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Race Reports for Ironman 70.3 Vineman- 2017 RELOCATED to SANTA ROSA

[26]
Reported by:
Race rating (5)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities? Average
  • Overall course based on my ability: Just right

  • Comments: Great Event, great volunteers, very organized. I would definatly reccomend this as a great 1st race: challenging but not crazy, especially for poor swimmers - shallow water boosts confidence.
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[27]
Reported by:
Race rating (5)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities? Average
  • Overall course based on my ability: Just right

  • Comments: i love love love this race. the swim is good, the bike and run courses are hard and technical but totally doable with the right training, and it's so beautiful. the only thing i hate are the unpaved roads which can be extremely dangerous. a friend of mine crashed because of this and it almost makes me mad at vineman for allowing those things to be part of a race course, but i know we all do this with our own consent and anything can happen.
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[28]
Reported by:
Race rating (4)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities?
  • Overall course based on my ability: Just right

  • Comments: It would be easy to be down about having a mechanical on the bike, but I am actually pleased with the way things turned out. Nothing is for sure, and sometimes, these things happen to make us stronger. I will return with some unfinished business!!!! Great race, well organized, great volunteers, perfect weather, bumpy roads (still). :)
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[29]
Reported by:
Race rating (5)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities? Good
  • Overall course based on my ability: Just right

  • Comments: I love this race and I'm still happy with a sub 6 hour overall time. But losing about 50 or so places in my age group on the run is not sitting well with me. I'm not a great runner, but I'm not horrible either. A sub 2 hour 13.1 should always be atainable. I'll be back next year God willing.
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[30]
Reported by:
Race rating (4)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities? Good
  • Overall course based on my ability: Just right

  • Comments: Gina, Thank you so much for being my sherpa, my support, my cheering section. How did I get so lucky?? I love you
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[31]
Reported by:
Race rating (5)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities? Average
  • Overall course based on my ability: Just right

  • Comments: Good race with lots of volunteers. I was extremely happy that the weather cooperated and remained cool. I can see this race being brutal with the temperature 90+, like they've had in the past couple of years.
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[32]
Reported by:
Race rating (4)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities? Average
  • Overall course based on my ability: Just right

  • Comments: First off, I really appreciate all the volunteers - that is a lot of hard work and long hours that are being put in for free. However, if the race director puts the call out for volunteers - make sure you have something for them to do! There appeared to be a lot of clusters of orange volunteer shirts just standing around and doing nothing. There was limited space this year, especially at Windsor High, and the vols seemed to be unnecessarily taking up room. Most of them looked to be high school age and I suspect the more senior people were reluctant to actually give them anything responsible to do. That's too bad because they showed up and looked bored standing around. Also, one volunteer at mile 10 aid station threw water on me as I went by. This was a direct shot that went forcefully into my right ear. I am sure this volunteer was well meaning but really, no mater how hot an athlete looks do not throw water on them without their asking and don't aim for the face/ears/head...aim
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[33]
Reported by:
Race rating (5)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities? Average
  • Overall course based on my ability: Just right

  • Comments: I loved this race and I'm really super proud of myself for doing it. There, I said it! It was great having Dave, Kathleen and Laura come up for the weekend with me. They were such a great help and found me at each transition to cheer me on and take pictures. It made me feel like a rock star :) Great volunteers and really well organized. The course was beautiful and the weather, this year, was perfect!
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[34]
Reported by:
Race rating (4)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities? Average
  • Overall course based on my ability: Just right

  • Comments: Very cool race. Sonoma county could re-pave some roads, but nonetheless this is like a Woodstock of triathlons.
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[35]
Reported by:
Race rating (4)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities? Average
  • Overall course based on my ability: Just right

  • Comments: I love this race and hope I can keep coming back every year. But wish they could fix the roads, it was so bumpy on the back and sometimes with the cars zooming by, we are stuck going over some serious bumps. Saw plenty of people with flats and once again a large number of drink bottles, hydrations systems, etc littered all over the roads! This was a great race with excellent volunteers and plenty of water/aid stations.
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[36]
Reported by:
Race rating (5)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities? Good
  • Overall course based on my ability: Just right

  • Comments: Very enjoyable race. It was a good first half IM, and a real mental challenge in the end!
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[37]
Reported by:
Race rating (5)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities?
  • Overall course based on my ability: Just right

  • Comments: I had all kinds of doubts about the race--bike too technical, rough and dangerous, run too hilly, swim starts made little sense. When the race started, it all played out perfectly. The people who organize this race really knew what they were doing. I repent of my skeptism and give them a 10! I also was happy with my pre-race nutrition, water and taper plan. I think I can go under 5 hours next year with a good training season.
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[38]
Reported by:
Race rating (5)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?

