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04.09.2006
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Type: Olympic/International
Description
The perfect place to race in the spring. The beautiful Texas capital and Walter E. Long park will be the venue. 10 minutes from downtown Austin and the airport make it ideal for a weekend vacation getaway. A†challenging bike and run course awaits you. The bike course will use the same route as the great women's Danskin event in the summer.
Phone: 480.226.4729 Austin, TX
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Submitted by: tribro
Last Updated: Fri Feb 17 2006
Reviews
Great race, despite a few hiccups
Reviewed by: Wes, Mon Apr 18 2005
Austin Cactus Challenge
April 16th, 2005
Walter E. Long Park
Despite a shaky start, the Austin Cactus Challenge was an enjoyable race and a welcome addition to the local race scene.
Update:
Race results and an explanation of the swim problems have been posted by the RD at 3Disciplines.com.
In Brief
Pros:
* Fantastic weather
* Challenging course
* Good race-day organization
* Bike and Run well supported
* Nice goodie bag
Cons:
* Not USAT Sanctioned
* Mediocre post race party
* A few inauguraul hiccups
Long Review
Pre-Race
The races were put on by 3 Disciplines Racing, a company that is organizing 21 events across the nation this year. Only after I signed up did I find out that they had been in trouble with USAT and lost their sanctioned status in 2003. This fact caused me to be a little apprehensive, but I decided to go ahead and race since I'd already paid the entry fee (and I have good health insurance).
The first mistake the organizers made was the scheduling of the race. It was originally planned for April 17th - day 2 of the MS 150, when thousands of cyclists (including the governor), roll into Austin. After they realized the problem they would have finding support staff on Sunday, 3DR moved the race to Saturday the 16th.
The website was well organized and offered pertinent information including route maps. I believe the early registration fee for the olympic distance race was $85.. fairly reasonable for an olympic distance race.
Race Day
I elected to pick up my packet on race day, which was allowed by the organizers since the date changed from Sunday to Saturday. Packet pickup and body marking went quickly.
I proceeded to set up my space in the transition area, which was pretty standard.. a fenced off grassy area with metal racks. Volunteers were present to restrict access to athletes and to give instructions.
The RD made regular announcements over the PA system, advising athletes to take a look at the course maps which were posted in the transition area and also available as handouts. After setting up my transition space, I headed out to a port-o-can. Several were scattered throughout the park. Unfortunately most were out of TP. Luckily I had taken a course map earlier and was able to make good use of it.
About 15 minutes prior to the race, the RD gathered the athletes and gave final instructions, described the course, etc. I appreciated that he took time to describe the features of the bike course, including rough spots and tricky corners. Following these instructions, we headed down to the boat dock.
The Swim
The elite oly distance athletes were scheduled to start at 9:00, followed by the 39 and under oly men. Minutes before the start, the RD announced a change in plans - 5 lifeguards had failed to show up, so they were going to limit the number of athletes in the water at any one time. To accomplish this, they decided to start the sprint race first, to "get them out of the way." A chorus of boos followed the announcement, but the crowed deferred to the safety concerns.
The sprint men were counted as they entered the water and the race began. The sprint course was an out and back 500m. The waited until almost all the men finished, then started the sprint women.
Around 10:00, it was finally time for the olympic distance race to get started. The dozen or so 'elite' athletes went first, and the 39 and under men started a couple minutes later.
The water was a pleasant 66 degrees, and the 1 mile course was a single loop marked by "buoys" which were actually empty gatorade coolers. The low profile of the coolers made them a little hard to see, but I followed the mass of swimmers and found my way around them and back to the dock. After exiting at the dock, there was an approximately 300m run back to the transition area. The RD allowed shoes to be placed at the swim exit for those who wanted to use them.
Despite the lifeguard no-shows, I felt the course was adequately covered by the 3 park authority boats and a couple lifeguards in kayaks.
The Bike
The bike course was a two-loop course. My handheld GPS indicated that I had gone only 23 miles after two loops.. a little short of the advertised 40k. As this was not a USAT sanctioned event, there were no officials or motorcycle support.
