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Re: AlaskaMan 140.6 [Rappstar] [ In reply to ]
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Midnight Sun Triathlon...Last Frontier Triathlon...

Although from a marketing perspective, just having the name Alaska in something brings it value. Just look at all the wild salmon products and tv reality shows that are out there.

On a side note, here's a video from the Alaska Women's Gold Nugget Triathlon that took place in Anchorage last week...http://www.ktuu.com/...thlon-380017351.html
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Re: AlaskaMan 140.6 [AKCrafty] [ In reply to ]
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Holy shit. How did she not shit her shorts?
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Re: AlaskaMan 140.6 [spasmus] [ In reply to ]
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18 & over


spasmus wrote:
Hi,

I PMed you so sorry if this is a duplicate, but will there be an age limit on the support runner for the last 6 miles?
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Re: AlaskaMan 140.6 [AKCrafty] [ In reply to ]
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All about the marketing. 1) Having Alaska in the name instantly tells people where it's at 2) Everyone is in love with IM so having man on the end helps tell the distance almost instantly and relate it to the 140.6 distance. Although it's totally different from IM in pretty much every way it can be while remaining long course and a triathlon, it still helps with marketing.

As for the bears... It's Alaska. There's also moose and whales and other animals out there. It's part of the experience. Odds are you're not going to run into any of them but we will have the parks service talk and give tips on it prior to the race. We will make sure to give all tips and advice we can to keep everyone as safe as possible.

People should use common sense and if they do encounter any wildlife, stay away, don't panic, and obviously don't get closer. Surprised these women kept moving forward instead of completely stopping and even moving back.

Respect Wildlife
  • Give wildlife plenty of space
  • Do not approach or provoke wildlife
  • Do not feed wildlife or leave food out
  • Be aware and respectful of animal denning areas
  • Leave "orphaned" or sick animals alone

Respect the Environment
  • Pack it in, pack it out
  • Do not leave food in your car
  • Tread lightly in sensitive habitats



Outdoor Safety Tips
  • Buddy up: you are safer in a group
  • Make noise: this will prevent you from surprising wildlife
  • Use your senses: stay aware of your surroundings (headphones not recommended)
  • Carry Bear Spray: have it accessible and know how to use it
  • Back away from wildlife slowly, never run from a bear
  • Handle food, trash, fish and other attractants responsibly




AKCrafty wrote:
Midnight Sun Triathlon...Last Frontier Triathlon...

Although from a marketing perspective, just having the name Alaska in something brings it value. Just look at all the wild salmon products and tv reality shows that are out there.

On a side note, here's a video from the Alaska Women's Gold Nugget Triathlon that took place in Anchorage last week...http://www.ktuu.com/...thlon-380017351.html
Last edited by: arpalaian: May 19, 16 14:35
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Re: AlaskaMan 140.6 [arpalaian] [ In reply to ]
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arpalaian wrote:
Surprised these women kept moving forward instead of completely stopping and even moving back.

They're Alaskan!... and that scene is fairly common along the foothills area in Anchorage.

And totally not trying to rag on the name AlaskaMan. I totally get it. From a business perspective, it's spot on for triathletes.
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Re: AlaskaMan 140.6 [Rappstar] [ In reply to ]
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Rappstar wrote:
Wrote a little piece about it on the front page - http://www.slowtwitch.com/...treme_Tri_j5780.html

I have to agree, Norseman, Celtman, Alaskaman, Swissman all get a failing grade in the name department. On the other hand, Inferno gets an A+. I feel like these races should all be named something out of Dante...

Like "LimboMan", where everyone is already dressed in their wetsuit, just waiting for the rolling start, but it just never comes?

Sorry, as a Dante enthusiast myself, I simply couldn't resist.
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Re: AlaskaMan 140.6 [arpalaian] [ In reply to ]
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Not that some common sense doesn't apply, but except for the last miles of the run which climb Alyeska Ski Resort trails, the entire course is within the highway ROW. So backcountry tips aren't all that applicable. In the summer along the Seward Highway I would suggest a lot of tips about being prepared for traffic - recreational vehicles, trucks with boat trailers, tour buses, etc. Since the ROW traverses USFS areas there may be additional stipulations, but if a participant can make it out of Resurrection Bay safely, their biggest animal risk will be of the two-legged variety.

The Bird Creek to Girdwood Trail also has plenty of bear traffic traversing it and not much available for detours once south of Bird Point so participants that have to reverse direction won't have any real options until the wildlife is cleared or moves on.

arpalaian wrote:

People should use common sense and if they do encounter any wildlife, stay away, don't panic, and obviously don't get closer. Surprised these women kept moving forward instead of completely stopping and even moving back.

