Vineman Ironman 70.3 Official Website

The "Nitty Gritty" Details (User Opinions)

Gregory L.
San Francisco, CA

  (07-22-2010)

"I had heard lots of good things about the Vineman 70.3 as it's a really popular race in the bay area and recently became an official Ironman 70.3 event. I was also told the course is absolutely gorgeous but the main difficulty is the heat. Details below :).

Expo: Considering the event was an official Ironman event (part of their 70.3 series) I was actually expecting a little more from the expo. They hold the expo at Windsor high school just north of Santa Rosa. I attended the pre-race talk, but kinda wish I hadn't since it landed up dragging on for almost an hour (the head official seemed to fancy himself a bit and spent 30 minutes talking about rules for the race!). Anyways, check in and check out was smooth and not super busy, but I was expecting there to be more companies on hand demo'ing at the expo. Most interesting booth has to go to the "ironman" branded beds. Weird. Also, since the course has two transition areas, you have to drop off your T2 stuff the day of the expo.

Race Day: Vineman is a little unique since there are about 16 waves spaced 8 minutes apart which means there's about 2 hours between when the first and last wave start the race. I was in the last wave (start time of 8:30AM) which at first might sound amazing, but in reality it meant that there would be maximum time spent in the heat. The course typically hits 90-95 degrees during the day. The plus about starting late was getting to sleep in my own bed in SF and drive up the morning of. Logistically Vineman is also a bit different since there are actually 2 transition areas (about 17 miles apart). I'd HIGHLY recommend getting someone to drop you off at the first transition area so you don't have to go back there after the race (they have a shuttle service if you do need to go back to grab your car). And another thing to note is that they DO NOT close the transition area which means you can show up as late as you want in the morning, which is especially great if you have a late start time.

Swim: The swim is an out and back in a river. Water temp was about 72 degrees, great temp for wetsuits, maybe even a bit on the warm side for a full body one. The start is in water. The swim is upstream first (don't worry there's not much of a current if any) and back keeping the buoys on your left the whole time. It's a great swim, except for the fact that the water is very shallow. For the most part the river ranges from about 6 ft depth to 2-3 ft in some areas. Lots of people got up and started walking in the shallow parts, but I decided to adjust and keep swimming since the legs would have plenty of work to do later on :). In typical triathlon fashion, got kicked a few times, but overall a very smooth swim.

T1: The transition area is very close to the swim exit which is great, though you run through a bit of gravel getting to the transition area which can be a little painful on the feet. I had heard there would be wetsuit strippers, but apparently I was wrong, so start stripping your own wetsuit when you get out of the water :). Was off on the bike around 9:15, and it was already warm enough where I didn't even need to wear arm sleeves for biking. One other tip that's a little unique to this race, you have to pack up your T1 stuff so it can be transported to the finish line, but if you want to drop it off w/ someone who's helping you out, you're allowed to.

Bike: Quick early tip for the bike course, you should have your bike in the easy gear in T1 as there's a very short, but pretty steep road to get out of T1. Saw a lot of people in the wrong gear and struggled getting up the incline. This bike course is absolutely GORGEOUS. It goes through Sonoma County, w/ lots of great vineyard scenery to keep you entertained. The beginning of the course is very fast, so you'll get a nice average going for the beginning part of the course. There are 3 aid stations on the bike course, considering the heat it was great to get extra bottles of water or gatorade. The roads for the most part are smooth, though a few rough patches from time to time. I'd describe the course as mostly rolling, though around mile 45, at Chalk Hill road, has the largest climb. I believe it's about a 500-600 ft climb, didn't find it too bad since I did most of my training in the bay area. Once you clear that hill, it's smooth sailing home, with a net downhill for the final 10 miles. Traffic also wasn't too bad, even though most of the roads are open to cars.

T2: Pretty standard T2 area, hopped off the bike, ate some food, threw on the run gear and got moving. One big thing to note, in past years I was told there have been volunteers ready to slap on suntan lotion before you head out for the run. Either I missed them, or they were non-existent this year, so needless to say 90 degree sunny weather produced a nice little sunburn :).

Run: Going into the run course, somehow I had the impression that it would be a flat run course (or maybe it was just wishful thinking). I wouldn't call the course hilly, but it's definitely NOT flat. I think rolling would be a good way to describe it, but add in some hot, sunny weather and those rollers can definitely seem like big hills. It is however, another beautiful course, an out and back, that's highlighted by a 1 mile run through one of the sponsor vineyards around mile 6. The aid stations were well supported, the biggest thing was getting as much ice and water on myself to stay cool. At every aid station I would literally take 2 cups of water to dump on myself and 1 cup to drink. Volunteers with water hoses could be considered gods. It was HOT.

Great race overall, I would highly recommend it to anyone looking for a half ironman. There's something special about doing these larger events, as this one had about 2300 athletes. I would definitely do it again, the only reservation I have would be the heat, though it does make for a good challenge :)."

