I think the athlete guide says you get timing chip when you do bike drop off.

Found it:

MANDATORY BIKE & GEAR CHECK-IN Mandatory Bike Check-In is Saturday, October 21 from 9 AM to 4 PM in transition. Athletes can bring their Gear Bags at this time or on race morning, but all bikes must be checked in by 4 PM on Saturday and left overnight. ATHLETES WILL PICK UP THEIR TIMING CHIP DURING BIKE CHECK-IN.

Thanks again! Have an awesome day,

Getting super excited. Kind of bummed about the rain in the forecast but at least we aren't getting the 90 degree day from today and yesterday. Also rain on the swim and bike isn't the end of the world, but I do hate running in wet shoes lol. Good luck everyone!

---

My Strava | My Instagram | Summerville, SC | 35-39 AG | 4:41 (70.3), 10:05 (140.6) | 3x70.3, 1x140.6 | Cat 2 Cyclist

Good luck and be safe on the turns! Lots of squashed tomatoes last time I rode the course. Not sure how slippery they get with some rain ;)

---

KJ
Swim and Triathlon Coach
AllTerrainEndurance.com
KJ@allterrainendurance.com

Looks like the rain will be just a couple drops in the morning, nothing to worry about.
Having a pair of fresh/dry socks in T2 should help.

Yes, swim will be much faster. I’m normally a 1:30 IM swimmer, at IM CA last year, I swam 1:01.

That said, you could lose time if you don’t strategize to round the buoy at the confluence of the two rivers. Some people were swept by the current past the mid-river turn buoy and wasted a lot of time and energy having to swim against the current to round the buoy. A few others missed the “offramp” turn into the exit to T1.

So, do pay attention to the course markers and plan your line in advance to take advantage of the current and put yourself in place to let it sweep you around the buoys.

---

Sharon McN
@IronCharo
#TeamZoot
Clif Bar Pace Team 2003-2018

In for IM #6. Came up from LA in 2021, deferred to 2022, got covid and deferred to 2023 (I think on Sharon McNary’s advice)

Run training has been iffy with calf issues. Bike is ok for a course like this and swim, well I think a potato chip bag could make the cutoff. Expecting well under an hour.

Due to my calf issue I had been going f back and forth and even as of Wednesday morning was intent on canceling the hotel. Then I just came to a WTF why not moment. Will run / walk as long as the calf lets me. Worst case is 9 hours to walk the run and finally get value from that $750 spent way back in 2020.

Good luck all!

Leaders swim time was 34:xx. Did the swim get shortened or is the current that strong today?

looks like it. saw a 1:30 pace person I know do 47min...

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.

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.

---

http://www.sfuelsgolonger.com

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.

---

KJ
Swim and Triathlon Coach
AllTerrainEndurance.com
KJ@allterrainendurance.com

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

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.

---

http://www.sfuelsgolonger.com

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 :)

---

KJ
Swim and Triathlon Coach
AllTerrainEndurance.com
KJ@allterrainendurance.com

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!

---

My Strava | My Instagram | Summerville, SC | 35-39 AG | 4:41 (70.3), 10:05 (140.6) | 3x70.3, 1x140.6 | Cat 2 Cyclist