Respect Wildlife
  • Give wildlife plenty of space
  • Do not approach or provoke wildlife
  • Do not feed wildlife or leave food out
  • Be aware and respectful of animal denning areas
  • Leave "orphaned" or sick animals alone

Respect the Environment
  • Pack it in, pack it out
  • Do not leave food in your car
  • Tread lightly in sensitive habitats
Outdoor Safety Tips
  • Buddy up: you are safer in a group
  • Make noise: this will prevent you from surprising wildlife
  • Use your senses: stay aware of your surroundings (headphones not recommended)
  • Carry Bear Spray: have it accessible and know how to use it
  • Back away from wildlife slowly, never run from a bear
  • Handle food, trash, fish and other attractants responsibly
Last edited by: SummitAK: May 19, 16 16:50
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Re: AlaskaMan 140.6 [SummitAK] [ In reply to ]
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Again, "Extreme Tri." You're in Alaska doing a long course Tri. Elements, wildlife and traffic will be things you come across. It's 140.6 miles, no way to eliminate it. Heck there's been bears at IMCA.

We will educate everyone to our best ability and they will finish and have the time of their lives.

I'm pretty sure that there's very few doing this race that are concerned about their finish time being anything close to a PR. If they are, they may want to look elsewhere. The extreme tris are about the experience. If I had to wait 5 min for a bear to cross at a safe distance I wouldn't be too upset about it.

True that 2 legged creatures are probably the biggest issue, that's the case with most races. That's also why it's on a Saturday as every Alaskan resident and official I've spoken with says traffic is worse heading north on Sun than Sat. So we switched to the better day. Also why we are starting at 5am.


SummitAK wrote:
Not that some common sense doesn't apply, but except for the last miles of the run which climb Alyeska Ski Resort trails, the entire course is within the highway ROW. So backcountry tips aren't all that applicable. In the summer along the Seward Highway I would suggest a lot of tips about being prepared for traffic - recreational vehicles, trucks with boat trailers, tour buses, etc. Since the ROW traverses USFS areas there may be additional stipulations, but if a participant can make it out of Resurrection Bay safely, their biggest animal risk will be of the two-legged variety.

The Bird Creek to Girdwood Trail also has plenty of bear traffic traversing it and not much available for detours once south of Bird Point so participants that have to reverse direction won't have any real options until the wildlife is cleared or moves on.

arpalaian wrote:

People should use common sense and if they do encounter any wildlife, stay away, don't panic, and obviously don't get closer. Surprised these women kept moving forward instead of completely stopping and even moving back.

Respect Wildlife
  • Give wildlife plenty of space
  • Do not approach or provoke wildlife
  • Do not feed wildlife or leave food out
  • Be aware and respectful of animal denning areas
  • Leave "orphaned" or sick animals alone

Respect the Environment
  • Pack it in, pack it out
  • Do not leave food in your car
  • Tread lightly in sensitive habitats
Outdoor Safety Tips
  • Buddy up: you are safer in a group
  • Make noise: this will prevent you from surprising wildlife
  • Use your senses: stay aware of your surroundings (headphones not recommended)
  • Carry Bear Spray: have it accessible and know how to use it
  • Back away from wildlife slowly, never run from a bear
  • Handle food, trash, fish and other attractants responsibly
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Re: AlaskaMan 140.6 [arpalaian] [ In reply to ]
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Planning a guy trip with race as the centerpiece. Where is the awards ceremony on Sunday? ie...Are we back down in Seward, or would it make more sense to stay in Anchorage or otherwise after the race. Really looking forward to this race...I love me some epic!
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Re: AlaskaMan 140.6 [markwhickman] [ In reply to ]
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As of now they are at Alyeska Resort in Girdwood, the finish. If that changes they will be in Anchorage. Not Seward. Remember only top 3 m/f get actual awards. The rest are finisher's shirts and knives. Plus the group photo. More to come.

markwhickman wrote:
Planning a guy trip with race as the centerpiece. Where is the awards ceremony on Sunday? ie...Are we back down in Seward, or would it make more sense to stay in Anchorage or otherwise after the race. Really looking forward to this race...I love me some epic!
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Re: AlaskaMan 140.6 [kgro] [ In reply to ]
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kgro wrote:
Rappstar wrote:
Wrote a little piece about it on the front page - http://www.slowtwitch.com/...treme_Tri_j5780.html

I have to agree, Norseman, Celtman, Alaskaman, Swissman all get a failing grade in the name department. On the other hand, Inferno gets an A+. I feel like these races should all be named something out of Dante...

