I am considering doing this Illinois Triathlon Championship, which is put on by a company called 3 Disciplines. Do they put on a good race?
Also, the race has a time trial swim start. I have only done mass starts. Any thoughts on a time trial swim start? Does it really string out the field?
Thanks!
I like time trial starts. It really helps with traffic in the water but does make it hard to know where you are compared to your competition. So, it depends on your goals. 3 disciplines has bought/co-owns? one of the local races that I have done the last two years. Personally, I’m not a fan. There have been lots of issues in the past with USAT and sanctioning (use the search function). In my experience it took them forever to get scores to USAT and the awards ceremony was severely delayed (90 min from scheduled time) at the race I did because they couldn’t get the results compiled in a reasonable time frame. The race has a long history and the volunteer support was good but I think that had more to do with previous owner rather than 3D.
A lot of the races in the midwest are going to TT starts now. I suppose it does spread out the field, but in many of these races, for example the one you are talking about, it isn’t necessary at all. That race had 80 people in the Oly and 40 or so in the sprint. I didn’t do it so maybe there is a very narrow start area or something that was the reason. I think some races do it as they think beginners will be less intimidated.
As for 3disciplines. I did one of their races about 5 years ago and won’t ever do one again. A bunch of little things they did that pissed me off and as there are plenty of options out there for races around here, I don’t care to give them any more of my money.
I LOVE 3D! I’m not concerned about points like the post above, so my experience is just from doing the races.
Kenny is a great guy. My family has done his races for 5+ years and have never been disappointed in Northern Michigan. I would recommend a 3D race to anyone and everyone
I dont love time trial swim starts but they aren’t terrible.
From my experience 3D puts on a pretty good race day. The ‘other stuff’ as mentioned above could use some work.
I have done a half dozen over the last few years by 3D so I cant be to bothered if I keep coming back.
I’m not big on throwing shade, but I used to live in Michigan so I have done my fair share of 3Disciplines races, and after the last one I did in 2015, I swore I would never do one again. Everything from poor tshirt quality to disorganization with transition, to problems with the results ceremony and turning in timely results for USAT, to completely mind-boggling inability to measure a course properly–it’s not my fave. They’ve purchased and succeeded to kill one of my favorite races in Wisconsin in the matter of a single year. Skip if possible.
My one and only experience was not positive. I have since tried to follows others racing and I can never find the results too.
I’m not big on throwing shade, but I used to live in Michigan so I have done my fair share of 3Disciplines races, and after the last one I did in 2015, I swore I would never do one again
I could say the same thing but I would have to edit the year to 2002. I haven’t done one since. They may have improved since then but after a number of bad experiences, I decided I was done with them.
I’m not big on throwing shade, but I used to live in Michigan so I have done my fair share of 3Disciplines races, and after the last one I did in 2015, I swore I would never do one again
I could say the same thing but I would have to edit the year to 2002. I haven’t done one since. They may have improved since then but after a number of bad experiences, I decided I was done with them.
Not since 2008 for me.
I’m not big on throwing shade, but I used to live in Michigan so I have done my fair share of 3Disciplines races, and after the last one I did in 2015, I swore I would never do one again
I could say the same thing but I would have to edit the year to 2002. I haven’t done one since. They may have improved since then but after a number of bad experiences, I decided I was done with them.
Yeah, I think everyone remembers the first time Kenny told them to go f$ck themselves (literally - not figuratively - the RD is famous for being an aggressive hot head). And you’re probably thinking that he does that when someone is aggressive to him - nope. My specific instance - there were some discrepancies in wave announcements so I very politely asked for clarification as to which wave was starting. Was told that I should read the f$cking signs that they had posted, and that it’s my responsibility to know.
I haven’t raced their events since 2016 myself. For me it was that incident above plus their failure to set up a safe course on Belle Isle. He also had an epic thread on our tri club Facebook group where he went off on a bunch of people. Unfortunately that thread got deleted due to a lot of insults being thrown around in many directions, but it reinforced that he has not improved in the last 3 years.
Can you provide specifics as to an unsafe course on Belle Island? I was considering doing that race next weekend and my one experience with 3D was fine, but want to know if it’s worth the drive.
Can you provide specifics as to an unsafe course on Belle Island? I was considering doing that race next weekend and my one experience with 3D was fine, but want to know if it’s worth the drive.
There are a couple things - some which a RD on a budget can control, and some things admittedly that they can’t.
