No, it doesn't fill up, or hasn't in previous years. Looks like it is slowly becoming a nice end of season goal race for duathletes though... one of those events that is unique because the course is so challenge plus upstate NY that time of year is beautiful. If I can swing it with work, I'm going to head up there and compete this year.

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Yes, I shave my legs. Yes, I am comfortable with this. I am enlightened.

A few. Done 10 Ironman races, four SOS and AZ is toughest course hands down (I did the short course 2007). John M. is a great RD and athlete who put together a great late season race which while having great scenery also kicks your butt. It's not really "upstate". It is in Ulster County NY which is about 90 miles from NYC.

Not "technically" upstate, but hey, some of us refer to anything outside of the city as upstate ;)

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Yes, I shave my legs. Yes, I am comfortable with this. I am enlightened.

It's already filled up.

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It sold out in November. You needed to be logged in to Active.con by no later than 9:01 that morning, or you got shut out.

Just kidding.


As HHNY said, it's an awesome event, just totally epic.
And as word of mouth gets around, it draws more and more intrepid folks looking for a new challenge and a change of pace from the same old, same old.
This year we have LOTS of The Womens registered for it, I'm very psyched to see that.

The Gunks in October is one of the most spectacular places on Earth. No, that's not hyperbole.


Bagpipers before, lots of hills during, and beer and awesome eats afterwards, all in a beautiful setting.
It really doesn't get much better than that.

I'll be back for my 3rd go again this October.... but perhaps my sig. line might have given that part away.... : )

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float , hammer , and jog

I'll toe the line this year (honest... no really, I mean it).

We're on pace for our best year yet, and quite possibly a capacity field (unless our marketing director drowns first).

Josh Beck will be back.

On August 16th, we're staging an Xterra Xduro at the venue, a 21.1K trail run. It will be a great prep for both AmZof and S.O.S.

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2015 American Zofingen Du is May 17.
R.I.P. Chris Gleason

You'll probably sell more slots IF yer Marketing Director drowns. That dude is as useless as tits on a bull.


I'll toe the line this year (honest... no really, I mean it).

Your toes were on the line last year, and the year before as well - when you said GO and we all started running.
All except you.

I'm even willing to "take one for the team" and race SC this year, if it means *you* will actually start the LC race.
I'll help out w/ whatever other busywork/last-minute stuff you would otherwise have been doing before and after the SC race.

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float , hammer , and jog

Murphy, the race has matured to the point where I have great faith in a core group of people that can run it in my absence. You'll be needed for a bona fide Slowtwitch smackdown, so you must race long course. Now, use your unique marketing skills to harangue another 10 entrants by close of business today by challenging them to kick your skinny, non-buoyant ass. Can anyone really beat a fit, motivated Murphy if there's no swim?

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2015 American Zofingen Du is May 17.
R.I.P. Chris Gleason

I'm thinking about doing this race but am a little concerned that the way ML runs his yapper the course may be too crowded this year...not really interested in
going all that way for an 80 mile draftfest. Any thoughts?

I heard ML has started bringing bags of goose shit to races with him which he sneaks into the water at the swim start and then starts yelling "Feces! Feces!
Cancel the swim!" At least we won't have to worry about that at AmZof...

Ah, CRAP!!! My secret is out!!!!

Although, the proper teminology is "doody! doody!!" ;-)


Let me assure you of one thing, there is ZERO DRAFTING at A-Z. Even if it did sell out (that'd be 200 total entrants between LC & SC), the first run alone does a very nice job of spreading out the field before the bike.


JM - an ST smackdown sounds like fun. We're already off to a great start in terms of ST'ers who are registered.
I'll try to drum up a few more..... maybe we need to post some pics?
(the below are all poached from the A-Z website)

Naked under me kilt!




The "million dollar view"



The only flat part of the run....




Who's this uuuuugly bastid?




Who wants to come kick my bony (haha!! as if) ass at A-Z this year?

I dare ya! I double dare ya!! I double-dog dare ya!!!!

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float , hammer , and jog

i found the race online last season 2 weeks before it happened, thought i would give it a go(having never done a long event)

i took my time and did well, but in retrospect it was alot to take on, on short notice. i really enjoyed the low key setting, and will gravitate to smaller races in the future. i will prob sign up for IMLP this season, but the smaller ultra runs and races like the AZ are more my style.

the AZ is my main event for this season, i really like the race in the fall, i do not do well in the heat.

thanks John for creating an amazing event in a great setting, let's hope for weather like last years, perfect!

