Do we actually have to go to this thing?? I’m in Lake Placid and apparently there is a Mandatory Athlete Race Briefing tonight. Can’t I just skip this thing? Its the usual stuff right?
If I don’t attend this, will I not be able to race?
It’s a rehash of everything in the athlete guide — which you printed off and/or loaded into your smartphone, right? Sometimes they go over last-minute changes, but they’re not taking attendance, if that’s what you’re asking. I’ve only been to one, at Ironman Canada, where Roch and Paul’s athlete video was hilarious.
There probably isn’t going to be anything covered that you don’t already know. However, while it might not be the most entertaining event that you’ll ever attend, it beats sitting in your hotel room watching Law & Order reruns. If it’s part of the prerace meal (which is normally “free”), you can hang out with some other folks while eating, see how many people are doing their 1st, 2nd, 10th, or whatever IM (when they ask you to stand up), and maybe they’ll have a neat motivational video. You might get lucky and they’ll have boxes of Erin Baker’s Breakfast Cookies (or something) that nobody else wants and you can scarf up a year’s supply like I did at IMAZ one year.
No
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The only time it has been mandatory was last weekend at Vineman. There they did not let you register until you sat through the archie bunker video that was on a 30 min loop.
Ah. Good to know. Personally I find the whole mixer/social scene at these events more of an energy drain than an inspiration. I’m going to chill and enjoy my carbs with my headphones on 
Your last response was going to be my reply. Good luck Sunday.
The only time it has been mandatory was last weekend at Vineman. There they did not let you register until you sat through the archie bunker video that was on a 30 min loop.
And they forgot to mention the rules they actually changed for race morning (like no race warm up swimming below the dam).
What use is a mandatory pre-race meeting if the RD’s half ass it? Some form of bullshit liability CYA?
I had the same question for IMAZ last year. I went, but I wished I wouldn’t have. I left dinner early with my family to make it to the “mandatory” meeting on time. Complete waste in my opinion.
Maybe you should go because of the last minut changes…Best Luck !!
Checking in with some friends about updates. Thanks everyone!
Wouldn’t it make more sense to post it to the website… Maybe they do.
It wasn’t - and there was nothing new said.