I agree with you - this was like a ‘first race’. None of the friends I brought with me had ever even heard of Wildflower before this year. Anyone under 30 without a direct tie to the race had no idea wtf it was. My collegiate kids only learned about it because I was doing it. It had all the production value of a well-run, multi-year event, now with a little momentum I can see it continuing to grow back.
I keep hoping they’ll send a feedback survey, I really want to make sure this sentiment gets communicated. I have no idea what their margins were, but I think they knocked the production out of the park, and I hope they’re able to invest and continue the tradition.
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Mission accomplished. Dave neglected to count “all” the races held over the weekend, they had a 5k, 10k runs, and an open water swim. There is of course all the DNS folks(which I was one of), so I believe it was close to 1700+ entires… Still not what they want, but as I said, StG gone now is going to be a huge boost to this race on the calendar. I can easily see 3k+ across all races next year, especially with all the good word of mouth from this years race.
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Replying to the thread in general about attendance at Wildflower — I can’t remember just how many athletes came there as part of the massive Team in Training groups, but they really boosted the numbers, especially the Sunday Olympic event. There were so many, they would do a huge tented event, and added significantly to the number of low-experience racers at Wildflower.
Does anybody remember how many were with that group in the latter years of the race?
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I recall that their group alone was 500+ most years. That’s a nice little group to begin your race numbers with for sure. They did come with a few issues, but mostly got smoothed out each year…
Still alive
I have not raced for 2 years. I am taking care of my Dad is my house until he moves back to the other side. More important that this other stuff.
Races folks choose now are based on location, location, location. The WF location may have been great in the hippy days, but does not cut it now, IMO. I need a close airport and hotel.
Wrong, I counted them all
Put down you list of finishers PER event, and we can see if you or I am wrong.
DNS folks do not count. I did count DNF.
Again, post your numbers race by race and everyone can check the math.
If I made a mistake, great lets correct. If you made a mistake, welll,
Hey Water Boy, good to see you here again.
Just wanted to say, I hope all is good with you while you are looking after your Dad. I was my fathers carer for the last four years of his life and it put my triathlon life on hold. While it was great to get to know each other again, it put my entire life on hold and my health suffered greatly
Look after yourself
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Yep, the stress and impacting my health is real. I am so blessed my wife is who keeps both of us going. I get to do nothing. But, I would not have it any other way. Luckily he can afford care during the day so I can do a few things. Just no traveling or leaving early for morning races. I have yet to miss missing a race, but when he is gone, well, you understand.
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A long time ago Wildflower was also a Kona qual race. Peter Reid had his first big pro win there before he won Kona the same year. Macca won there multiple times (I can’t remember if it was the years he won Kona).
In any case, IM put St. George on the exact weekend as Wildflower several years ago and WF lost it’s road to Kona status along with many other half IM events around the US. In any case, now St. George is gone, Wildlfower is close enough to both San Francisco and LA to make is “convenient enough”.
I THINK once people get back used to the entire campground community “meet up” aspect, they will come around. The best thing about Wildflower is hanging out in the campground with 3000+ athletes and friends by campfires, cooking/eating/socializing/training. When you go to an event and stay in hotels everyone disperses to their own “sleep zone”.
For a weekend at WF you “eat+live+breath+sleep triathlon”. It is really hard to explain to outsiders who have never done a triathlon experience like that. I fley from Eastern Canada to California several time with camping gear and bike gear to experience it, and it was worth it.
With St. George dead, it seems with 1500+ people, that’s enough to build the momentum back up
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No way. Us gray hairs just cannot see the new world, IMO.
why did you not race this year if camping in the dirt at our age is so great?
LC racing is dead other than IM!! WF like 330 folks, …
Waiting for Mark to put his race by race numbers up to show my 1171 or so is off.
And once USAT puts up the results, which are ONLY for tri races, WF will be under 1000 finishers.
Just calling a spade a spade.
Businesses do not run on hope, of what happened in the past.
Overall Triathlon, and many endurance sports, all all dying slowing.
May never go to zero, but will NEVER be like 2010 at the peak.
THe numbers may nt have been huge, but to have been there and felt the overall vibe, I’m not going to say the race id dead! Honestly Dave, you haven’t raced WF since before the drought years yet you have continually been the glass half empty about WF. Why be so negative, Colleen, Terry and their crews spent a crap ton of $$$ to pull of a race during the droughts, and now with the restart. They have open the park, bring in portapotties, water containers and more just so we can race. Why not heap some praise on them, and yep constructive criticism is ok, but this is just being negative. The camping is an adventure and part of the experience! Two college aged girls camped next to us, it was their first time camping and they were absolutely enjoying the experience. It was a first Oly for one, and a first tri for the other. So not just the old timers. Another close by camper was there for their first WF, and were soaking in the social aspect and enjoying life. Dan chatted up a good friend before the off road sprint, and that guy was racing his first try ever, he ‘hated it’ but is already talking abut 2026 (thanks Dan!!!) WF might not ever have the glory days numbers, but so what. I do think the numbers will come back up some, and I hope that they were an will be enough to make WF successful for many more years to come!
Ok, on a more important note, I do wish you the best with your father, and do not envy the process. Good on you for putting that time and family over all of the sports craziness, but hope you are still out there crushing your running and cycling for your well being!
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Well here comes from a 20 Year in a row participant.
IT WAS AMAZING, back to the good old days!!! and although some people will be Wildflower haters, the truth is that it was incredible, and i do believe that with time, this race will come back stronger than ever. The problem is that it has gotten bad rep from athletes that think that they are too good to support non ironman races… The reality is that this race was the race to race at one point, was sold and the new company did it disservice, and then we got hit by the drought, which killed it… but it has risen from the death and i would absolutley hands down do it again in 2026!!!