Like "LimboMan", where everyone is already dressed in their wetsuit, just waiting for the rolling start, but it just never comes?

Sorry, as a Dante enthusiast myself, I simply couldn't resist.

I nominate this for a contender as post of the year. Bravo.

"Non est ad astra mollis e terris via." - Seneca | rappstar.com | FB - Rappstar Racing | IG - @jordanrapp
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Re: AlaskaMan 140.6 [arpalaian] [ In reply to ]
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The reference to IM Whistler is right on point. Except for the exposed ocean swim and mountain running segment, your course will be very similar, except with much less vertical bike climbing and no closure of a very busy highway.

The IM Whistler run course was also in a ski resort community. I was on course at Whistler for the bears. There were multiple points of ingress and egress for that situation. PR and course time wasn't the consideration in my post. It was addressing access and safety. The run segment I mentioned is 5-6 miles (longer if avoiding railroad track crossing shorter if an emergency dictates a crossing) with a single maintenance access about halfway. It runs cliffside along the toe of the mountains along Turnagain Arm.

I wouldn't even have commented, but your wildlife tips read like they came out of a park brochure and I think participants in this event deserve spot-on information, that is applicable to what they can expect on race day. Do you really intend to allow participants to use headphones? Or carry bear spray?

Traffic will always be a crapshoot. This is the only road for access to Whittier, Seward and the Kenai peninsula. It is the busiest road in the state during the summer. Fishing, tourism and recreation boost traffic a huge amount. With the variable salmon run openings you can have people trying to pad their quota by spanning midnight which makes for strange traffic hours. I think there is sometimes a dipnet opening that time of year too, which brings out all kinds of interesting characters. There is an on-again, off-again cycling TT between ANC and SWD that typically alternates direction by season. It is held on a Sunday morning and now requires a good taillight for participants (also disallows discs, but that is another story).

You mention having a ticket and accommodations, but it sounds like this is for 2017. Are you going to pre-drive, pre-swim, pre-bike or pre-run any of the course in Summer 2016 for an idea of conditions for next summer?

Your statement about everyone finishing can't be guaranteed. The weather alone will dictate much of the day as it does at any triathlon. Though I agree, many will have the time of their lives.


arpalaian wrote:

Again, "Extreme Tri." You're in Alaska doing a long course Tri. Elements, wildlife and traffic will be things you come across. It's 140.6 miles, no way to eliminate it. Heck there's been bears at IMCA.

We will educate everyone to our best ability and they will finish and have the time of their lives.

I'm pretty sure that there's very few doing this race that are concerned about their finish time being anything close to a PR. If they are, they may want to look elsewhere. The extreme tris are about the experience. If I had to wait 5 min for a bear to cross at a safe distance I wouldn't be too upset about it.

True that 2 legged creatures are probably the biggest issue, that's the case with most races. That's also why it's on a Saturday as every Alaskan resident and official I've spoken with says traffic is worse heading north on Sun than Sat. So we switched to the better day. Also why we are starting at 5am.
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Re: AlaskaMan 140.6 [Sweeney] [ In reply to ]
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Sweeney wrote:
Is it wetsuit legal?
I think I read somewhere that it's actually Dry Suit required. ;)

************************
#WeAreTheForge #BlackGunsMatter

"Look, will you guys at leats accept that you are a bunch of dumb asses and just trust me on this one? Please?" BarryP 7/30/2012
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Re: AlaskaMan 140.6 [arpalaian] [ In reply to ]
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It looks like an incredibly stupid race. Thus very appealing! One of my colleagues is from Seward. Said the whole area is spectacular.

Given the Leo movie, the bears, you could call it Revenant man though (even though it wasn't in AK) ;-) Or maybe that would be bad luck.
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Re: AlaskaMan 140.6 [Rappstar] [ In reply to ]
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That was a nice write-up!
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Re: AlaskaMan 140.6 [SummitAK] [ In reply to ]
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Again, we are putting on an extreme Tri. It is extreme because of many things, not just terrain and total elevation gain. Planning, weather conditions, water, open roads/highways, wildlife, and beyond.

The headphones reference of course is a typo and will be removed. I thought I eliminated it from everywhere. Obviously not but I will. Participants will be educated on ALL potential issues we can think of with Alaska State Parks during our athlete briefing.

