zoom wrote:
I'm local to the area. I think that people are discounting the strong backlash by local officials in having races there after the Hot Chocolate fiasco. The community around that neck of the woods weren't all that thrilled about the 70.3 race in the first place. Perhaps the real problem wasn't the lack of registrants, but problems with getting all of the local permits and local support.
Setup Events already has General Smallwood in July just a stone's throw from National Harbor. A much better option is for Setup Events to put a 70.3 into the Smallwood weekend. The General Smallwood area is a beautiful area with good roads to race on. They have a century ride that goes through there every year, so it can suppot it.
I agree completely. The Smallwood Oly course was awesome, just loved those roads. It would be terrific if they could set up some cross between the two and incorporate National Harbor in it, maybe a point to point would work? The roads out towards General Smallwood Park are much less traveled, basically vacant.
And I think Hot Chocolate doomed this race. Even deterred the locals from signing up for it. I am doing IMKY so it was out for this year, but was looking forward to it for next year. the backlash from having the highway lane closed was huge, and honestly, I'm not sure how used to having races that area is. Some other areas, like in Montgomery County or Annapolis, you expect it. I just don't know how many races that area is used to holding. Its sad, b/c the Hot Chocolate volunteers were some of the nicest volunteers I can remember. But the community as a whole seemed to react very negatively to it. I can't imagine they would be so quick to want to hold another race, let alone a much bigger production in terms of roads that were being employed.