Active charged a $40 processing for IM Blue Ridge this year.
$500 all in all for race reg, USAT renewal, and processing fee

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IG - @ryanppax
http://www.geluminati.com
Use code ST5 for $5 off your order

Local to me tri and du was affordable and a nice friendly well done local race.

I won the du. Small field, so nothing special or noteworthy.

Will never do again and would willing pay $50 to $75 more entry fee for better roads control.

The oly tri and du 40k bike had like 2 miles out and back right by the entrance to the state park where the start finish was. Like, one of THE busiest 55mph two lane roads in the area.

In my return part if ride I’m fearful being hit in heavy traffic that’s also mixed with racers.

Horribly dangerous scenario. Sometimes location and safety are worth the cash.

Problem with that venue is regardless of which side of the park you race in (spring race does one side and fall race is on other side with a different race organizer and neither close the road), there is only 1 main road that you must use to get back into the parks. Which that road is sketchy and super busy and even with “police support” it’s still fully open roads. Of course this is small “local” races with at most what 300 people, so the capacity to do more just isn’t there. It’s an unfortunate issue because that area can take advantage of good terrain (hills) to make for good courses.

But that lake area likely has no where that’s “good” without riding on a major road(s). I guess they could look into Baptist Rd section but then you’d be crossing highway 98 which would be another big issue.

Triangle tri in June will have the busiest road closed to traffic (No Du option but there is a super sprint option).

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Brooks Doughtie, M.S.
Exercise Physiology
-USAT Level II

For the du or the oly make Baptist 2x out and back with a jaunt down to uturn on Santee Rd. Then no leaving the safer area. I often go ride TT bike that Baptist Rd. The local tri series operates out of the Baptist Rd park location.

Baptist is a great road except on the weekend when the weather is nice and people want to take their boat out. That being a boat entry means that road can be busy basically only with boaters on weekends when the park is open. I've seen a good friend get fillet'd by the boat trailer being pulled by a suburban about 8 years ago by Jordan Lake. The driver didn't recognize just how much more his trailer was wider than his big suburban pulling the trailer (sighs)

(Baptist is a great road to ride except during boating season which is prominent on weekends in spring and summer). When IOS had the Raleigh store, I led a group ride that rode from the store to Baptist Rd and back. Love that area to train in, but damn even that area has had some bad interactions over the last 2 years.

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Brooks Doughtie, M.S.
Exercise Physiology
-USAT Level II

Did an Olympic bike-run last weekend. $179 before fees, before USAT. I've participated in races from the same organizer before, but last weekend was a poor value IMO. Bike course was coned as the inside lanes of a two lane road. Nothing scenic - strip malls and factories. Road surface was not terrible, but mostly rough. Run was a little more enjoyable, along a river, mostly, but nothing awesome. T shirt, medal, one can of beer. Food was a hot dog, chips, fruit, granola bar, soft drink. I guess what I'm most unhappy about...a few years ago, I won the cyclo-run (different event, same organizer). Got a very cool Hatch Show Print of the event, bunch of reasonable swag from sponsors. That print is framed in my office. This time? Well, the podium call up for the Oly bike-run was at the end of the sprint awards. Huh? I was 2nd - great! The award was a very inexpensive (disposable) backpack - same for everyone on the podium. Bleh. Worse? I get home (2 hr by car) and look at the results. Well, I actually *won* the Oly bike-run. These organizers act like they are newbies, but they have been doing this for 10 years or more. One of my friends got a call up for an AG 3rd. Great. Actual results? He was 6th or 7th (I've forgotten). Sorry for him and sorry for the athletes who left w/o a podium pic or prize (as cheap as that was). Did I mention that this was $179 + fees?

That bike course was one of the worse! It was heinously rough. Not sure why mats can't be put down on the railroad tracks.

I think they only give the Hatch prints at Music City. Have done three other locations and they didn't have the prints at those.

Yeah, just using the Hatch Show Print as an example of the difference in quality of awards. Yes, the RR tracks were bad, for sure!

I have a friend who is a Race Director and I ask him about the disparity in entry fee's from our home state of Indiana (mostly very reasonable) compared to Florida which like your race typically charge $120 plus for a sprint.
I figured the costs may be higher due to local govt fees etc....
He said nope, they charge it because they can.
He owns races all over the midwest and in Florida so I figure he knows.....

Florida was cheaper for me to race, but perhaps cause roads not fully closed when I did it.

Yep, worse than golf.