excessive searchable words in title. See you at the race!
Present and accounted for. This is my first year doing Nation’s Tri and this will be the largest triathlon I’ve participated in (3,000 people) so I’m pretty excited for it. I’ve got 2 non-ST friends doing it, too.
im in, and would like to beat the mayor if he is doing it this year (i know last year he came in around 2:30).
I will be there too. Every time I tell people I am going to swim in the Potomac they cringe.
The mayor sold me a pair of Saucony Scepters in the summer of '96 when he was working for his folks at Fleet Feet in Adams Morgan; clearly his career has taken a more impressive trajectory than mine since then…
This is my first year doing Nation’s Tri and this will be the largest triathlon I’ve participated in (3,000 people) so I’m pretty excited for it. I’ve got 2 non-ST friends doing it, too.
I hear 6,000 people have registered, including me.
Good luck with all the “extra help” he gets while on course.
Not me throwing our rumors, I’ve seen it in three races with him. Sad actually.
Bob
I’m not sure about the help that he receives in races, but I ride the DC Velo ride on Saturday mornings sometimes and he shows up with his brother. He doesn’t get any help there and he is still plenty fast!
At Kinetic, Columbia, and Nation’s he was warned and possibly penalized for having a “supply” bike on the course with him and an official pacer on the run. Not security, people helping him.
I’ve seen it and complained about it to officials, as have others.
Bob
I’m de-training from IMLOU, but I’ll be there volunteering. Course marshal or something. Good luck to all racers!
I’m de-training from IMLOU, but I’ll be there volunteering. Course marshal or something. Good luck to all racers!
That’s awesome! Special thanks to you and all the other volunteers.
As for the Mayor, I could care less if he’s getting a little help out on the course. This summer I was part of a group that rode for four days through the hills of West Virginia for a charity ride to benefit state 4-H camps. Day 1 we did 91 miles only to have the Secretary of State join us for the last quarter mile and do a PR spot at the 4-H camp we visited that day. But, it got us more state-wide media coverage than we ever would have gotten on our own. The point is this: I think it’s a well-known fact that Mayor Fenty competes in triathlons and if his participation gets a positive word out about our sport to folks that might not otherwise hear it then I think that’s good for all of us.
Hmmm…seeing as how he is a major supporter of the sport and does everything within his power to get the proper permits, etc. for the event, he can ride a motorcycle on the course for all I care!
I understand your desire for fair play, but let’s not bite the hand that feeds us (and our races).
aside from the argument that the mayor helps publicize the event, is a support bike really helpful on an olympic course? i barely use a whole water bottle and take maybe a gel or two - i certainly dont need a second cyclist to help me carry that stuff. as for the run, sometimes i pace myself off someone else in the race - should i not be doing that? if these support people are signed up for the race i dont see a problem.
Is there a registration list somewhere? I couldn’t find it on their site.
This event is as much about raising money for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society as anything! The DC Mayor is great and let’s face it: taking extra gels during a tri is far better than what the DC mayor used to do… 
I’ve got about 10 teammates participating. It should be a fun time!
my take on the race last year…
+'s
- “big city” race, a la chitown and nyc. I guess it is a + if you are into that sort of thing. Me, not so much…
- Post race activities. DC is a great town, take advantage. Gtown waterfront is great way to spend the afternoon putting back some pints.
-'s
- Too many 180-degree turns on bike; bike course is overly crowded and drafting is rampant.
- Run course - god forbid it is the 95 degree + humid day that it was last year becasue the run is totally exposed. You will love the last mile that is on freshly paved asphalt. However the run is probably the flatest course you will ever run. I think there is one 50-yard slight incline and that is it.
- The Potomac is like swimming in the chocolate milk river from Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory. Nuff said.
- Overall there are just too many people for the race to accomodate. I think some heats last year started past 9am and that is too late considering DC is probably
one of the most humid cities in america.
obviously there are more -'s than +'s. Hopefuly it is improved since last year. But i doubt it.
In Kinetic this year I tried to catch the mayor on the run, but to no avail. I did not see any of these “pacers” and the section of the run where I could see him was the most difficult part. Which begs the question, why wouldn’t his “pacers” help him when he most needs it? The fact is that the mayor is a great triathlete and brings a whole lot of positive attention to our sport. I know that when the results are posted for the race I will see how I did relative to the mayor.
Looking at the maps, the course is totally different this year from the last. Bike or run don’t go through downtown anymore, the run stays mostly around Potomac Park, and the bike goes a little up Rock Creek Pwky before a turnaround and an out-and-back down Macarthur. This way the finish line is at transition, and I’d think it allows better views for spectators on the run course because of it’s a loop near transition.
Either way, this race has been well executed the past few years; tons of volunteers, nice aid stations, and enough pizza that I got to take 3 boxes home after the race cleaned up. Overall it’s just like everything else in DC - glad you came, glad you’re leaving.
Looking at the maps, the course is totally different this year from the last. Bike or run don’t go through downtown anymore, the run stays mostly around Potomac Park, and the bike goes a little up Rock Creek Pwky before a turnaround and an out-and-back down Macarthur. This way the finish line is at transition, and I’d think it allows better views for spectators on the run course because of it’s a loop near transition.
Either way, this race has been well executed the past few years; tons of volunteers, nice aid stations, and enough pizza that I got to take 3 boxes home after the race cleaned up. Overall it’s just like everything else in DC - glad you came, glad you’re leaving.
I am doing it this year. I have wanted to do it for a few years and will likely be moving out of the DC area next summer and wanted to do it while I could. This is only my second year of triathlons, so I am not in the running to win anything but it is also my goal to beat the Mayor. Poor guy doesn’t realize how many people are out to try to beat him. I ran the Capitol Challenge 3 mile race a few years and while I did beat him, he is a really good runner.
While I am still trying to figure out the logistics (whether to stay in DC Saturday night or drive up Sunday morning), I would definitely like to meet up with some ST folks. Does anyone have any social plans?
I am doing it this year. I have wanted to do it for a few years and will likely be moving out of the DC area next summer and wanted to do it while I could. This is only my second year of triathlons, so I am not in the running to win anything but it is also my goal to beat the Mayor. Poor guy doesn’t realize how many people are out to try to beat him. I ran the Capitol Challenge 3 mile race a few years and while I did beat him, he is a really good runner.
While I am still trying to figure out the logistics (whether to stay in DC Saturday night or drive up Sunday morning), I would definitely like to meet up with some ST folks. Does anyone have any social plans?
haha, yeah lots of peeps trying to beat the mayor. He got me by a few minutes last year at Nations (my first race actually), but then i got him by a few at savageman…