The roads were well marked and we had at least one lane to ourselves for the whole loop. The course mostly consisted of rolling hills, with a couple steep uphills and downhills thrown in. A couple of people were walking up the steepest hill and I cruised by them at about 8mph as I pumped away on my granny ring. As a kind of cruel trick, we could not take advantage of one of the steep downhills because of a 90 degree turn at the base. We were well warned of the turn, and "SLOW" was painted on the road starting several hundred yards out from the turn.
The condition of the pavement varied from mostly smooth to rough and pot-holed. The directors were kind enough to mark the big bumps with spray paint.
The bike course was well staffed by policemen at every corner and intersection. It would have been extremely difficult to get lost on this one.
The Run
The run course was two loops, about 70% off-road. It wound along mowed grass paths that took us around the park. The terrain was kind to my knees, but I nearly twisted my ankle on a grass clump at least once. If it had been rainy, it would have quickly become a mud fest. The end of each lap featured a 500m or so uphill.
The run was well staffed, with water and gatorade every mile. And, most importantly, they didn't run out!
I didn't finish my run until nearly 1:00, but the cool April weather held out.
The announcer called my name as I crossed under the inflatable finish line marker.
Transitions and timing
As I mentioned earlier, the transition area was a fenced off grassy area. Security was light as I left with my bike... no one stopped to confirm whether it was mine.
The race was chip timed with mats at each relevant point, so transition times were captured. As of Sunday at 10:00, the results have not been posted.
Post Race Party and Goodies
The PRP was adequate but not great. Coolers of water and gatorade, bagels, watermelon, bananas, and cookies. I guess I would rate them higher if they had beer. I was not able to hang around for the awards ceremony and drawing due to the late start.
The race goodies were exceptional. By signing up early, I received a cycling jersey featuring the race logo. (Those who missed the date got a standard t-shirt). The goodie bag also contained a package of endurolytes, a hammer gel, a packet of sunscreen, and a couple triathlon magazines. Finishers received a race towel featuring the race logo along with a finishers medal.
Photography
Kreutz Photography had at least 5 photographers on site to document the event. Kreutz does an excellent job, judging from past events. They are going to have a frustrating time sorting through the pictures from the bike since there were no numbers on our helmets or on our bikes.
Summary
Again, despite a couple glitches, this was a worthwhile event. While the race was not USAT sanctioned, the organization and support far surpassed that of several of the sanctioned events I have done in the last year.
The interesting course and perfect weather made for a great day of racing. Hopefully the race will be back next year. If they would apply for USAT sanctioning, it would be even better.
April 16th, 2005
Walter E. Long Park
Despite a shaky start, the Austin Cactus Challenge was an enjoyable race and a welcome addition to the local race scene.
Update:
Race results and an explanation of the swim problems have been posted by the RD at 3Disciplines.com.
In Brief
Pros:
* Fantastic weather
* Challenging course
* Good race-day organization
* Bike and Run well supported
* Nice goodie bag
Cons:
* Not USAT Sanctioned
* Mediocre post race party
* A few inauguraul hiccups
Long Review
Pre-Race
The races were put on by 3 Disciplines Racing, a company that is organizing 21 events across the nation this year. Only after I signed up did I find out that they had been in trouble with USAT and lost their sanctioned status in 2003. This fact caused me to be a little apprehensive, but I decided to go ahead and race since I'd already paid the entry fee (and I have good health insurance).
The first mistake the organizers made was the scheduling of the race. It was originally planned for April 17th - day 2 of the MS 150, when thousands of cyclists (including the governor), roll into Austin. After they realized the problem they would have finding support staff on Sunday, 3DR moved the race to Saturday the 16th.
The website was well organized and offered pertinent information including route maps. I believe the early registration fee for the olympic distance race was $85.. fairly reasonable for an olympic distance race.
Race Day
I elected to pick up my packet on race day, which was allowed by the organizers since the date changed from Sunday to Saturday. Packet pickup and body marking went quickly.
I proceeded to set up my space in the transition area, which was pretty standard.. a fenced off grassy area with metal racks. Volunteers were present to restrict access to athletes and to give instructions.
The RD made regular announcements over the PA system, advising athletes to take a look at the course maps which were posted in the transition area and also available as handouts. After setting up my transition space, I headed out to a port-o-can. Several were scattered throughout the park. Unfortunately most were out of TP. Luckily I had taken a course map earlier and was able to make good use of it.
