The ferry looks awesome, but $185 for an Olympic distance? And for early registration too!

considering it's sells out so quickly, one would think it's under-priced

It is completely worth the money. The post-race breakfast alone is worth $185!

Delmo does it right. I'd much rather pay $185 for one of his races where everything is meticulously run than pay $95 to a hack.

Over the last 3 years my wife and I have done 7 Delmo events. They were all top-notch.

Maybe the prices are just different where you live. Setup Events (who put on excellent races) are $70 for Olympic and $160 for halfs (cheaper or more expensive depending on when you register).

There's good races that are under $100 in S Jersey. Islandman comes to mind for example Don't get me wrong, Delmo puts on good events and I understand the extra cost of the ferry for ETC. I do one of his races each summer but $165 for a sprint and $185 for international IMO is a tad high.

I guess it is demand since most of that series sells out or is close!

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"I think I've cracked the code. double letters are cheaters except for perfect squares (a, d, i, p and y). So Leddy isn't a cheater... "

I think the fact that the sprint and oly are so close in price likely reflects the cost of the ferry. I've never seen another race where the price is so close.

But, I signed up.

According to facebook, was 1/2 sold by 9am today, but still open.

I did this event in June and enjoyed it but it looks like the event has been pushed back to the 2nd weekend in June next year and now it's backing up to TriRock Philly which is always the 3rd weekend in June. Jumping off ferry is a nice twist but it was very hot and the venue has limited shade waiting around for awards. Compounded by the fact awards were running about an hour late. And yes, the sandy beach run was tough and some bikers had to stop on the course to allow cars to cross over the course road to get into the ferry terminal. Hope Steve can make some changes to these two issues. Any suggestions for a good OLY late May or early June in the Mid-Atlantic area is appreciated. I enjoyed the race but doing well at Philly is a higher priority.

Delmo events are simply the best! He improves things each year. AC is one of my favorite races, always on my calendar. Did ETC this year, good race, unique event - ferry jump, beach, etc. I won't do it this year simply because logistics of travel for me was tough, but I would still recommend it to anyone. Beach run s*cked! (wear shoes that drain well) but part of what makes ETC different. BTW - 15 feet deck height isn't bad but add 6 feet to eye level and it looks a bit more :-)

I'm also planning TrickRock??? Philly Oly as first race of the season. With news about Competitor/TriRock I wasn't sure what was happening in 2015. I heard reg opens Nov 3rd. I liked Philly but if comparing value, TriRock cost more than Delmo and you can't compare the ETC medals, breakfast/afterparty to Philly (IMHO). Delmo wins on Bling and Buffet!!! Anyone have more info on Philly? Hope they fix some of the potholes on the bike course ;-) Philly bike course tougher than I expected last year, hoping to get some payback in 2015.

Just wanted to pose a question since ETC is 4 weeks away. Where are people lodging? I'm pretty upset about hotels enforcing a 2 night minimum stay to take advantage of people. I would love to cancel my current reservation for a one night stay since I can't turn this race into an entire weekend getaway. Thanks in advance!

Yeah, that is the huge issue for me with the Delmo events. I love them and I did Escape the first two years, but I'm not this year.
His events are all after Memorial Day, so they are in season and virtually all of the hotels require minimum stays. That is why I haven't ever done Wildwoods, which I hear is great. Those hotels mainly want 3 night minimums in August. These things become $1000 weekends for Sprint or Olympic distances.

For the record, the first year at ETC, I actually took my dog and stayed at the Lafayette and then last year was at the Grand Hotel of Cape May.
My wife and I just made it a mini vacation and stayed Sunday night, getting some dinner and having some drinks.
The Cape May brewery is awesome!

My wife managed to find a one-night stay at an AirBnB not far from the ferry terminal.

I did Tri the Wildwoods 2 years ago and it was a great race. I was about 3-4 weeks out of IMLP and had a fantastic race. It was a great event, highly recommend it. I drove down the morning of because I didn't want to get a hotel and race-day packet pickup was an option.

ETC requires Saturday bike racking. Its understandable due to security, logistics, etc, but its killing me and my wallet. If I actually make it down there this year, its a "one and done" event for me.

Thank you mstyer, I just attempted to book a BnB for one night. Hopefully they approve and itll save me some bucks

Bringing this thread back to life. My wife and I are doing the sprint (happens to be our 1st wedding anniversary). I did Tri the Wildwoods last year, loved it, and loved Delmo, but this first time doing Escape.

Any insight out there from participants in the last year or two on the swim (logistics of ferry, water temp, any currents, how they handle people jumping in terms of how many at a time, sprint or oly first, sighting difficulties etc.). I know the roads there well, ridden them many times in our past vacations to the area. They're mostly good, that one piece of road south of the bridge along the canal isn't the best asphalt, but much of the course is quite smooth. I know it can be windy there as its near the ocean and all flat terrain, that'll be the biggest possible bike issue.

Anyone else in for this? Seems like a popular and sizeable race, I admit my expectations are somewhat high. Would love to get some hype and discussion going!

I'm in. Registered for the Olympic and looking forward to it.

 

Get there as early as possible. You can't park at the terminal. You park in a field and they shuttle you to the terminal. They do a pretty good job of keeping it moving, but it's still something you should account for in your planning.

They've been starting the Olympic distance first the past couple of years. I remember when they started the sprint first that I was on the ferry for a LONG time waiting for the Olympic to start. If you're doing the sprint, be prepared to be waiting awhile. I actually kind of enjoy the time on the ferry. After all the race morning hecticness, it's nice to chill out and refocus for awhile. They have good bathrooms, the chairs in the main cabin are comfy, the TV's usually have SportsCenter playing, and they've even had free food some years.

