leg above the knee). Anyone know if he finished?

He did finish the 1/3 GFT. Very impressive! Not sure what his time was. I couldn't imagine riding those.hills.with only 1 leg.

http://sommersports.com/...lon-XXV-Race-Results

They finally have results online. There are some serious glitches in the splits. I've never seen race results so jacked up?!?!

Thanks. So am I reading that right, there were 152 finishers and 130 DNF's?

Reading back to the first few pages of this thread, many of the suggestions to save this race focused on flattening it out and making it a little more friendly to the beginner and/or "average" athlete and not focus on it being so tough and attracting only the most hardened. Seems like they may have gone the opposite direction with the new course and having to hit all the big climbs 3X.

Bike times are wrong.... I would love to accept credit for a 25mph ride of 4h25m,but just can't.

To Dominion above, I get what you are saying, but tough races draw in other places. But those other races have more stuff happening in and around the race. GFT just doesn't. So if someone is signing up for this race for the pre-race expo and extracurricular 'stuff', this ain't the race for that person. (I mentioned earlier that Sommer Sports needs to correct that though, but I will say that I don't know what it takes to pull it off.... Perhaps that is the best they can do?)

Volunteer race support was great for me. There was one lady (volunteer) the back end of the run, she was a black lady and I was just dying to thank her on my last turnaround, but she wasn't there. She was out there almost the whole day.

The bunny rabbit volunteers on the bike (1st aid station) were great... Really all the bike aid station volunteers were great. Guys @ top of Sugarloaf on my 3rd loop were just great too.

Also, there was a guy who looked like a REALLY fit Santa Claus. Bit white bushy beard. Was walking a bit on run. Anyone know if he finished? Was probably high on leaderboard

 
Sommer Sports also does timing for other races in southern Florida (not sure how large of a region?) and other race companies. I've been to several races timed by them and, well ... I've never been particularly impressed by their timing and posting of results. Often I've just written it off as race directors not wanting to pay for enough timing mats in order to do it right (e.g. not having one as athletes enter a swim corral to make sure that people are starting in the right wave, not at turn-arounds, etc). I thought hey, this race is their premier event. They'll have their best people working it and make sure they do it right! Well ... they still managed to have some serious problems. Even results at the site seemed to take forever to get posted (and contained errors still).

I did the 1/3 distance race (well, most of it). And the actual racing itself was good. I enjoyed the bike and think I would have enjoyed the run if I hadn't dropped out due to an injury (and no, I didn't go down the finish shoot to turn in my chip). I thought the bike course was challenging and being a coastal Florida flatlander loved the variety that the hills give. All the volunteers and staff that I came across were super friendly and went out of their way to lend a hand if needed.

But the logistics side of things I felt was a little lacking. It wasn't anything big, just a bunch of smaller things that I felt that after running a race for 25 years they would have worked out by now. Each individual thing just seems like a stupid thing to complain about.

So, like I think someone else said, if you're just looking for a fun, challenging race to do and it doesn't matter that it's a "spectacle", then this is a great race and a lot of fun. It might have been the most laid back, friendly group of athletes racing that I've ever seen at a race. If you're looking for a huge crowd and the utmost polish on everything (or results in a "reasonable" time), you might want to look elsewhere. And like someone said, if you register today it's only $50/100/150 for the 1/3, 2/3, full race next year.

This. Still not sure why the triple Olympic distance has not developed as a stepping stone to Ironman Distance... or replaced it for a growing group of IM veterans who may find that the "Nice Distance" (ashame that WTC jacked that legendary race) satisfies their needs. Heck, I went to Redman specifically to qualify for a rare opportunity to race at a triathlon distance likely to become an Olympic Event! Maybe Challenge should put on their thinking caps! The number of first-timers doing IMFL and IMAZ may provide a pretty large pool of individuals looking for perhaps the best training experience available leading up to their first Ironman. Personally, I appreciate the opportunity to use the millions of yards that I have swam over the past five decades ;-)

So, looks like 200 out of 258 finished. My times are still jacked up for the bike (bike + T2). Hope it gets corrected soon.

i did the GFT this past weekend and it was my first ever 140.6. i did not have any false ideas that this was going to be easy. i read the course description and did some research on the web about the race. i knew what i was getting into and while in that final loop on the run, thought i was stupid for ever wanting to do this. after a day of rest the body is recovering nicely and the thoughts of how bad it was is already starting to fade i think this was a great race, volunteers where great for the most part (probably better than i realize when your miserable nothing seems right). i had a great time and the experience didn't scared me off. i may not be back next year but i will be back. also having done IM florida 70.3 this year florida can surprise you on these races. you have to pick your battles when you race these kind of races. if you want an all flat race stick to sprint races where the race promoters have less distance to cover and can logistically keep the course flatter.

I would say this was the hardest bike course ever for Great Floridian. In the past there was a long flat stretch with "the Hills" being covered only once. Joe's bike record for GFT is 4:42, this year he had the fastest bike split at 5:28. He is older of course, but still has most of his bike speed.

