I have no hatred or ill will towards the WTC, but one of the reasons I signed up for this one was precisely because I knew that the WTC needs competition. Between Rev3 and Challenge, we are starting to see the makings of a healthy market. I wanted to support and encourage that. Whats it going to be like this weekend? Is it going to be the "everybody is a rock star" treatment we get at a WTC race? I dont know. I am willing to find out.

This is going to be a much smaller field than a typical IM. I am fine with that. I tend to do obscure races anyway. I race the half at Bassman and find myself nearly alone out on the course on occasion. I am fine with that too. I am not in it for the "experience", although that can be fun. I just like to race.

No clue why the hate from sinkinswimmer, it seems entirely unwarranted.

At the moment the weather is predicted to be near perfect for Sunday with a likely wetsuit-legal swim and a not too hot day. I am pumped for this and ready to go!

Thank you and have a great race!! I agree with your comments and don't understand why ST'ers are being so negative on this race. I've done several inaugural races and the only one that has gotten it right the first time was IM Mont-Tremblant. Chill people competition is good greed is not.

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Giddy up, there's no reason to look behind you, you're not heading that way.

I see that athlete check-in is at Bally's. If you're not staying at Bally's, and not staying on the boardwalk, where do we park to do check-in?

Also - for AQUABIKERS - I don't see anything that makes it clear that *finish line clothes bags* don't want to go to the boardwalk.

If the RD is on here, can you please comment?

The race will undoubtedly have some issues, but such is the case with any first year race. What Challenge AC has going for it is two race directors who have tremendous reputations in South Jersey. They will do everything in their power to make this race a success and then for the second year, improve upon it.

With regard to the run course, I am not a fan of the first four miles, but after that it should be smooth sailing as we will be on the boardwalk for about 18 miles of the marathon. I think it will be very fan/family friendly and should have a lot of support for that last 13.1 miles.

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Jamie

as far as parking for check in at Ballys, you can just park in the casino garage. it'll cost you $5 (unless they work out some kind of deal for racers) but you're parked right there so unless $ is really tight it should be no problem ((the parking garage can hold thousands of cars)

you can also find street parking the second block in from the beach block but its pretty congested in that area and you might end up a couple blocks away by the time you found it. it'd be free tho.

I'm guessing that with less than 4 days to go until the race, both Delmo and Vig are going to a little too busy to be checking the slowtwitch forums for last-minute logistical questions. You might want to try emailing them if you haven't already - I know Delmo has always been very responsive to emails re: his previous races.

Rather than hoping they may happen to find this, you should try contacting them directly. I've had great & quick responses from them by emailing them, even recently. Anecdotally, lots of member of the FB page for the race have had great direct communiction too. There are also several people related to the race answer questions on FB.

+1 - The FaceBook page is very helpful, good questions/commentary

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Jamie

I got a reply to my email at 6:05AM. Dudes are working HARD down there in AC! I sent a joking text back to them about the early hour to the RD Vigo and he said it was "late" because he likes to get them done at 5:30AM.

Oh and Haters on the ST forum??? NO WAY????!!!???!!! I like that they are hating on a race BEFORE it even takes place.

I have done 15-20 Iron races and this one seems to have all the ducks in a row. I have also done first time races and non WTC races and this one seems to be the best organized before hand of all of them. Challenge has been amazing to work with. Of course no one will know until Sunday night how it went. But with the level of production and the experience of the RD I have a lot of faith in this one.

I find it interesting that someone said the WTC makes everyone feel like a rock star. They made me feel like cattle or a cog in a machine. I think maybe because I recall the first years of IMLP when it was Gram's show and he had a real passion for the sport that you could feel in the tone of the event. My experience is that personal touch seems long gone and the sense that the WTC cares about our sport is dead. But I am glad someone feels differently thats encouraging for that brand. For me, I have come to embrace the Challenge and Rev3 vibe which still seems like its more "for athletes, by athletes" and people who are for, in and care about the sport, not just a bottom line. But of course with 3000 people at each Ironman, I am sure there are 3000 different experiences and feelings. Some races like IMLP are just classics and between the athletes, town and spectators is magical still regardless of the WTC.

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http://www.johnhirsch.org
http://www.stronglikebulltraining.com

Kind of simple. I think Atlantic City was a bad selection and I think most of what I have seen about the race has been mishandled. But if you think I hate this race, you ought to see my thoughts on Ironman Maryland, which have the same tone. Similarly, I am pretty pumped about a possible Ironman Muskoka and would be thrilled if Challenge put a race some where like Vermont, or Colorado. I fact, if you dig you will find posts from me about Challenge St. Andrews that are pretty positive (at least I think they were). I was very excited that Challenge was coming. I just think Challenge AC and IM Maryland are really bad selections, and hey, guess what, I am exercising my right to say so. But, what have I said that is incorrect? Anything? Is Challenge signficantly cheaper than any other WTC event as suggested by the WTC-haters on this thread? No. Is the Challenge course as interesting as any course in IM circuit? Personal choice, of course, but seriously, does ANYONE think it is? Is their organization really better than WTC? Not from what I have seen. I am just holding them to the standard you all seem to want set for them.