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2010

Geoff L.
San Mateo, CA

  (07-03-2010)

"The one think i remember about this race was the beautiful Bike course. I would say one of the best rides i\'ve been on in a while.

The swim was good. For those terrified of open water swimming, this is the race for you. Half of the race was spent dragging knuckles on the bottom of the riverbed. I probably could have stood up and walked, but i figured there was plenty for my legs to do later on in the race.

For the bike portion, make sure your bike is in a nice granny gear as you have to get up and out of the park. (very short, but steep). As I stated before, the ride was great. Beautiful wineries and a scenic, fast course.

The run was also pleasant as it maneuvered through a neighborhood before going off-road onto a winery. The run back is a fast slight downhill.

The post-race fare was great with plenty of grub and plenty of seating to rest your tired legs.

Logistically, since it is a two transition area race, you have to drop off your running gear the day before when you register. I made the mistake of staying pretty far away, so it was a minor inconvenience to check in and then go to our hotel.

Overall, a great race and well organized. Not as well supported as Ironman distance races, but good nonetheless. "

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2007

John M.
Mountain View, CA

  (03-23-2010)

"What a great race. The only problem I had with it was that Start and the Finish were not at the same place.
Here are some things that I wish I had know.
1) It took longer to get to start than I thought it would. I ended up being late for my start.
2) If you are going solo it takes forever to pack up and get out. When you finish you have to jump on a shuttle that will take you back to the start to pick up your car. But you are far from being done then, you need drive back to the start to pick up your bike. "

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2008

Philip C.
San Francisco, CA

  (02-01-2010)

"I love swimming in the river. It's warm (wear a speedsuit, you'll be warm in your wetsuit) and shallow. You swim against the current up, and with it back, so you get nice negative splits.

The bike is my main gripe. It's not a loop. While the course is unarguably beautiful, it means that your support crew has to trek from start to finish - a serious pain.

The run has some hills, and it was stupid hot last year. Everyone absolutely fried. "

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2009

Lynn A.
Morgan Hill, CA

  (08-13-2009)

"A thrilling sense of accomplishment swept over me as I ran the last few hundred yards of Vineman 70.3 on July 20. I had two victories to celebrate.

For the first time, I was entirely comfortable starting the swim. No nerves, no doubting, just a quiet confidence knowing I was going to have a good day. My head was in the right place. Although the 45 - 49 age group proved to be the largest wave, the swim was not nearly as crowded as I expected and the water temperature had cooled considerably to 70 degrees. I felt good through the entire swim and was even able to focus on my stroke and form. The narrow Russian River was easy to navigate and stay in a straight line. I stepped out of the river in 38 mins., 2 mins. ahead of my goal.

After fumbling around a bit too much in T1, I grabbed my bike and headed toward the road. I was amazed how many people ahead of me had not put their bike in the correct gear for the immediate climb out of T1. I jumped on my bike and sped off, looking forward to a good ride. But only one mile into the ride, I heard the awful sound in my rear tire. I could not believe I was having a flat tire just 3 mins. into the ride. It was almost surreal. I collected my thoughts and pulled to the side of the road. I had prepared for this occasion, so I just focused on the task of replacing a flat.

In my haste, I forgot to make sure the tube was not pinched. I was too quick to pull the trigger on a CO2 cartridge and then realized the tube was pinched. Before I could do anything about it, my spare tube exploded. I stood on the side of the road for several minutes trying to come to terms with the fact that my day was over less than an hour into the race. Then I thought about how hard I had trained, how much money I had spent to get there ($250 just to register), and the long weekend in Guerneville, a 2.5-hr. drive from Morgan Hill. I wasn't ready to give up.

My only chance of re-entering the race was to walk my bike over a mile back to my car. I took my shoes off because it was faster to walk barefoot. I still didn't know what I was going to do, but when I got back to my car, I knew the only chance I had was to find someone with a spare tube. So I drove back to T1. I pulled right up to the intersection at T1 and found a bike aid station. The first guy I talked to grabbed my wheel and quickly set about to repair my tire. In less than two minutes, I had parked my car and jumped back onto my bike. Just like that, I was back in the race.

I was re-starting the bike section right at T1 so I re-started my watch. I knew exactly how much time it took me to get there, so I could just subtract (or add) my downtime and I would know my real racing time. I was back on the road racing, but the delay cost me 61 minutes.

I decided to still race the best I could and see what the day would bring. Halfway through the bike, I was averaging 18.5 mph, well ahead of my 17 mph goal. I was worried the 1-hr. delay would result in a very warm run, but I was pleased to see the temperature never get above 65 degrees on my bike. The marine layer and fog I had hoped for had settled in nicely in wine country. I finished the bike in 3 hrs. 2 mins., about 15 mins. ahead of plan, and an average speed of 18.2 mph. I was quite proud of my bike time and didn't feel like I had blown out my legs in the process.

