I just received and email notification that TTT California is cancelled due to lack of participation.
I did not expect this at all and don’t think the RD did either. The Ohio event sells out every year and with the number of triathletes in California it seems like it would be a no brainer for this event to sell out as well.
This race was to be the highlight of the year for my wife and I as we looked forward to racing together, so we are beyond disappointed. I understand the decision by the race director though as they indicated there was less than 20 entrants to the race.
Arrrggg! I’m pretty bummed about this one! I entered Ohio again after doing it last year and had a cabin reserved. When they announced the California one, I contacted HFP and had them transfer my entry to the California one, and then called and canceled my cabin. Now I’m SOL!
I just told Kylie about it and she is really bummed, she was signed up for the Tri 101 Woodlands race that they canceled in 2007 as well.
They did offer entry into the Ohio event but there is not enough time to train for a race that long in four weeks, let alone get time off of work and school, set up travel and hotels, etc.
Hopefully they will extend that offer to next years race if indeed there was only 14 of us registered.
Just walked in from a long ride and found the cancellation email as well. I hope they try again in the future as I think it will be a joy. It’s a Shame!
Seems to me there are some opportunities to market the California event to some of the “local” tri clubs in the Pasadena area and Inland Empire area for next year. LA Tri Club that could be approached. I’m not familiar with this race. Where was it scheduled to be held? I can mention this event to the “Race Director” over at PTC. I would think a couple of teams could be created out of PTC alone and could be another Wildflower type weekend.
Cyclingmaniac
PTC Member / Duarte Fitness Center Pool
Oh well, my wife and I were 2 of the 14 signed up for California. Really a shame. It seemed like a really wonderful idea, and I am surprised more people did not sign up. I think in any other year, it may have done well, but this year with the recession, lots of people are waiting until the last minute to sign up for races that are not in danger of selling out right away. So my guess is that the m-dots are doing okay and some that don’t sell out are not doing so good. But HFP puts on terrific events and they are a totally top notch organization and I appreciate them coming up with the idea for this race and hope that people keep trying to come up with more creative events. I also appreciate HFP cancelling it this early as it gives a chance for alternative events. So hats off to HFP for giving it a try, anyway. I hope this does not discourage race directors from trying out new types of races or venues.
So many of us had talked about the race and said if we hadn’t had to sign up a year in advance for our IM’s then we would have been all over the California TTT. Definitely too bad.
here’s something to keep in mind. there was precisely one entry to this thing. that’s why it was canceled. there are a couple of ways to make sure the RD knows you’re interested. one, enter his race. two, tag it on your slowtwitch calendar, so that the RD knows of your interest.
we had plans for this race. we were doing to do a training log challenge, and it would’ve been probably the only one we’d do for a race this summer. maybe if a bunch of you rally 'round this thing it’s not too late. the plug was pulled only a day or two ago. but you’d better be quick at it.
Thats too bad. A bunch of us were planning on racing. To our fault or theirs, none of us had signed up yet since the same price was valid through June I think?
I like the option of the June price increase but it does not give the RD a good feel of how many participants will be there until after that date.
It looks like 5 of the 14 people that were signed up for the race are already participating in this thread. I wonder what the minimum number of racers Shannon needs to make this race happen and also how many people we can get to commit to signing up for the race.
Kylie had a great suggestion of opening up 1 or more of the races to people who want to do just one race, not all four. For example the Olympic Saturday morning and the half on Sunday morning could have individuals racing just those events as a way of bringing in more participants.
That is also a good point, I didn’t even look at the deadlines for discounted entry’s. We signed up as soon as it was announced as we were thinking about the Ohio race already and assumed the Cali race would fill up quickly as well.
This is really sad news. I was hoping TTT CA would be as great as the Ohio race is. In Ohio, you can definitely do the 1/2 IM on Sunday without doing the whole weekend. I think they used to allow you to do the Oly too, but I’m not sure of that.
Perhaps you need to start a petition and get it to Shannon with people willing to sign up. Seems lots of interest, but not many people have signed up yet.
(P.S. Grace is a sweetie! K just took her for a walk)
I would bet money that most triathletes in California do not know about this race. Was it advertised anywhere besides here? I’m pretty sure the vast majority of SF people who are not on Slowtwitch had no idea of the race.
This is really sad news. I was hoping TTT CA would be as great as the Ohio race is. In Ohio, you can definitely do the 1/2 IM on Sunday without doing the whole weekend. I think they used to allow you to do the Oly too, but I’m not sure of that.
They used to allow the Half to be purchased separately. Last year they got rid of that. Not sure if they reinstated this year. But I agree that it would be a good idea to fund the weekend with extra people since it didn't sell out...
That’s strange that they would cancel the Little Smokies half option. Perhaps they were reaching the limit of number of racers that were allowed in the park.
It looks like 5 of the 14 people that were signed up for the race are already participating in this thread.
Make that 6. I am seriously bummed. I guess I’ll look for a local 1/2, maybe Redman. Just not the same.
Doesn’t it seem like they pulled the plug kind of early? Races around Austin are not beginning to fill up until a couple months out currently.
Ohio is the same weekend as my son’s birthday so the wife previously said I could not go. Cali was a great alternative.
I did not get a cancelation e-mail but the website no longer has a link to California. @##%!!!
You would think that there would be more interest in Cali for such an event even without much advertising, but as a vet of all but last year’s TTT, I know that it grew slowly for the first half dozen years primarily through word of mouth.
Maybe the TTT will become like Wildflower or Survival of the Shawangunks - very closely and fondly associated with its original location and unique format.
I do hope that everyone who signed up for the Cali event gets a chance to do the race in Ohio.
I think they eliminated the HIM on Sun to allow for a larger TTT field.
