I may be biased because I live in SF, but I do think they go out of the way to inform those who sign up that the race is different. They also tell you about unloading 2000 people from the boat in 6 minutes. My wife and I have both done Alcatraz triathlons before (first Escape for both of us) and she almost bailed on the race BECAUSE she knew the risks and didn't think she was sufficiently prepared for swimming in the cold/open water.

We stocked up on neoprene swim socks and ear plugs and headed out to Aquatic Park a few extra times to make sure she was comfortable. We didn't even swim far, just paddled around for 1/2 hour to be used to the cold water. Once she felt comfortable in the bay, she decided to race. Didn't have the best swim and had to get towed up-stream, but she said at no point was she fearing for her life - just fearing an extra long run to T1 if she missed the beach.

I do have to agree with Travis that it is pretty irresponsible to attempt this race without even entering the bay. Aquatic Park was packed Saturday before the race and those people weren't training. They were practicing and preparing themselves for the water on Sunday.

One thing I will say is that on race morning, they may want to consider making it easier for people to back out if they feel unprepared/overwhelmed. I didn't see any area to go if you wanted to ride back to the pier or abandon the race. Instead the intercom was booming with "Now is not the time to be mentally weak! Get to the edge and jump. Now is not the time to be mentally weak!"