I have just returned from the now canceled Tri Mania Triathlon. Where as I understand the need to consider safety this race was runable. The organizers seemed unready to start the race on time so called for a delay. Understandable since it was raining and there was lightning in the area. 20 minutes later the rain & lightning had stopped but they did not start the race. After an 1:15 delay they canceled the swim shortly followed by the calling off of the race. I am deeply disappointed. As I write this 11 miles from the site at 10 am I can see blue sky. I can only hope they will reschedule of provide some type of compensation.,… (I am much angrier than this sounds!)
This happened couple years ago @ Tom Landry Du/Tri. I signed up day before @ $60. Unfortunately there will be no compensation—well, maybe a discounted entry to next year’s race.
As for today’s cancellation, it was the Grand Prairie police who had the final say in the matter. Don’t be mad @ the race directors. It was miserable @ 7am, and at least thet waited a whole 1:45 hrs. to get the race off. There were even racers bailing before they made the announcement of the new start time @ 8:30. If you ask me they waited too long to make the decision. I came out this morning to support my friends, and I’m just as dissapointed as you. The only thing to do is blame mother nature???
I MUST get something back. That was my last $$$ until payday on Friday. I’m not giving them money for nothing. I understand mother nature. And I know it costs to put it on. I am moving in August and won’t be around next year nor will I race with them again. This whole no refund thing has me reconsidering if I want to do triathlon. The trouble w/the USAT board doesn.t help either. Right now it is 12:30 and I am BBQing in my backyard 11 miles from the race site. I am so mad I can’t stand it! Besides, I have race in worse…2003 Ironhead at the same location???
Ironhead 03 was a very windy and chilly day. It started to rain just after I finished. Other than being chilly and windy there was no threatening conditions to cancel. Be thankful you live 11mi from race site because I have traveled 100-400mi when the race was called and was not only out entry fee but travel and hotel expense. To reschdule a race takes money and most of the money has been spent initially. If I remember correctly your canceled race was for a charity and that would really negate the charity donation. Unfortunantly cancelations are a fact of life which I don’t like either but thats life.
Don’t give up a good thing. mike
Yeah, I raced Ironhead 2003 and it too was miserable. But if you remember there was a slight delay also and it was merely all rain that day? Also remember it was just an Olympic distance race and not 2 races going at the same time. It does strike me that there seemed to be no clear direction out there following the second postponement? Would you have liked to run a $60 10k?
BTW, you have enough food for me? Where you live anyway? I’m in cedar Hill
I live in Arlington near UTA. I am just upset. I don’t have much money and this fee was a big strain. Also it was important in my training/racing plans. I am feeling frustrated. Oh, we ate all the food. Thee wasn’t much. Mesquite smoked brats were good w/pico de gallo en such! Still sunny here!
Ironhead 2003 was a perfect day. You are talking about Ironhead 2002 or metroplex 2003. I did Ironhead 2003 and I wouldn’t have done the race if the conditions sucked. I’m keep records of races along with pictures and I KNOW that Ironhead 2003 was a perfect day.
As I recall it rained cats n dogs after the race during 2003. At least after I finished.
You’re right it was good racing conditions but rained really hard an hour or so later and on my drive home.
Ironhead '02 it rained the entire time I was on the bike course, often pretty hard.
yes, you are correct. During the race, perfect, before and after, rain. I’ve had good luck at joe pool. The bad weather has held off during the race for my races. Only if the wind would settle down for a few hours.
Yeah, a recheck of my records shows it was Ironhead '02. Still, today there was no wind.
Yes, this was a serious disappointment - especially driving home watching the sky clear to a beautiful day. I immediately jumped online to looked for the next oly/half distance race in the area. I didn’t really find anything in the near future - everything seems to be a few months off. Anybody have any suggestions?
I was standing in front of the GP Policeman when he made the final decision to call off the race. I know the race director personally and he would have never canceled the race if it were up to him. You think we are upset for paying the entrance fee, hotel, gas and driving from wherever (Austin), think about all the time he had to put into organizing his first race and it getting cacelled.
The main difference between me & the race director(s) is that they have money in their pockets and I don’t.