John,
We'll make sure both races get started on time and all the timing and scoring is taken care of so you better be training. I'll also be sure to test all the food before you finish to be sure it is safe to eat. Best post race (or for me stuff to eat while I pretend to work) eats out there.

I know a little about Duathlon and AZ is the most epic North American event and on par with the best Europe has to offer.

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Boots
Fleet Feet Rochester, NY
Fleet Feet Buffalo, NY
YellowJacket Racing, Rochester, NY

I'm jealous - I'd love to do this race some day.

There is no drafting at AmZof. The first run spreads everyone out nicely. The bike starts with a monster climb. If, after all that, anyone manages to draft, we run them off the road with an SUV and when they turn up a week later partially consumed by scavengers, we blame the bears.

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2015 American Zofingen Du is May 17.
R.I.P. Chris Gleason

Thanks Boots. I knew last year, watching you and the Mrs. completely run the show, that I had become a third wheel and now could race. To that end, I ran a local 15K race today.

Boots is so pro that he posts live updates on ST during the race. Sweet!

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2015 American Zofingen Du is May 17.
R.I.P. Chris Gleason

I will again sign up
It would be nice to get to the race on race day

Thom

x2. Boots is the man. That was just awesomely done. Had I known there was gonna be live updates (that put IM.Dead to shame), I woulda told the friends and familia to "watch" me suffer online.


How'd the 15k go, Cartman? Was that the race distance, or how much weight you need to lose? ;-)

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float , hammer , and jog

Murphy, thankfully, I only need to lose 15 pounds, instead of 15 kilograms.

I won the 15K run today. I guess all the fast guys were at a picnic. You would have liked this race - free Sam Adams Lager! So, of course, all the training benefit of the hard tempo run was diluted, quite literally, with beer.

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2015 American Zofingen Du is May 17.
R.I.P. Chris Gleason

OK, now you are scaring me.

I used to rock climb at the gunks in a previous life, and I remember the area being beautiful. I do have two other questions:

1) It sounds like the descents are pretty fast. How is the road surface? Does one need to watch out for pot holes and cracks at 40+ MPH or is it pretty smooth?

2) Any recommendations on where to stay? I'd be looking for something cheap, like maybe campground, or even a field, where I could throw up a tent?

I do have to say, this event sounds too fun to miss.

Thanks,
Victor

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That TOTALLY sounds like my kinda race!!!!

Nicely done. If/when you drop that "beer storage unit", you are gonna be a MONSTA.


I jogged a nice easy 10 today, then a HUGE breakfast out at my bro-in-law's place in Cold Spring.

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float , hammer , and jog

There's a triathlon in Cold Spring on June 14. Instead of a swim, it's kayak. That would be a good race for you.

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2015 American Zofingen Du is May 17.
R.I.P. Chris Gleason

SHHH!!! Don't tell anybody!!! Ix-nay on the oldspring-kay!!!

I'm hoping that if absolutely no fast dudes show up, I might actually win.

(and I'm as good at paddling as I am lousy at swimming, so for once in my life I'll be coming outta the water in a "tri" at the FOP)



To the prior poster - the downhills are pretty smooth. However, the one after the first BIG climb is quite twisty, and at least one of the turns is of the lovely decreasing-radius variety (what f'n moron engineer thought *that* was a good idea??), so you need to be a confident descender, or use yer brakes.
A very confident descender can do all the descents in the aero bars. Most others would be wise to use the basebar, just to err on the safe side.

Roads in general are pretty decent. The scenery is outrageous.

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float , hammer , and jog

Great job John. I was there and missed you since I was bringing up the rear. I love the Woodstock Race and it was my first time running it since the injury wave hit me in 2001. My slow run on that course tells me that my knees are finally healed and I can run again. Next year I'll be closer to you and the next year closer again.

So about AZ; will you be opening short registration early or waiting to see how it fills?

Congratulations on the Woodstock win!

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''Sweeney - you can both crush your AG *and* cruise in dead last!! 😂 '' Murphy's Law

Sweeney, you couldn't have been that far back. I was hanging out until noon drinking beer ;-)

AmZof short course registration is already open. I'm happy to report that the bulk of entries are for long course. As always, I'm pretty open to allowing people to switch between fields very late in the game, so no one should worry about entering long course.

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2015 American Zofingen Du is May 17.
R.I.P. Chris Gleason