America's oldest independent iron-distance event set for August 2
By Brad Culp
June 17, 2008 -- August 2 will mark the nineteenth time California’s wine country has played host to one of the oldest Ironman-distance events on the planet. The Full Vineman Triathlon, held two weeks after the Vineman Ironman 70.3 (on much of the same course), takes athletes on a 140.6-mile tour of Sonoma, Calif., known for its wine and endless rolling hills. The Full Vineman will run side by side with the eighth annual Barb’s Race, the only women’s-only half-Ironman in the world. Half of all entry fees from Barb’s Race will be donated to support local cancer charities. Since 2001, more than $213,000 has been raised through the event.
The Vineman course certainly isn’t a walk in the park, but it’s doable for anyone shooting for their first Iron-distance finish. The event kicks off with a 2.4-mile swim through the Russian River in Guerneville, Calif. Pro triathlete David Glover, who has raced the full Vineman five times and won last season, feels the swim is one of the highlights of the course.
“Swimming in the Russian River is great,” Glover said. “It’s a fast swim and you’re never more than 30 feet from the shore and the water is pretty shallow, which makes things more comfortable if you’re not a swimmer.”
The river is dammed all around Geurneville and it almost never rains during the summer in Sonoma County, which means there is typically little or no current on race-day.
The 112-mile bike course is simply one of the best in the sport. Athletes wind through the countless vineyards of Sonoma County, en route to Windsor, Calif. for T2 (note: T1 and T2 are located about 15-miles apart).
The bike course has plenty of hills, but none are too daunting. The two-loop course has two steep climbs on each loop, coming at miles 24, 45, 85 and 105. The course is certainly disk wheel-friendly and winds are typically mild. Average high temperatures for early August in Sonoma are between 78-85 degress.
“I’d call it a fair course,” said Glover. “It’s challenging, but doable. You should definitely practice some hills if you’re doing the race and work on managing your electrolytes—it can be hot.”
The 140.6-mile tour wraps up with a three-loop marathon through Windsor. The run course is relatively flat, with a few rolling hills on each loop to help break things up.
If you go:- Visit the La Crema winery located just in Windsor. It’s one of California’s largest and most renowned wineries. It’s best to wait until after the event to really indulge.
- Head to San Francisco. It’s only a one-hour drive from Windsor and it makes a great addition to the trip.
Getting there:There are four airports located within a 90-minute drive of Windsor/Santa Rosa. Oakland International (OK) and San Francisco International (SFO) are the closest (67 miles for each), but Sacramento International (SMF) and San Jose International are only 100 miles away.
Where to stay:The Holiday Inn Express is currently the only hotel in Windsor, but there are plenty of places to stay in Northern Santa Rosa, Healdsburg and Guerneville. SportsAmerica.com can help with your lodging, just log on to sportsamerica.com/vineman
For more information on the event visit www.vineman.com