Dan Plews with a Sub-8 hour finish. Current assisted swim yes, but this has to be an amateur record?
Dan Plews with a Sub-8 hour finish. Current assisted swim yes, but this has to be an amateur record?
current assisted then absolutely not. From now on if we will talk about records it should something of the start and finish should not be more than ~10% of the race distance away from each other
Top 31 went sub 9. Crazy.
It was a significantly faster day than last year due to faster current, shorter transitions, and calmer winds on the ride. All of that outweighs that the new run course is slower, got muddy and flooded in a few places in the downpour, and is longer than 26.2.
IMO they should have either introduced a short against the current swim section, or just made the swim longer to compensate for this insanity. Helps immensely the weaker swimmers too: my gap to D Plews was probably a 3rd of what it normally would have been, and I gapped a buddy the same amount on this “full†swim as I did in another half…
This race is a 90min drive for me, but don’t think I’ll sign up again - last year they at least made up for a fast (but not THAT fast) swim with a mile+ T1. Signed up for an Ironman and instead got this…
I had 4,000 yds, definitely current assisted. I swam 37:45, 20 min faster than my other Ironman swim in St. George.
The current is strong enough to do that.
Quite a down pour happened 1300-1400 depending where one was at, hope everyone is A-OK.
I am a 1 hour ish finish and went 42 and change LOL. Strava says 3925 yards.
The rain for me started about 2 hours left on the bike and just dumped. Stopped while I was in t2 then mile 15 all hell broke loose as the heavens opened. You had to laugh, but it was miserable. Especially running on a dark park path with ankle deep ponds
now this is an oddity, so noticed another person I know who swims as 2:30-3:00 pace at 57min for this swim! was it known its current assisted swim? wonder if people picked this race for that reason on purpose knowing they would not make the cut off otherwise
now this is an oddity, so noticed another person I know who swims as 2:30-3:00 pace at 57min for this swim! was it known its current assisted swim? wonder if people picked this race for that reason on purpose knowing they would not make the cut off otherwise
Yes downcurrent. American into Sacramento. I’m sure many choose this race for that reason. I literately swam masters warmup effort. Lots of “prs†claimed at this race. Heard last night too age grouper went sub 8
Forget the Sub-10 hour Facebook Group. Sub-9 is the new goal for AG. Insert eye roll.
1 out of 3 years, we finally got the nicest day. Weather was just perfect for fast time yesterday. The temp was between 60-70 the whole day. No sun, little wind, just a quick shower around 1pm, I actually enjoyed it. Both my friend and I shaved 1 hour off our last year IMCA time. Weather plays such a big role on this course.
BTW. heavy rain and wind started again around 11th hours. It is miserable for those volunteers and athletes still on the course.
I would also describe my swim as ‘masters warmup’ pace. Only ever surged when I needed to pass someone that self-seeded (very) incorrectly. Overtaking someone was quite challenging with the current because the speed differential I’m used to having didn’t exist. Saw a handful of folks struggling at the confluence (read: turn) buoy…and I started within the first 5-10 waves of the rolling start. A 37 min swim should not exist in an Ironman but…here we are 
Took a look at a few AGs and looks like there were a few sub 37s and even a 35
.
Aside from the fast swim which I appreciated, my experience was the volunteers were awesome, athletes were very positive, and the race promoter and staff did a fantastic job. There were many improvements from last year event such as the transition switch and the run course. I have to commend the IM California Team for their hard work managing 3000+ athletes in a relatively big city dense environment. As a local to the area when I heard the IM race was coming to the area, I anticipated the race to be focused in the nearby Lake Natoma, Folsom area which is a bit less dense. From an athlete perspective I can see positive and negatives to both locations, downtown Sacramento and Folsom.
Totally agree. Volunteers and staff were terrific. Have to commend the volunteers for being so supportive and positive while stuck out there for hours in horrendous weather conditions. They were awesome!
Swim was super fast and a little short, I got 3900yd on my garmin.
Very fast course but had a great experience for my first IM. It could be significantly faster too with better conditions, the conditions still weren’t what I would call ideal. Wind picked up the second lap on the bike. 75% of the roads were in nice shape, 25% were pretty rough. I was on the run when the rain dumped, made some offroad sections extremely slick and for some very large puddles. Run course measured on my garmin (and many others) at 26.62 miles. Volunteers were a+. Course was great in my opinion, flat would be an understatement. The second rain after I finished was way worse than the first, I really felt bad for the folks still out there, it had to have been a cold long night. Seems like this time of year in this area could be 90 degrees, 60 degrees, rain, wind, or all of the above. I think it probably wasn’t too bad considering it was 94 degrees two days before.
I came in at 10:05 and can’t complain, beat all my goals for the day. Been fighting some hip pain and was happy to even get to the start line!
This post did not age well, LOL. Starting to think that this race is cursed by the weather gods. Sac just can’t win!
Immense props to the volunteers and race staff who stuck it out through the epic rain to support us, especially once it got dark. They are the true heroes of the day! I finished about 7pm and the finish line buzz was basically a total wash-out, so that was quite a bummer, especially for the many many first-timers and their support crews.
My Garmin stats:
3930 yards on the swim, so maybe a bit short. Swam moderate effort and came out in 43:31. Was 51:41 last year on similar fitness, and am normally a 1:05-1:07 IM swimmer.
111.99 miles on the bike. C’mon, Ironman! You shorted me on that ride! 
26.52m on the run, and the run course mile markers were consistently about 0.5m off right from the get-go.
Run course is 26.5 on my watch. Every mile markers is off by .5mile
I also got 119.9 on the bike. It is ok I guess.
Run course is 26.5 on my watch. Every mile markers is off by .5mile
I also got 119.9 on the bike. It is ok I guess.
I am laughing at the +.5 on the run everyone is getting, me included. I mean, there are three short out and backs in the last 3 miles LOL. I figured it would be to the meter. I don’t use laps on the run, so I had no idea what the individual splits were, other than the first one seemed to be really long, after that I lost track as I didn’t really care.
Swim, I guess they are stuck with a certain entry and certain exit so 3900 it is. I mean it’s already 30% faster so what’s another couple hundred yards knocked off?
My garmin does give me mile laps on the run and it was madding to have my watch tell me another mile ticked off but then have to wait minutes before seeing the next mile marker!
Bike and swim were close enough, IMO.
My garmin does give me mile laps on the run and it was madding to have my watch tell me another mile ticked off but then have to wait minutes before seeing the next mile marker!
Bike and swim were close enough, IMO.
Same. About 18 miles someone asked the guy next to me if their watch was off and about 7 of us had a good laugh/cry.