About 15 minutes prior to the race, the RD gathered the athletes and gave final instructions, described the course, etc. I appreciated that he took time to describe the features of the bike course, including rough spots and tricky corners. Following these instructions, we headed down to the boat dock.
The Swim
The elite oly distance athletes were scheduled to start at 9:00, followed by the 39 and under oly men. Minutes before the start, the RD announced a change in plans - 5 lifeguards had failed to show up, so they were going to limit the number of athletes in the water at any one time. To accomplish this, they decided to start the sprint race first, to "get them out of the way." A chorus of boos followed the announcement, but the crowed deferred to the safety concerns.
The sprint men were counted as they entered the water and the race began. The sprint course was an out and back 500m. The waited until almost all the men finished, then started the sprint women.
Around 10:00, it was finally time for the olympic distance race to get started. The dozen or so 'elite' athletes went first, and the 39 and under men started a couple minutes later.
The water was a pleasant 66 degrees, and the 1 mile course was a single loop marked by "buoys" which were actually empty gatorade coolers. The low profile of the coolers made them a little hard to see, but I followed the mass of swimmers and found my way around them and back to the dock. After exiting at the dock, there was an approximately 300m run back to the transition area. The RD allowed shoes to be placed at the swim exit for those who wanted to use them.
Despite the lifeguard no-shows, I felt the course was adequately covered by the 3 park authority boats and a couple lifeguards in kayaks.
The Bike
The bike course was a two-loop course. My handheld GPS indicated that I had gone only 23 miles after two loops.. a little short of the advertised 40k. As this was not a USAT sanctioned event, there were no officials or motorcycle support.
The roads were well marked and we had at least one lane to ourselves for the whole loop. The course mostly consisted of rolling hills, with a couple steep uphills and downhills thrown in. A couple of people were walking up the steepest hill and I cruised by them at about 8mph as I pumped away on my granny ring. As a kind of cruel trick, we could not take advantage of one of the steep downhills because of a 90 degree turn at the base. We were well warned of the turn, and "SLOW" was painted on the road starting several hundred yards out from the turn.
The condition of the pavement varied from mostly smooth to rough and pot-holed. The directors were kind enough to mark the big bumps with spray paint.
The bike course was well staffed by policemen at every corner and intersection. It would have been extremely difficult to get lost on this one.
The Run
The run course was two loops, about 70% off-road. It wound along mowed grass paths that took us around the park. The terrain was kind to my knees, but I nearly twisted my ankle on a grass clump at least once. If it had been rainy, it would have quickly become a mud fest. The end of each lap featured a 500m or so uphill.
The run was well staffed, with water and gatorade every mile. And, most importantly, they didn't run out!
I didn't finish my run until nearly 1:00, but the cool April weather held out.
The announcer called my name as I crossed under the inflatable finish line marker.
Transitions and timing
As I mentioned earlier, the transition area was a fenced off grassy area. Security was light as I left with my bike... no one stopped to confirm whether it was mine.
The race was chip timed with mats at each relevant point, so transition times were captured. As of Sunday at 10:00, the results have not been posted.
Post Race Party and Goodies
The PRP was adequate but not great. Coolers of water and gatorade, bagels, watermelon, bananas, and cookies. I guess I would rate them higher if they had beer. I was not able to hang around for the awards ceremony and drawing due to the late start.
The race goodies were exceptional. By signing up early, I received a cycling jersey featuring the race logo. (Those who missed the date got a standard t-shirt). The goodie bag also contained a package of endurolytes, a hammer gel, a packet of sunscreen, and a couple triathlon magazines. Finishers received a race towel featuring the race logo along with a finishers medal.
Photography
Kreutz Photography had at least 5 photographers on site to document the event. Kreutz does an excellent job, judging from past events. They are going to have a frustrating time sorting through the pictures from the bike since there were no numbers on our helmets or on our bikes.
Summary
Again, despite a couple glitches, this was a worthwhile event. While the race was not USAT sanctioned, the organization and support far surpassed that of several of the sanctioned events I have done in the last year.
The interesting course and perfect weather made for a great day of racing. Hopefully the race will be back next year. If they would apply for USAT sanctioning, it would be even better.
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