Other notes from Joe: The swim was a little too warm for wetsuits resulting in swimmers getting dehydrated. The bike was brutal and windy. It didn't matter if you went fast or slow, it beat up your legs by the time you had to run. It was not as hot as in the past, but still warm enough to make you suffer. The flat run was three loops through the transition area, which was great for spectators, but made it hard to tell who your competition was. Especially with the 1/3 Course athletes on the course as well.

Great Floridian is not the big tent show like many other ultra distance races, but that is part of it's character. It has a old school home town feel to it. You need to be prepared to take care of your own "special" needs and not expect to be catered too, much like the early days. No one is cut throat about the competition and no big draft packs. It makes for a pleasant and supportive attitude.

As a spectator I loved the loops through town. Lots of chances to see your athlete. They even had a bus to take you to the top of Sugarloaf. Lots of family support present and not so crowed you had to fight to get a view! The Waterfront park is a great place to hang out all day. Lots for kids to do while waiting as well.

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Support Crew
This information contained herein has been assembled for your assistance and convenience. It is believed to be reliable, however, its accuracy cannot be guaranteed. All opinions shown are subject to change without notice.

Wait just second, my bike split was 4h25m! My split was way faster.

Seriously, are you seeing all good, correct results? The link I have has my bike split all messed up.

The results keep evolving. I'm not sure what is correct at this point. I guess they are still working on it.

Yes, the results are messed up. I was standing at the bike timing mat for quite awhile. Lots of athletes did not show up when they crossed the mat. They also walked a chip across the finish mat for people who had dropped out. Joe has his bike computer to verify his split. I think it is safe to say no one broke 5 hours on the bike. ;-)

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Support Crew
This information contained herein has been assembled for your assistance and convenience. It is believed to be reliable, however, its accuracy cannot be guaranteed. All opinions shown are subject to change without notice.

Well, until official results are corrected, I had a 4h25. Of course, I had a 1h50m T2.......:-)

How was his back?

And is he going to return to the IM circuit now?

Support Crew - Thanks for all the info. I did the GFT once and i've done the Clermont half iron race 5 times, used to be called "The Florida Challenge". I mostly just stick to oly dist races these days.

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"Anyone can be who they want to be IF they have the HUNGER and the DRIVE."

Anyone confirm this number from their data file?

Seems SommerSports can never get it right when it comes to results/timing.

After last year I thought they would really work on presenting an organized, smooth, and up to date race.
Not expecting real time results but come on guys. I'm amazed people keep coming back.

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And is he going to return to the IM circuit now?


That would be a no. Although he said he might do another one sometime in the future.

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Support Crew
This information contained herein has been assembled for your assistance and convenience. It is believed to be reliable, however, its accuracy cannot be guaranteed. All opinions shown are subject to change without notice.

It seems as if the bike timing mat stopped working at some point 7:15ish hours into race. The athletes who came off of bike earlier than this time frame have accurate bike times. There are many athletes with 4ish and 5ish hour bike spits who went over the mat for their 2nd lap but the mat died before their 3rd lap ended. There are even some who have 2.5 hour bike splits listed with 40+ mph listed as avg speed, these athletes got only one lap in before the mat died. I'm not sure if they can recover this lost data and fix the splits?!?!

I remember back in the. 90's Sommer Sports races were some of the first races with chip timing. They were cutting edge at that point. I have no idea how often their timing equipment is replaced or what sort of maintenance is needed to keep such equipment working optimally, but I wonder if the equipment currently used is no longer cutting edge technology like it was in the 90's when I first started doing Sommers Sports races. Just wondering how the results turned out so bad...

My Garmin 500 seems pretty reliable and I go 2096 for one loop which shows that your 6600+ is approximately correct. Remember that these are barometric devices so if the air pressure changes, we can get some apparent altitude increases/decreases. Plus the http://www.ridewithgps.com course showed around 2050' if I remember correctly.

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3x IMFL now retired

We can only hope that they will do the work to try to correct errors that are correctable. It seemed to me at the 1/3 awards ceremony that there was complete corruption of the timing data which would make it a nightmare to reconstruct accurate times and scores. But that is their job when they manage the timing and scoring for a large event. Many of the run times were zero's. Three of five in my AG. Yet today, somehow these times were restored - and hopefully correctly. I was told on Saturday that a lot of competitors didn't know they had to run around the roundabout's and that they never saw any timing mats; I had no problems! If they cannot manage the course layout, equipment, and sort the timing/scoring issues onsite timely, then they should hire another outfit for that particular mission and there would be no problems. THAT would help sell this race to others interested in coming back or coming for the first time.

This is not rocket science, just a mission critical job. Timing and scoring = race results. No timing/scoring = Cluster F#@! and unhappy triathletes.

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3x IMFL now retired

They are somehow sorting through the bike data and fixing peoples splits. Now there only seems to be 38 athletes with incomplete bike data as Joe Bonness (actual fastest bike split) is now listed as having the 39th fadtest bike split.

I live and work in Lake County Florida. Wifey and I have done at least 20 Sommer Sports races over the last 5 years.

Here are my comments on Sommer Sports and their race management.

If I don't have anything nice to say, then don't say anything at all. If I don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. If I don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. If I don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. If I don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. If I don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. If I don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all. If I don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all.

I don't have anything to say...

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Austin Hardy -

Does Sommer Sports do their own timing? $150 for a full is why people keep coming back