First - they have a 2 transition race. This isn’t a problem, except when there is no explanation of the concept to newbies. See my post above for what happens when you ask clarifying questions. So you have a bunch of new people that are running around and have no idea how traffic flow works during the race.
Second, they institute a ride-left, pass right setup. This is to allow for traffic to still go around. However, again - this is NOT thoroughly briefed to the new racers, which is evident by erratic riding all over the course, to a much worse degree than your normal beginner tri. There are zero race marshals or refs to enforce the riding, and it is a multi lap course so things get hazardous. There is a bad crash every year.
Lastly, Belle Isle gets busy on the weekends - this the RD can’t avoid. But there is no effort to conduct crowd control or direct traffic at the many middle-island intersections where cars can come from the inner lots to the perimeter road. My last race there I had two close calls with cars. I also know a guy that was taken out by a wayward pedestrian that sprinted out into the road without looking.
I would not recommend.
Thanks for the info. Sounds like one to take a pass on. I was surprised by how little info was given on the race website about the 2 transitions. I get how they work but you’d think they’d want to provide good details on it.
Teammates raced the June version of Belle Isle and had a blast. It is the fastest course in the state, except maybe Sanford (Midland). No idea about the logistical/ safety issues.
3D is hit or miss. I’ve had good experiences, but Kenny is also a character. More good than bad.
Not sure where exactly you are located but if traveling farther north in Michigan is an option the Boyne City Triathlon is the same weekend. It’s a really great race, with a nice course, small race vibe, food trucks after and Hunter Kemper is there usually hanging out raising money for charity.
I’ve only done one 3D race and I’d never do one again for most of the reasons that have already been listed.
It is the fastest course in the state, except maybe Sanford (Midland). No idea about the logistical/ safety issues.
It is short by about 2 miles, which is a big part.
Agreed on Boyne - beautiful location, good race, fair (challenging but not crazy) course and Hunter is awesome.
If you’re fast expect to wait to get into transition. I was a top finisher at muncie may sprint and had to wait 2 hours to get my stuff out of transition. There was an Olympic distance and they were not letting anyone into transition before every single bike was back into transition from the OD race.
This feels really ‘big time’. It was a pretty small field and it was pretty ridiculous they were treating the race as a championship event. I go short so I can be home easily for lunch and I race local to avoid these kinds of issues with new or unknown race directors pretending they are running a championship race.
It was my first 3D race and it will be my last. Was going to do muncie September but I’m headed for the DL sprint in Ft. Wayne instead.
It was the epitome of triathlon people being total dickbags. Lighten up and put a literal whistle blower at bike in so athletes in transition are aware of incoming bikes. It’s ridiculous to keep us hot sweaty tired and cranky athletes held hostage in the sun for hours after our race finishes. I couldn’t care less about awards. I want to race my race and go home.
I’m more interested in USAT scores than stupid local trinkets. As another user noted, it took months for them to get the results to USAT for scoring and the data was not correct and still hasn’t been corrected. Not to mention their own results were wrong for 3 weeks before the swim times were corrected and even if they were corrected, it’s impossible to find the results on their site.
I was pretty excited to do a 3D race because of what I had heard, but NEVER AGAIN!
If you do it, report back on your experience.
Like some other posters above, I have done 2 races by 3D in the past 2 years and I won’t race another. Quality was lacking in every area and it was more stressful than fun. If I was new to the sport I would have been totally put off
The event is pretty local to me. Last year I went over the day before to scout both the bike and run routes. Bike map was missing a turn for the Sprint (and they still have the same, incorrect map posted online for this year’s race), More confusingly, they had reversed the direction of the run course, and further altered the route, without posting any notice. I only figured it out because I kept coming across course markings pointing the opposite direction. Given that this was their first time on this sight, I was certainly willing to be flexible with late course changes and minor oversights. But when I suggested to the RD that he might want to take the map with the incorrect information off the all-important “Race Information Kiosk,” he tersely replied something along the lines “It’s well marked, you’re an idiot if you can’t follow it.” Um, aren’t you the same RD who firmly posted online and on the kiosk “you are responsible for knowing the course?” That didn’t sit well with me. I was standing in line, credit card in hand, ready to sign up, replaying that interaction through my head. Stepped out of line, got in my car, went home, did a long ride on Sunday instead, found a different race to do the following weekend. FWIW, two people I know who did the race had trouble following the run course.
I was considering giving it another chance this year but, with spotty feedback from folks who have done other 3D races, and the fact that it’s not a USAT sanctioned race this year, I’ve decided to pass again.