Race was amazing, getting older doesn’t mean getting slower!!
It was very creative and fun to get inclusion of swimming and running races, some older athletes can’t run anymore but they can still participate in the event via the open water swim and be part of the electric atmosphere and campgrounds.
Water levels were back to top level days, amazing, clear and warm
Run course was back to the original brutal course… yes still the hardest 70.3 run in the business.
Roads could use some help, but they have never been smooth, so not for the crybaby triathlete that wants perfect smooth roads
Weather was typical WF, hot as hell, except we got a nice cold front that kept races at 70-80 range
I did not camp, but seemed like everyone was having a good time. I tend to stay at Paso Robles which is a nice 45 minute easy drive to the lake, so gives you perfect time to take your coffee, eat some oatmeal and prepare for a solid race.
General Store was used as the registration location, but did not visit inside
The venue was superb, back to the roots, good music, food, vibes, people, energy, the classics, how it used to be in the day… you know what i mean and to top it off, who doesn’t like to stop by your favorite wineries after and do great tasting of the best wines in CA…
Turnout was good considering a 7 year absence, people expected a miracle and huge turnout, but considering this was also St. George last year, a lot of people have told me they chose that one since they knew they could do 2026 here… so hopefully it will grow again, but to be honest, it is very nice to have a home grown competitive race, the talent did not go away…
Expo, and venues were like the old days, good brands supporting this race
Entertainment was good, new bands, good music, great food, wine and beers, what else do you want… no other race gathers all the athletes at the same place during and after races like WF does, its the combination of music, food, shade, campgrounds and activities happening simultaneously that makes it fun for everyone
Race organization was like it used to be, flawless!!!
Event was amazing, so happy it’s back and honored to be able to race bad asses in this demanding course
will 100000% go back for my 21st year in a row
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I am NOT being negative about anything! I am just SO SO tired in our sport, whether it is USAT or any other race, where there is zero integrity about the numbers. WF said how many they expected, 4500. Great, they never would post the bib list before the event, which my guess was right as to why.
Then folks come on here and post again numbers that are wrong just adding up from the released official numbers. So for the gray hairs that want to live in the past, great, I get it! I wish them nothing be success. But if folks are not being honest about the numbers, yep, I am calling folks out now. And why was the water quality report not posted? Etc.
So please please show many anything that says half empty! I am just happy to still be holding the glass. And everyone one of these will know first hand what this means!!!
Since there was like what 187 sprint folks, seems not many first timers. How long came companies live on just having grey hairs racing? Look at USAT numbers for the answer and a lot of other races.
I use as a bench mark the savanna banana’s as a great example of a business that understands how to offer a product in todays world. They offer entertainment. Customers first. Great locations. Their numbers do not lie. And they are now all over TV, etc. Guess where I would invest my money, and hope to buy tickets to attend with my extended family!!
If you are only looking to race big race venues based on pure numbers, then you’re doing this for the wrong reason. There is absolutely nothing wrong by aspiring to bring 4500 athletes back to a race that at its highest had 7500. It was cancelled for 7 years, so shooting for a high number was a good goal!! Again the ones that appreciate what the significance of a great race, production, and festival are, are not there for the bib lists, the massiveness or the grand production!!! They are there to support a cultural experience of a race that mimics how racing used to be, not aimed at pleasing everyone, but rather aimed at having a fantastic time, a music and food festival with an amazingly honest race!! Yes the price is not cheap, but not any higher than your commercial product ironman branded races where everything is overpriced !!! Hey we had legends come back, Julie moss, mark allen they know in their hearts the value of this race and support it wholeheartedly!!! Some of us just simply enjoy great classic racing
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DNS’ still pay their entry fees.
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DNS’s are in the results, meaning I guess they picked up their packet.
Since a list of registered athletes was never published, we will never know.
But the average is about 20%. Slice and dice any way you want, from the stated goal of 4500, well, …
Great, I just hope they have deep pockets since for a business trying to make a profit, the numbers do not add up.
There are lots of races I have done in the past that were great, and are now gone.
Oh well, guess we can agree to disagree.
Again, I just want integrity. I wish them the best, I really do! When I was younger, did many times and loved. Older now, no thanks.
Will the younger be interested? This years numbers say no but again, if they have the money for feelings, go for it.
Like everything in life it’s up to the older to teach the younger!! If we share the amazing things that wildflower represents, the challenge it is, the venue, then the young will follow!!! Many young generations don’t even know what wildflower is, all they know is brand names like Ironman… even brand name events with lots of $$$ fail, look at St. George!! So it’s up to the ambassadors of the sport and people who have done multiple races to be able to tell the younger and newer that this race is rich in history, passion tradition, grassroots and honest hard racing, for the ones who really want a challenge and unforgettable experience, not the couch potato to finisher, as easy as we can get mentality of these days!!!. I too hope it survives, this sport needs more honest, fun and challenging races that become more than a race!! It’s a family, a tradition a community that keeps coming back together because we all share the same love and passion for the event as a whole, the experience as a whole, not just a race that has lots of finishers!!! Or big names!! I am getting older too, but will continue to race this amazing race as long as it happens and my body allows
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The specific site of WF is almost 5 hours from LA on a good day if there’s no issue on the 5. From SF it can be whatever depending on what’s going on between SF and Gilroy, no less than 4 hours though.
I’ve done it twice in 2011/12 and honestly it was a shitty experience logistically compared to any IM race. The idea of combining camping and triathlon always seemed like an odd novelty to me.