For the start, they basically have lanes taped on the ferry deck and they have people jump every 10 seconds or so. There's no risk of getting jumped on or anything like that. Be prepared for how high up it looks when you step to the edge. It looks worse than it really is. They plan the race so that the tide is going out when you swim, so it pulls you right along. From what I remember, last years was pretty choppy. There was one year it was so strong that I did the swim in less than 15 minutes. I think I was closer to 25 minutes last year. Of course, I haven't even mentioned "Mary Lee"... :)

Let me know if you have any other specific questions...

Not racing this year, did ESC the last 2 or 3 years. As someone else said do not under estimate the parking and get there early. Not only do you have to park but you have to go through security before the shuttles. There were people showing up last year after transition closed and it took them awhile to talk the staff into letting them in. Also last year and I have no idea how it happened, someone from the international race missed the jump off the ferry. She showed up after they started repositioning the boat for sprint. Pleading to be allowed to go only to be denied.

• Bring old flip flops or shoes for ferry. Not a 100% necessary but depending where you hang out you may want them
• I like to get water in my wet suit from shower they have set up.
• The jump is not that high. They let 5 people up to edge at a time and then tell you when it's clear. The current is moving away from the boat so they move you along fairly quickly. If you are competitive don't stand there starring. Clock is ticking before you get to the edge.
• You have to run sections on the sand. There's not much hard sand to get to near the water so those sections suck. It's all exposed so if it's hot it's going to be hot.

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"I think I've cracked the code. double letters are cheaters except for perfect squares (a, d, i, p and y). So Leddy isn't a cheater... "

Vet of both Olympic and Sprint here. I'll be back this year.

All good points given so far. I would connect the dots to your nutrition plan. I usually like to eat 3 hours before my race and then Gu or Honey Stinger shortly before start. Problem is you arrive so early to get to the terminal I'm ready for lunch before the race even starts. No big deal, just plan your grub and bring it with.

Also, don't warmup, stretch, or put your wetsuit on too early, especially if it's hot. The wait on the boat can be long. That said, they have a DJ and it's a cool atmosphere. Enjoy it.

As you get close to your race's start, be sure you can hear the announcements. They will give you sighting tips and a swimming line based on the current. One year, they told us to jump and immediately visualize swimming right into shore, almost like you were swimming perpendicular to the optimal swim path. The current pulled us to the swim finish. If I had swam the path I was going to, I would still be somewhere in the ocean. Also, there will be a line of lifeguards on boards that will be useful in sighting. When in doubt, ask them where to sight before you jump. They will tell you what they think is best.

As someone else said, if you are competitive, watch the timing mat before you jump. You line up in the tape lines as stated, they wave you forward when it's clear and off you go. However, if you cross the mat and the person in front of you gets cold feet, your race has started! I just wait behind the mat until they call me forward. At that point, it's clear and I cross the mat and go.

Be prepared for what you will do if you make landfall without swimming under the swim exit arch. I did that one year and had the choice to run a few hundred yards on the beach or swim back out and go through the arch. I swam out but there was a parade of "swimmers" running down the beach. My swim time sucked, but I felt good about my results. Not saying what is right or wrong but don't be me and stand in knee-deep water for 30 seconds deciding what to do.

The bike and run are well marked.

Embrace the sand run! It's slow for all of us.

If you are going to stay for awards, bring sunblock. The field is wide open and you will bake if it's a nice day.

Delmo does it right so you will have a great time and a safe race.

Getting back to this thread, as I wanted to give big kudos to Delmo Sports and this event. Been racing sprints, olys, and a few local-ish 70.3s (i.e., I haven't done an IM-branded event, but I've done 2 Rev3 olys and a Toughman half) and I can say in my 8 years of racing this was my favorite overall race experience, and it wasn't really even close. If you've ever considered doing this event and either the price or travel or anything else got you to bail, I wholeheartedly will say it'll probably be worth it, it's a great event and you won't regret it. Rev3 always has a kudos thread start after quassy (well deserved, I've done that Oly twice) and I wanted to do the same and give Delmo a shout out for a great, great event. the ferry experience was really amazing, such an amazing atmosphere. bike check in was a breeze, great race venue and expo (Dan K was there with the Premier Tactical as a sponsor, got to see/touch the bike and speak with him about it - thanks, Dan), and honestly Cape May is one of my favorite coastal NE destinations, ive been there also just for vaca in years past, not for this race, and I like it just as much as nantucket, cape cod, the vineyard, newport RI. great place, plenty to do no matter what youre into. I would love to see this race, and Delmo, continue to grow and thrive.

Thanks to everyone who chimed in here about tips on race day and things like that. the ones regarding the parking and ferry floor surface were very very useful. Cheers y'all.

I agree, I did it for the first time this year and it was awesome. Everything ran so smoothly that it felt like a laid back little race even though it's quite big. Swim was super fun, bike course was good and the run with the beach segments was hard but enjoyable. Overall fantastic experience and I hope to be back.

Just want to chime in on this as well.

Delmo and Cape May did a fantastic job with this event. The local and volunteer support was awesome! I'm one to complain about poor race organization and I couldn't find a single fault with the execution of Escape the Cape. Everything was on time, prompt and organized. Course maps were clear, event schedules easy to find, etc. I would put this event right in there with best run events I've attended. Not quite on the scale as the brilliantly run ITU Edmonton Grand Final but as close as I've ever seen a local event come.

Race was definitely pricey but I would pay it again in a heart beat. Swim course was great, dolphins all over the place and a novelty jumping off the ferry. Bike course was lots of fun and different than the standard out and back you get at a lot of races. Finally, as much as I hated the beach sections the run was certainly memorable. I also loved figuring out that it was a 5 mile run instead of 10k at about mile 4.5!

I'll be back for sure if I find myself on the EC next summer and I have already signed up for Delmo's AC Olympic early August.