lucky-

I did the Smith Mountain Lake race in May and it was really well run. The weather was foul, but they couldn't do much about that.

litherland

I did the Set-Up produced Riverwood sprint and found no problems. To which races are you referring? (other than the Duke Blue Devil, which was apprently changed at least in part due to participant feedback)

Other than the weather not being so great in NC this year for some races. I've been happy with their work. They were great about maning the stations at WHite Lake until all of us were done. And I was one of the last ones. They stopped the swim on a race that the waves were very questionable for safety. I think that takes nerve that some race directors don't have when people start whining about it even when their safety is at risk. I wish their food for after the races was better sometimes or maybe I just finish so far in the back there's none left. hehe. The course changes have been due to safety issues and better courses for turns etc. I have no problems with them. Hope your experience with them gets better.

I disagree, The race courses have been changed primarily for safety and to accomodate the growing number of participants at Set-Up races. The DBD, run course has of course changed but I do not know why. Oddly enough, the DBD race is one of the few Set-Up races that did not sell out last year. So I cannot understand your hypothesis that the courses are declining because the demand is so high. Last year Set-up kept registration open for the DBD until the last couple of days before the race.

I have been doing set-up races for 5 years and they continue to be very very customer focused despite the almost inelastic demad for triathlons in the area. If you feel otherwise, give them an e-mail I would bet a gel a flask ;-) that you get a timely response.

In any event, I hope you give them a chance, they do a fine job of putting on races.

Peace,

Rockfish (aka Greg Sheehan)

The observation that DBD did not sell out is anecdotal at best, for the reason that it is an Iron-Distance event. Set-Up has a history of aid station problems, albeit not always the RD's fault. Duke 1/2IM in 1999, in 95 degree heat, there was no water on the bike. White Lake run has recently run out of water. Point being that people in the area are wary of doing such a training-specific race before it's proven. We'll see what this year holds, I hope for only the best with the DBD in the future.

Among my group, my sentiment is not uncommon. There's a feeling that the races have become very commercialized, with a wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am level of frugality. I suppose you can't make everyone happy, and until I run my own race I should just shove it. This just opens the same Green Revolution argument that while we can feed the entire world to reduce immediate suffereing, we CREATE more suffering by allowing population increases. Are we better off by having more unfed people in the world, even though our capacity to feed has greatly increased? (Don't get me wrong, as a scientist Norman Borlaag is my hero, but a scientist without direction is akin to swinging a sledge hammer at a spike in a dark, crowded room). While RD's are including more people, the quality is suffering.

Will this turn more people away from the sport in the end? My observation with Set-Up is that you may not be creating a strong base, and the high-swing of the triathlon boom may be ending. As far as Set-Up's awareness of the problem, they know. They run a business.

I agree with your comments on the water in the 99 duke bike course as I did the race as well. However, that was almost 4 years ago, before the huge boom in set-up races filling up. Even Bill Scott admitted the mistake and apologized. I also do not remember it being 95 degrees but heck if you are told there is gonna be a water stop and their is not its wrong regardless of the temp.

Your original post primarily talked about the run courses: "Recently, all the run courses have been changed to two, three (or in the case of the DBD) five lap run courses on ill-equipt, sometimes mismarked courses?"

I still can only think of two run course changes, the duke 1/2 & full IM. I liked the old out and back duke 1/2 run much better then the new course.

I also think you are free to comment your opinion on the race, wether you do one or not, your are putting your cash up for race fees. I would just suggest you communicate it to Bill (if you have not already).

....SMLT started more than 30 minutes late! Which made everyone who was there on time stand out in the rain (and get their gear wet) and cold that much longer. I personally do not appreciate that. The second place racer (1st at the time I believe) crashed into a spectator on turn on the bike that had noone pointing directions (I almost hit someone too but he had alraedy cleared a path :-). I didn't see a single draft marshall.

I do think Bill Scott does take the races seriously, and tries to do a good job. Note, he wasn't at SMLT.

The problem folks see is the homogenization of races. It has its pluses and minuses. The minus side is that it is a business, instead of like the good ole days. The good part is that it has involved more people in the sport. this could be a whole topic.

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David
* Ironman for Life! (Blog) * IM Everyday Hero Video * Daggett Shuler Law *
Disclaimer: I have personal and professional relationships with many athletes, vendors, and organizations in the triathlon world.

david-

SMLT started late because race day registration ran really late. The thing was, Set-Up Inc. wasn't responsible for race day registration, Virginia Amateur Sports was. VAS volunteers were also the ones who neglected to turn people around at the half way point on the out-and-back run last year, OOPS!

Didn't know about the bike wreck and you are definitely right about the lack of marshalls.

I still thought that it was a fun, well run race and I enjoyed racing in the rain.

Litherland

agreed. i have raced at SML since the early '80s when the jaycees did it. we swam from the boat dock in those days and transitioned in the gravel parking lot. definitely not homogenized!

i'll be there next year.

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David
* Ironman for Life! (Blog) * IM Everyday Hero Video * Daggett Shuler Law *
Disclaimer: I have personal and professional relationships with many athletes, vendors, and organizations in the triathlon world.

I am doing the DBD this year and have been on their website for months now checking up on what's new. The run course was originally supossed to start at the lake and finish at Duke. This was changes as traffic problems and getting enough volunteers for a 26.2 mile course were trouble spots for last year's race according to a finisher from last year. I am not looking forward to a 5 loop course, but this was my wife will see me more and we won't have to worry about traffic. I would rather finish at Duke, but hopefully this IM, my first, will be great.

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Go Big Red