One of my friends forwarded an email to our tri list: "FYI the Escape from Alcatraz Lottery opened today."
I thought "hm, that sounds cool. Let me check it out."
I did the Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon back in 2006. Good race. Kind of cramped on the bike course and I almost crashed about 5 times. The swim is kind of cold and while I really enjoyed it at first by the end I kept thinking "omg I am so cold I just want to finish I need to swim faster." The run was actually the best part, now that I think about it.
But I would do it again. Local race, good spectatorship - why not?
BECAUSE IT'S FOUR HUNDRED FREAKING DOLLARS, THAT IS WHY NOT.
For an Olympic-distance race (okay, the run is 8 miles and the swim is about 1.5 miles...but the bike is only 18 miles).
$400, just like that.
Gee, for $400...I could enter a half-ironman, an olympic AND a sprint race. Or I could buy a Garmin and still enter a half-ironman. Or I could put that away toward a Power Tap. Or...
This is where my real issue with this sport comes in. Why so cost-prohibitive? "Yeah, you want to have the privilege of "Escaping" from Alcatraz? That'll be $400, please. Cough it up and deal."
Oh, I'm sorry, if you're poor-er (because you really can't be poor to do triathlon...or if you are, you'd better have credit) you'll just have to do the more local no-name races. Yep, sorry.
I am so tired of races fees going up and up and up. When I did this race only TWO YEARS AGO it cost me $230. That's a price increase of almost 100% in TWO YEARS.
So I say no thank you to the Escape from Alcatraz. They can kiss my Envirosports-supporting bum.
17 comments:
HA!!
But yeah, that's too much for a race that distance!
Wow, and on that $400 note... I will never do Alcatraz. Yikes!
wow. I was telling Rachel that i might want to do that race next year. Uh, I'd have to win the real lottery before I'd enter the Alcatraz Lottery.
Holy crapstick - $400 for a wannabe Oly race? I agree, no way!
Holy COW. FOUR HUNDRED DOLLARS?
I *am* poor, but just getting in to the sport and graduating next year so... yeah. Still riding a sub-par bike, but I'm dealing. And I'll have to skip that race for now. I still cringe when I enter the $70 races!
Although... I didn't have a good Envirosports experience recently (Tri Girl Tri) so I'm not their hugest fan. I love me some local, homegrown races. :)
that's ridonculous...yes...what's on your plate in '09...have you posted about that yet?
Four hundred dollars...no wonder I am a cyclist and not a tri-athlete!
Wanna bet they lower that a bit as they get closer to the event? Methinks the economy is gonna impact their greedy little business plan.
I am SO glad I got in last year and did it.... for $400 and some change I could enter another Ironman triathlon!
- Bill
Ironman Arizona (April) 2008 Finisher (and Accenture Escape from Alcatraz 2008 as well)
I just about had a panic attack before biting the bullet and paying $250 NYC...yes, people are willing to pay $250 to SWIM IN THE HUDSON. It sold out in like 20 minutes.
Blah
sarah....THAT is one of my bucket list races.... but I did not know how expensive it is...how cow. any races that involve the swim??? aside from escape?? I would do that just to say I swam from the prison to s.f.
hey, its not like you have a shortage of races in s.f. area...thats for sure...
You are totally right! That is absurdly ridiculous. The sad part? People are WILLING to pay that entry fee in order to do the race. As soon as RDs no longer have full races, they'll be forced to change their business motto. And that's the sad part - this sport is becoming more and more about the business. I can't believe it would go from 230 to 400 in 2 years!?! WTF?
I am with you all the way my friend!
I've been a big fan of Tri-California for a while - I've coached at their clinics and do as many of their races each year as I can - because their organization is made of up of good people, they're local, and they don't seem to be about the money so much as other race organizations (ironman, for example). Also, they have been very supportive to pros. If you commit to at least three races of the series, then your entry fee is waived.
$400 is a ridiculous amount of money for a race, even for probably the best triathlon in the world (which Alcatraz is). I would give Tri-Cal the benefit of the doubt here - it's a very expensive race to put on, and the city of SF could be completely screwing them over with extra charges. Easy for me to say because I don't have to pay that, i know.
I remembered that IMG or whatever actually owns the event now - Tri-Cal just runs it so they have no say over the price.
everybody is probably getting ripped off.
someone from enviro-sports either swims or works out where I swim, I saw their car there today somehow that and your post go well together. Expensive race to fund expensive living style, aka Tiburon Pennisula Club.
Attention Sports-Fans:
I bet you can join both the South End Rowing Club AND the Dolphin Club and between the two - swim more Alcatrazes than you could possibly maintain enthusiasm for! And hell, you can run there and bike back or whatever else tickles your fancy!
DOWN WITH ALCATRAZ HYPE!!!
400 dollars? That is outrageous for an olympic...well it's outrageous in general.
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