I am aware of how tourist season works. I'm aware of weather, water temp, traffic patterns and wildlife. I am not from Alaska but my friends are and they've lived in that area a while. I have also done a year's worth of work on the race and talked with countless people in all cities. I don't claim to know it all and I certainly don't claim to know more than someone who lives there but I'm not totally ignorant to the things you speak of.

Front lights and rear blinking lights are required, as it states in the guide.

As for bears.... First, taking into account all the Alaskan residents and officials I've spoken with, a bear encounter is very rare and statistics support that. You never know though, right?

There are plenty of cases of spray making a bear situation MUCH worse. From the Alaskans I've spoken with a horn works better and bells sometimes work sometimes don't and typically are better to just make sure you don't startle anything. Seems as though every situation is different and common sense and awareness seems to be the best defense.

We are most likely not going to make it mandatory for an athlete to carry anything to do with bears. There's too much risk of self injury, injury to others, or it just not working in the situation. However, we will list out precautionary measures and products they can carry if they want and may even have them for purchase, at cost, during packet pickup.

Having MTB medical response that is trained with wildlife in those 5-6 miles and throughout the course will help if anything were to happen. Of course there will be a plan for everything you speak of. We run a tight ship and we are 13-14 months out. I'd say for being that far out considering all we have accomplished this far, we have done a pretty good job.

Myself, Tim DeBoom, and a friend are coming down this July and swimming the course, driving the bike course and running the run course there and back (52-miles) training for the Leadville 100. We would never put a race on blind. In over a decade of race directing and 60+ large scale events never once have we done that.

You also mentioned not every athlete will finish. Yes, of course, there will most likely be at least 1 if not many more, that, for whatever reason, don't make it to the line, as is the case with every race in the entire world. I simply meant that a bear on the trail will not stop everyone from finishing the race.

Feel free to email me at aaron@akxtri.com with any further issues you have. Also.... If you want to be part of the solution, let me know, we can always use more people on our team. Thanks. Have a great weekend.


SummitAK wrote:
The reference to IM Whistler is right on point. Except for the exposed ocean swim and mountain running segment, your course will be very similar, except with much less vertical bike climbing and no closure of a very busy highway.

The IM Whistler run course was also in a ski resort community. I was on course at Whistler for the bears. There were multiple points of ingress and egress for that situation. PR and course time wasn't the consideration in my post. It was addressing access and safety. The run segment I mentioned is 5-6 miles (longer if avoiding railroad track crossing shorter if an emergency dictates a crossing) with a single maintenance access about halfway. It runs cliffside along the toe of the mountains along Turnagain Arm.

I wouldn't even have commented, but your wildlife tips read like they came out of a park brochure and I think participants in this event deserve spot-on information, that is applicable to what they can expect on race day. Do you really intend to allow participants to use headphones? Or carry bear spray?

Traffic will always be a crapshoot. This is the only road for access to Whittier, Seward and the Kenai peninsula. It is the busiest road in the state during the summer. Fishing, tourism and recreation boost traffic a huge amount. With the variable salmon run openings you can have people trying to pad their quota by spanning midnight which makes for strange traffic hours. I think there is sometimes a dipnet opening that time of year too, which brings out all kinds of interesting characters. There is an on-again, off-again cycling TT between ANC and SWD that typically alternates direction by season. It is held on a Sunday morning and now requires a good taillight for participants (also disallows discs, but that is another story).

You mention having a ticket and accommodations, but it sounds like this is for 2017. Are you going to pre-drive, pre-swim, pre-bike or pre-run any of the course in Summer 2016 for an idea of conditions for next summer?

Your statement about everyone finishing can't be guaranteed. The weather alone will dictate much of the day as it does at any triathlon. Though I agree, many will have the time of their lives.


arpalaian wrote:

Again, "Extreme Tri." You're in Alaska doing a long course Tri. Elements, wildlife and traffic will be things you come across. It's 140.6 miles, no way to eliminate it. Heck there's been bears at IMCA.

We will educate everyone to our best ability and they will finish and have the time of their lives.

I'm pretty sure that there's very few doing this race that are concerned about their finish time being anything close to a PR. If they are, they may want to look elsewhere. The extreme tris are about the experience. If I had to wait 5 min for a bear to cross at a safe distance I wouldn't be too upset about it.

True that 2 legged creatures are probably the biggest issue, that's the case with most races. That's also why it's on a Saturday as every Alaskan resident and official I've spoken with says traffic is worse heading north on Sun than Sat. So we switched to the better day. Also why we are starting at 5am.
Last edited by: arpalaian: May 20, 16 23:03
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Re: AlaskaMan 140.6 [CruseVegas] [ In reply to ]
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No. No dry suit required. It's 55 not 45. Wetsuit is required though.