Snaildoc,
Do you not fully understand the term non-refundable? It is widely known that you sign up for a race at the risk of the race being canceled due to weather. Based on your comment “I MUST get something back. That was my last $$$ until payday on Friday. I’m not giving them money for nothing.” Unless the race had gone forward AND you happened to win some AG prize-money, that would still have been your last $$$ until payday! Don’t blame mother nature for your poor budgeting… (Even if they did give a refund, which they shouldn’t, would you expect it to arrive before Friday/payday?)
TriFilly
PS - I was bailing at about the time the swim was canceled. I wasn’t going in the water w. thunder in the area, nor on my bike w. the huge amount of standing water. I have no doubt the RDs make the right decision!
Yeah, thanks for the english lesson. So why should they get to keep all the money? I wouldn’t have had a problem waiting 30 more minutes after which it was very nice out.
Non-refundable means that after I pay I can’t change my mind and get my money back. It doesn’t mean (to me) that the director can cancel the event (not provide the contracted for service) and keep the money. Would you accept prepaying for gas then getting nothing out of the pump?
“…I wouldn’t have had a problem waiting 30 more minutes after which it was very nice out …”
As someone has already mentioned, GPPD made the final call. Had the race proceeded, it would have exceeded the allotted time in their permit in addition to other concerns.
I spoke w/ the RD and some of the volunteers afterwards. They were just as frustrated and disappointed as everyone else. I’d give them a few days to sort the things out. And see if they can offer some form of compensation. My guess would be giving some partial credit/discount towards next year’s race is the best they can do at the moment.
It doesn’t mean (to me) that the director can cancel the event (not provide the contracted for service) and keep the money.<<
Dude, you need to get a lesson on life’s realities. The RDs aren’t stuffing $$$ into their pockets. You know all those police, volunteers, equipment, shirts, awards, food/drink and all that??? Well, it had to be paid for in advance and none of those people or companies providing the services/stuff are going to say, “Oh shucks, cancelled race…don’t pay me.” If you are so friggen poor, then yes, perhaps triathlon isn’t the sport for you at this point in time. But really, get a grip.
cranky clm
SnailDoc,
How much of the behind the scenes details of a triathlon do you know about? For each race that I have been at (5K fun runs to Ironman races), some public roads have to be closed to accommodate my desire to race. In order to do this, a RD must get permits from the City to close the roads. These permits are not for all day. Most of them are for specific time frames. I have heard that the City street permit was to expire at 11:00 am or so and not whenever the weather gets turns nice (no idea if it was going to be 30 min or not as I put bikes on my car in a wetsuit since it was still raining).
Given the various speeds that people can bike an Oly distance race (1hr to 2+hrs) I am not sure how much more time they could have delayed the race and still been legally having riders on the course. At the time the race was called off it was around 9:00 am, say 35 min. for slow swimmer then 5 min T1 time. That means a biker gets on the course at 9:40. That means they have to be off the bike course in 1:15 or 20 mph on a course with standing water, slick corners (not to mention the person probably cannot avg 20 mph on a perfect course on a perfect day). So the race was quickly approaching a situation where the Police where pulling the plug on the race due to the permit expiring.
I agree with Trifilly, if you cannot afford to be in the money, then it is time to take up underwater basket weaving. I am sure it costs a lot less and you cannot be rained out.
I agree that I would love to get some $$ back, but I knew the risks of signing up for a race in Texas in the Spring. You only have to look at Landry and Metroplex sprint last year to see that WE have nasty spring storms in Texas this time of the year.
I thought Tri-Mania was have a few logistics issues on race morning but then again they where trying having to adjust the plans do to the pouring rains. Also, considering this was their first race, I thought they did a pretty good job all things considered.
It is refreshing to have choices in the area for racing. This was the first time I did not have to wait for a port-o-pottie at a race at Joe Poole.
Vote with your $ and pick the race directors you want to race with in the future.
DallasTri
If you have a real cash problem, write to attorneyalanon c/o SF Tri Club. There is an anonymous attorney who does pro bone work for triathletes who think they have be disenfranchised by the system. He may even start a petition for you.
Bob Sigerson