. I really do not care if the sport grows. I do not think it is growing. I think it has reached its peak, but I do know that putting on more and more mediocre races is not likely to grow the sport. I do not think the sport benefits from bad races any more than the car industry benefitted from the Yugo. I asked the RD one simple question a while ago when I was considering this race: How are you going to keep the masses from interfering with the run? I got back the typical (from them) line that "everything will be world class." So, my gripes with the race are (1) Atlantic City, and (2) crowd control. I am pretty sure I have even said, that if everything goes off great, GREAT. I may even do the race next year. But think about this. What if the guys at Challenge read this board and want to prove me wrong, and actually figure out a way to keep the fat slobs trying to get to the beach from interfering with the race. Then, you are welcome.

And once again...good luck to all racing. I honestly do hope it goes well for everyone.

You sound like those people who think that climate scientists haven't thought of all sorts of stuff that might make their data invalid, but you have.

Do you really think that Stephen Del Monte and Robert Vigorito don't have a rock-solid plan for crowd control on the run? Seriously? Like they didn't think about it before you brilliantly pointed it out?

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"Go yell at an M&M"

Nah...your right. Just like WTC had the IMNYC figured out when they thought it would be a great idea to run along the Hudson. All I read were race reports about dog walkers in the way. Imagine the boardwalk. So, yeah, those guys have it figured out. It seems to me WTC could not figure out NYC. But I am sure these two guys have AC figured out. I am sure it will be no problem at all. Silly me.

But I notice you did not say you think the course is interesting, or that you think you are saving a few hundred dollars over WTC events, or that Challenge blows away WTC in organization. By the way, I forgot to mention I also hate relays and aqua bike. And letting families cross the finish line with athletes. Let's see...what else....nope. That should do it for now.

Have fun.

I'm not doing the race, but thanks anyway.

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"Go yell at an M&M"

Now you are just being nasty

Delmo also puts on the Atlantic City tri. Run is entirely in the boardwalk.

Having done this race the crowds in the boards have never been an issue.

Haters gonna hate

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Yellowfin Endurance Coaching and Bike Fits
USAT Level 1, USAC Level 3

Yes but the times that racers will be running on the boardwalk are much different for an Olympic vs a full IM. Foot traffic will be much heavier at CAC by the time the racers are running. But it shouldn't matter much. There will only be 800-900 racers and I would assume they will be pretty spaced out.

I was at AC TRI last year. Biggest issue was old people on beach cruisers ignoring the volunteers. Blasting thru the course without any regard for the runners. But bikes are not allowed on boardwalk after 11am. So this shouldn't be an issue.

Hey guys, just an FYI...pro triathlete Scott Defilippis (8:09 IM pb at IMF; 2nd place at Challenge Penticton) & I will be hosting an "Ask Me Anything Pre-Race Q&A" on Saturday from 2-3pm in the Ocean Room at Bally's. All details are posted below:

https://www.facebook.com/...628692747351/?type=1

Also, if you need any last-minute nutrition (ie CarboPro, EFS, IM Perform, Gatorade Endurance, electrolyte caps, etc etc etc), feel free to shoot me an email & we can arrange for pick-up in AC (Brian@PersonalBestNutrition.com). I'll be presenting at the Sports Medicine Symposium from 1:40-2:20pm on Fri & then again at Bally's as noted above.

See you guys down there!

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Brian Shea
http://www.PersonalBestNutrition.com
Open-Water/Masters Swimming at the Jersey Shore:
Monmouth County NJ Ocean Swim/Masters Workouts

At the athlete talk now. The run course has changed again. No more loops at Bader Field (they must have read my bitching on ST!). Now we head straight to the boardwalk for multiple loops.

After going for a little run on the boardwalk this evening, I'm a bit concerned about the traffic on the boardwalk. This race isn't that big compared to a large IM, but that may only mean that people walking on boardwalk will be less aware of the runners. It will be easy for non-racers to cross the course without getting in the way since there will be large gaps between runners, but I'm concerned about people crossing the course without realizing it and stepping right in front of delirious runners. And like you said, at that time there may be a lot of foot traffic (or maybe not on a sunday? idk). I know my agility is pretty terrible on the marathon and I will tumble strait into someone if they step right in front of me. Hopefully they have the course marked well enough that that isn't a problem.

Will you be giving out gambling vouchers?

on a sunday afternoon you'll be more likely to have people crossing (from beach to streets), then the kind of strolling you would see on an evening or even a saturday day. but its still a concern. guess we'll see soon enough! i suspect the casino areas will be very well marked and patrolled, but i think as you go south on the boardwalk (towards, and into Ventnor) the boardwalk narrows and it just feels like an area that wont be given as much attention.

on a positive note, the weather is still holding steady as just about perfect. keep waiting for the inevitable creep-up of temps or humidity, but so far it aint happening! high of 75degrees with moderate humidity is pretty much hitting the jackpot for here this time of year.

IMPOSSIBLE! According to klehner those RDs are legends who had thought of EVERYTHING! NO WAY ST would have influenced them! They are way too smart to need our help!

I can't imagine what it must be like to go through each day as you.

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"Go yell at an M&M"

the more i think about it, i think the last run course change is a very good one. almost all of the run is now on the boardwalk, which should increase the concentration of runners. if it had reamained going all the way to longport the volume of runners would have been diluted. this new way it would, i think, create a more 'steady stream' of runners to occupy the running lanes and kind of stake a claim to that territory. pedestrians will be less likely to just not realize a race is going on.
plus, as delmo said, makes it better for spectators.
i fully endorse the change :)