Looking to hear from anyone who has done either of these races.It appears that I can get into " Escape from the Rock"Aug.10, 2008, but the "Escape from Alcatraz " in June you need to qualify or lottery.The distance does vary alittle in each race but not much,its the swim that freaks people out I guess( tides,cold temp., murky water, sea creatures),I’m not worried about the distance of the swim. I’m taking break from IM distance this year after doing it for four years.
I did Escape from the Rock (or “Alcatri”) in 2006. I thought it was a great race in all respects - well organized, fairly competitive, excellent and challenging course and a lot of fun.
I was a little worried about the cold and technical swim, but it was awesome! Jumping off the ferry into the Bay right next to Alcatraz is really sweet and the swim is challenging, but nothing to be freaked out about. The 3 loop bike course is essentially all hills, including some pretty steep (but relatively short) climbs. And the main run rocks - i loved running on the beach and the sand ladder.
Because there are two runs, the course favors strong runners.
did alcatraz this year, by far the coolest race i have ever done. unparalleled course and the best organization i have ever seen. i can’t say enough about this one.
Two very different races.
Escape: similar vibe to an IRONMAN ™ event (crowds, expo, pro field)
Rock: similar to a small independent IM race
Some people love one, others love the other. The water will be cold either way.
Disclaimer: My tri club helps put on Escape so IMO, our volunteer base is the best.
clm
Escape from Alcatraz is one of those races everybody should do at least once. A great race in all aspects. The lottery odds are not that bad from what I understand. My training partner and I both got into it at the same time, my first attempt and his second.
Can I get some clarification? Do the two races use the same, or very similar, courses?
I’m thinking of trying to do one of these next year, too. What are some of the logistics like: getting your bike around the city, from the airport, to transition, etc. How early to you have to be at the transition area and to the ferry and how big a pain is that? Are there nice hotels within walking distance of the transition area?
i flew in and took BART from SFO to Embarcadero (about 2-3 miles from T1), no need to even rent a car!
they said be at t1 at like 4am, though with their busing system to the ferry, i could have slept another hour and a half. they make the noobs show up extra early
tons of hotels down in the area, i suggest anything in the embarcadero or waterfront park area, as that’s pretty close to t1. just ride your bike in to t1, remember SF is a small city (only 6m square) so riding from just about anywhere shouldn’t be an issue.
Did you take your bike on the BART from the airport?
We stayed by Fisherman’s Wharf (took a taxi) and rode our bikes/walked everywhere. Easy to get around.
I think Escape from Alcatraz is one of the best races ever. I was scared of this race for years, finally bit the bullet and got a lottery spot, and had the time of my life!! Excellent organization, course, everything!!
CLM and her club make a great race crew! Cathy, I see you every time I watch the DVD and smile. Katy, I wonder if there is a little shot of you by the transition bags in the DVD? hard to tell.
Meeting you two and others was awesome!
no, but it would have been easy. bart goes all the way to the airport.
I’ve only done the “Rock” one, but from what I’ve read the courses are definitely different. I think the swim and run are similar, but the bike courses are pretty different - the “Rock” race is a hillly three 4.something mile loops and the Escape race is an out-and-back, which is supposedly hilly as well.
To me, it seems the swim in the bay and run on the beach/sandladder are the famous/memorable portions of either race. Other than the Escape from Alcatraz bike course being hilly, I’ve never heard too much about the bike. As such, it seems to me that, from a “destination race” standpoint, the races are very similar and either one would be good. Of course, that doesn’t take into account the high quality of the volunteers at the Escape from Alcatraz…
s
BT! Come back anytime!!! What a fun weekend that was.
clm
I know people just rave about Escape from Alcatraz but to be honest I think it’s entirely overrated. The swim is cool, you get that with Escape from the Rock. Other than that the bike course can be completed any day in SF. It’s not particularly hard. The run is beautiful but if you aren’t onto the run course early you spend most of the run including and especially the famous stairs essentially trudging in line. A very large part of it is nonpassable singletrack. Furthermore the race is expensive and caters entirely to it’s sponsers.
Don’t hold back. Tell it like it is. Tim
Having races it twice and been a volunteer director this past year, I disagree. I think TriCal caters to the athletes quite well. As do the sponsors.