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Post deleted by sbrrepeat
Re: 70.3 with thunderstorms forecast all day [sbrrepeat]
[ In reply to ]
I did a non IM brand 70.3 in Oct 2017 that had a Tropical Storm come through that morning. No change to the course. Rain, wind, and cloud coverage all passed by the time I started running. Lube up and put your running shoes/socks in something to keep them dry.
Re: 70.3 with thunderstorms forecast all day [sbrrepeat]
[ In reply to ]
sbrrepeat wrote:
Does anyone have experience with what non-IM race directors typically do if the forecast is for thunderstorms all day (as in 2am-midnight)?It just depends on the race director but they aren't going to make a call before race morning unless it is a hurricane or some other major catastrophe.
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Re: 70.3 with thunderstorms forecast all day [sbrrepeat]
[ In reply to ]
It depends on the RD... the RD I work for will send out a notice that the race MAY be cancelled under those sorts of conditions if it's being forecasted heavily... 90% chance of lighting storms. Athlete safety is a big concern and once people get racing its hard to stop them, gather them from a race course, etc. if it gets to that point.
Sometimes EMS and/or the Police may have to pull out as well and you can't put on a race without them. Another consideration is volunteers... basically if it is you wouldn't let your kids play in the front yard sort of weather, it's time to think about cancelling the race. Calling someone's spouse/parent because they got hit by lighthing isn't on a list of things we want to be doing.
That said, it rarely has happened, over 10+ years and 100s of races, there have been like 2 cancellations and one duathlon due to weather. We recently had a race that was supposed to be an awful morning with heavy lightning in a very flat area... by weather reports. It shifted and the early forecasts ended up being wrong and it was a great day but it was definitely something we were watching and planning for.
Sometimes EMS and/or the Police may have to pull out as well and you can't put on a race without them. Another consideration is volunteers... basically if it is you wouldn't let your kids play in the front yard sort of weather, it's time to think about cancelling the race. Calling someone's spouse/parent because they got hit by lighthing isn't on a list of things we want to be doing.
That said, it rarely has happened, over 10+ years and 100s of races, there have been like 2 cancellations and one duathlon due to weather. We recently had a race that was supposed to be an awful morning with heavy lightning in a very flat area... by weather reports. It shifted and the early forecasts ended up being wrong and it was a great day but it was definitely something we were watching and planning for.
The race was yesterday. The forecast changed so that it only showed a 14-17% or so chance of rain in the late morning to early afternoon. The sky was clear in the morning. But, it wasn't to stay that way.
This race featured a sprint, olympic, and 70.3 at a remote state park in the mountains with no services. I think the sprint went off without a hitch, and the speedy olympic distance athletes probably made it through unscathed. During my second loop on the bike it started getting windy, then it started raining, and then hailing. Heading back to the reservoir, which the run circled, the sky was black and lightning was striking all around the area. I pulled into T2 expecting them to say the course was closed. Nope. They said they were "keeping an eye on it". This barren course had no staffed aid stations, no shelters, no tree cover even (not that trees are good shelter from lightning). Most people were braving it they said. The finish line and spectator reunion were 3.7 miles away and nobody had cell service. Basically my only options were to run, ride my bike, or flag down a car on the road. The race crew assured me that there were rangers on the run course if I needed anything but when asked they admitted they had no personnel on course which was their plan all along - they send the runners out and they are basically on their own.
I spent about 25 minutes in T2 trying to come up with my plan B. At this time the race personnel were exclaiming that the storm was passing. I laced up and ran out a quarter mile, saw plenty of lightning strikes over the lake, and headed back to T2. I am wiser than this. I have nothing to prove. I'll take the DNF and live another day. Lucky for me, my support knew better of the situation and against race policy, my plan B in shining armor drove to T2 to retrieve me.
A friend in the Olympic was not so lucky. She was at mile 2 of the run course when the marble-sized hail started. Covered in welts, she came upon a single park ticket admissions lady in it who let her into her booth. Within seconds of getting inside the booth, lightning stuck right in front of them, sending sparks flying. She sheltered in place until the hail stopped and the lightning slowed, but had no choice but to finish running in now 46 degrees and soaking wet. She then had to wait over half an hour shivering at the finish line with a podium finisher of the 70.3 for a shuttle bus back to her car that never came.
I have no idea how others faired. Results aren't posted and their Facebook page is silent. My lesson to myself is to better research the race directors and course, and don't be sucked into the 'everybody else is doing it' mentality.
This race featured a sprint, olympic, and 70.3 at a remote state park in the mountains with no services. I think the sprint went off without a hitch, and the speedy olympic distance athletes probably made it through unscathed. During my second loop on the bike it started getting windy, then it started raining, and then hailing. Heading back to the reservoir, which the run circled, the sky was black and lightning was striking all around the area. I pulled into T2 expecting them to say the course was closed. Nope. They said they were "keeping an eye on it". This barren course had no staffed aid stations, no shelters, no tree cover even (not that trees are good shelter from lightning). Most people were braving it they said. The finish line and spectator reunion were 3.7 miles away and nobody had cell service. Basically my only options were to run, ride my bike, or flag down a car on the road. The race crew assured me that there were rangers on the run course if I needed anything but when asked they admitted they had no personnel on course which was their plan all along - they send the runners out and they are basically on their own.
I spent about 25 minutes in T2 trying to come up with my plan B. At this time the race personnel were exclaiming that the storm was passing. I laced up and ran out a quarter mile, saw plenty of lightning strikes over the lake, and headed back to T2. I am wiser than this. I have nothing to prove. I'll take the DNF and live another day. Lucky for me, my support knew better of the situation and against race policy, my plan B in shining armor drove to T2 to retrieve me.
A friend in the Olympic was not so lucky. She was at mile 2 of the run course when the marble-sized hail started. Covered in welts, she came upon a single park ticket admissions lady in it who let her into her booth. Within seconds of getting inside the booth, lightning stuck right in front of them, sending sparks flying. She sheltered in place until the hail stopped and the lightning slowed, but had no choice but to finish running in now 46 degrees and soaking wet. She then had to wait over half an hour shivering at the finish line with a podium finisher of the 70.3 for a shuttle bus back to her car that never came.
I have no idea how others faired. Results aren't posted and their Facebook page is silent. My lesson to myself is to better research the race directors and course, and don't be sucked into the 'everybody else is doing it' mentality.