CruseVegas wrote:
Sweeney wrote:
Is it wetsuit legal?
I think I read somewhere that it's actually Dry Suit required. ;)
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Re: AlaskaMan 140.6 [arpalaian] [ In reply to ]
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arpalaian wrote:
We would never put a race on blind. In over a decade of race directing and 60+ large scale events never once have we done that.

Some independent feedback about the planning skills of race director of AlaskaMan. He is the real deal and one of the best planners and anticipaters (might not be a real word) there are. I have participated in dozens of his races in the Greater Houston area and have yet to be disappointed. He found a solution for pretty much any problem years of race directing throws at you. I am sure an extreme event in nature's backyard will have it's own unique challenges but I am confident that he will continue to do a phenomenal job and have no doubt that he will perform at the same level for the AlaskaMan race.

Now, if I could just get my social coordinator to sign that permission slip (or travel along) for me racing AlaskaMan :P
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Re: AlaskaMan 140.6 [arpalaian] [ In reply to ]
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Quick registration question: The banner on the website has an opening date / time of July 17, 3pm CST while Active (by clicking on registration link) has July 16, 12AM CDT. Which date should those of us planning to register online (i.e. me) mark on the calendar? I'm assuming the July 16 date is for the Moose Tooth kickoff party but want to make sure. Thanks!
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Re: AlaskaMan 140.6 [FF Boots] [ In reply to ]
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COST???
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Re: AlaskaMan 140.6 [ironmuffin] [ In reply to ]
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I'm not associated with the event but I saw the entry fee someplace on the website, maybe the guide book they posted.

I think it was $300 something

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Re: AlaskaMan 140.6 [arpalaian] [ In reply to ]
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So how did the race go? This is one race recap I'd love to read about from anyone that was there!
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Re: AlaskaMan 140.6 [exerciseaddict] [ In reply to ]
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exerciseaddict wrote:
So how did the race go? This is one race recap I'd love to read about from anyone that was there!

Looks like 1/3 of the field were DNS. Seems like a lot of people got caught up in the moment upon registration.

"I can't wait to do that!!!"

Then a couple of months later:
"No way I'm doing that!!!"

Favorite Gear: Dimond | Cadex | Desoto Sport | Hoka One One
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Re: AlaskaMan 140.6 [The GMAN] [ In reply to ]
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The GMAN wrote:
exerciseaddict wrote:
So how did the race go? This is one race recap I'd love to read about from anyone that was there!


Looks like 1/3 of the field were DNS. Seems like a lot of people got caught up in the moment upon registration.

"I can't wait to do that!!!"

Then a couple of months later:
"No way I'm doing that!!!"

I know a few of the DNS, also some that pulled their name off the list so others could get in after it was sold out. Most of them have a strong enough resume of IM performances that they were well equipped to do the race. But when you need to sign up 365 days in advance for this to secure your spot...well life changes sometimes.

My fiancé helped crew the last 7 miles of the run on Alyeska for a friend. I was getting updates as they progressed. I've been on that mountain during the winter, but man some of those shots yesterday were unreal. A truly amazing setting for a great race.

I'm moving to Alaska next spring, definitely plan to be apart of this race next year as a crew member.

Hopefully this race brings attention to Alaska and everything that it has to offer endurance athletes, it's truly a massive playground for athletes. Then again, maybe it's best it stays a quiet secret.

Funny how Ironman cancels Racine's swim when temps were measured at 55 this morning for 1.2 miles, after Alaskaman starts at 4:30 in foggy conditions at 58 degrees for 2.7 miles.

These new type of races seem to really go back to the roots of the sport. My favorite race is still the now dead Leadman Bend Epic 250. I did it after doing an Ironman 2 weeks prior. It was amazing how different the energy and atmosphere were at each race.
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Re: AlaskaMan 140.6 [exerciseaddict] [ In reply to ]
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exerciseaddict wrote:
So how did the race go? This is one race recap I'd love to read about from anyone that was there!

from remote spectator perspective, they could have done much better.. no twitter feed or anything. They made participants use a cellphone tracking app after they swam instead of electronic chip timing. This means as a viewer you had to download the app too. But I found a link on their website to refresh their race results excel sheet. It looks like the winner finished in 11:18. I hope they got some good video clips, I saw a few pictures my wife posted of the athlete she assisted. Im wondering how it compared to norseman too, seems pretty similar of a course profile (if not a bit longer)
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