  • Post race activities? Good
  • Overall course based on my ability: Just right

  • Comments: Great race. Its a beautiful yet challenging course. Lots of volunteers and very well organized. Only negatives would be that they ran out dixie cups on the final water stations and they ran out of burgers at the finishers eating tent. But if I had carried my water bottle and finished faster neither of those would have been a problem.
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[39]
Reported by:
Race rating (5)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities? Average
  • Overall course based on my ability: Just right

  • Comments: I don't have any major complaints about Vineman but I expected better coming fro a race that's been around for 20 years. I realize they can't really do anything about the size of the parking lot but by now they could have at least invested in some indoor/outdoor carpet to cover the swim/bike transition area. The bike course markings worked fine (I didn't get lost) but they could be improved for minimal investment. The road surface on the bike course sucks. I guess the race organizers can't change that but it's still a FAIL as far as my evaluation of the event goes. I had an early start wave but I can only imagine what the swim/bike transition area was like once things really got congested. So I'm glad I took the opportunity to race Vineman 70.3 but I definitely wasn't impressed enough with the course or planning/organization to put it on my list to do again. Been there, done that.
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[40]
Reported by:
Race rating (3)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities? Average
  • Overall course based on my ability: Just right

  • Comments: For the most part this race was fantastic. I didn't like the way they organized transitions though. They should asign rack space rather than have a free for all. The lack of beer at the finish was a bit of a downer too.
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[41]
Reported by:
Race rating (5)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities? Good
  • Overall course based on my ability: Just right

  • Comments: Great race, I just love this venue. The bike ride is one of the most beautiful I have ever done whether in a race or just for fun! I'll be back.
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[42]
Reported by:
Race rating (5)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities? Average
  • Overall course based on my ability: Just right

  • Comments: Just a great event. Beautiful and well run.
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[43]
Reported by:
Race rating (5)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities? Below average
  • Overall course based on my ability: Just right

  • Comments: Amazing race. They do a great job with organization and logistics, especially given that this is a point to point. If I had a wish list I would wish for carpet in transition so that we didn't have to deal with the rocks but that was ok. The only main oversight I saw was the lack of food available for BOPers like myself. When I rolled into the food tent they had stopped making hamburgers and just had bananas and little cookies left. It looks like people who finished earlier got hamburgers, pasta salad and a bunch of other stuff. I finished at 3:15pm and the course was officially open until 5pm and there was still a string of people coming in after me. It was stupid of us to not stop for food, but I know my bonk on the drive home would have been avoided if there was a bit more substantial food available at the finish for those of us who were done late in the day.
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[44]
Reported by:
Race rating (5)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities? Good
  • Overall course based on my ability: Just right

  • Comments: The only thing that made this race a pain in the ass is the two transition areas. If you have someone to drop you off at T1 without having to leave a car there, it's a HUGE help once the race is over.
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[45]
Reported by:
Race rating (5)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities? Good
  • Overall course based on my ability: Just right

  • Comments: This race is simply awesome. What I liked the most are the volunteers. This time I also had the "pleasure" of meeting the volunteers at the medical tent who took care of my toe. Even though the tent was full of people in much worse shape than I was, they still managed to assist me promptly and effectively. I'm so grateful to every single one of them!
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[46]
Reported by:
Race rating (5)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities? Average
  • Overall course based on my ability: Just right

  • Comments: Beautiful race, lots of good food locally.
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[47]
Reported by:
Race rating (5)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities? Good
  • Overall course based on my ability: Just right

  • Comments: This was my first 1/2 Ironman. What a great experience. Having no course knowledge I estimated a finishing time of 5:30 and a best case scenario of 5:15. I am very proud of my 5:05. I want to thank my sherpa and love of my life Gina. Thanks Dad, Joyce, Uncle Butch and Mary for being there.
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[48]
Reported by:
Race rating (4)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities? Below average
  • Overall course based on my ability: Just right

  • Comments: beautiful courese, nice, etc. The logistics - point-to-point, etc. make it a bit of a hassle but overall gorgeous and fun!
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[49]
Reported by:
Race rating (4)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities? Average
  • Overall course based on my ability: Just right

  • Comments: I would recommend this race to others.
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[50]
Reported by:
Race rating (5)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities?
  • Overall course based on my ability: Too hard

  • Comments: As I said before, one of the most beautiful courses I have every seen. First time I have done a point to point, and the volunteers made everything seem easy. There were tons of volunteers. Plenty of supplies at the aid stations. Lots of people still hanging around at the finish, even after 9+ hours. The only thing I would say they need to improve, is the swim waves started 8 minutes apart. I image this was so the roads would be pretty open for the bike. Overall, an outstanding race, venue, and event. I would recommend this race to anyone.
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