Since my overall time was already a buzz kill, I decided there was no point trying to rush my way through T2. The bike racks were already very full and it took some time just to find a spot for my bike. I took 5:29 in T2 and started my run at a comfortable pace. I didn't look at my watch much over the first half of the run. Perceived exertion was a better barometer. I knew it would warm up and I didn't want to fall apart at the end of my first 70.3.

I knew during the entire run that even if I had a poor run, I could still finish in under six hours. That gave me confidence but I still had to run half a marathon on a rolling course. The last five miles were painful. It's a mental game at the end, just like a marathon. I finished the run in exactly 2 hrs.

My first victory was just finding a way to get back in the race when I was sure my day had ended with a flat I could not repair. My second win was a good finishing time. The flat was completely out of my control. My official time was 6:54 but I'll subtract the 61 mins. of downtime and claim victory with a 5:53."

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2008

Dennis M.
San Francisco, CA

  (08-11-2009)

"1.2 Mile swim: The river is quite a unique body of water to hold a swim in. With very little current, I never felt like I was struggling and going nowhere. Being in a river it was relatively duck-poop free and also easy to sight off the shoreline and stay on course. The only downsides to the swim: knuckle dragging shallow in some areas, murky water that made it difficult to see the other bodies in the water and my wave was one of the last waves to begin--so I was swimming with the sun perfectly aligned to blind me every time I took a breath. The exit of the swim was a little different this year, but when I got to my bike I had mud and small rocks all over my feet, adding precious moments to my T1 Transition.

56 Mile bike:
Awesome course! Rolling hills w/one long semi-steep climb. Overall a super fast course and the cops did a great job of controlling traffic. There were a couple accidents....one guy hit a car that u-turned in front of him and a couple other guys went down, breaking ribs, collarbones, etc. The only negative on the bike was that my gel squeeze bottle launched out of my pocket after a particularly nasty bump....no problem, I surmised--I'll just grab a Gel from an aid station....only no aid stations had Gels! Oh, also....USAT officials threatened to DQ anyone who took a leak or worse in any place other than a port-o-let. There were none on the bike course....then again, I think I only saw one USAT official anyways--there were lots of people drafting, too.

13.1 Mile Run: Gentle rolling hills, lots of aid stations. Overall a great out-and-back course that was a pleasure to run. Not boring at all, but not so challenging that you wanted to kill whoever planned the course when you finished.

The only real complaint I have about the entire experience was the traffic. 101 up to Guerneville was only 2 lanes in a lot of places and was jam-packed with cars. It's been like this for years and traffic just gets worse and worse. Oh and one more complaint: Two transitions in distinct locations really made this an event that I'd only want to do again if I had a personal chauffeur....next year maybe I'll have to sucker someone into going up there to 'spectate' to help with the logistics of everything."

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2007

Knox F.
Sausalito, CA

  (08-05-2009)

"real bummer about the tree at mile 7 - this was a bummer for those focused on their time and getting a PR"

Reviewed by a: Repeat Participant for 2009

ross s.
san francisco, CA

  (08-03-2009)

"Overview
You can drive from SF the morning of the race. You can duck dive in the swim. The bike is rolling hills but generally fast, only one hill that is ok not a killer. The run is super hot and painful."

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2009

Suzy H.
San Francisco, CA

  (08-03-2009)

"I've done a few of the 70.3 series, so was excited to add Vineman to the list! I think the 70.3 are in general better organized and run than other half-ironman distances... but they are also a lot larger which requires this. I thought Vineman was a very well run race, but probably the least organized of any I've done in the series, but not so bad to turn me away from doing another race.
Few things about the race:
the swim is in the russian river, which is at its deepest 6ft, but much more shallow in 90% of the course. In fact, I saw a number of people wading through the water in the middle of the swim! Needless to say, this was not the speediest option. My hands did touch bottom more than a few times throughout the course (that's pretty shallow!).
The bike course is gorgeous! You travel through many vineyards and shady areas. Beware of the last 8 or so miles. It is clear the race directors had to add in a few miles so you end up meandering around the town of Windsor in order to get in the full 56 miles. There is a part where you see a sign saying Windsor 4 miles, when you actually have more like 10 to ride (oh, and you turn away from where the sign is pointing). Don't let this get you down.
The run is HOT! If you are lucky enough to get off early then maybe you will get some shade in the early part of the run, but as the day progresses, there is no shade and only heat! Some aid stations were grossly under-staffed, but when I came through they had not run out of anything (especially ice). I've heard some stories of years past when ice was gone before even half the participants had made it onto the run course.
Overall, the course is well done, but needs a bit more thought into aid, energy needs of participants, and medical assistance.
"

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2009

Clint B.
Huntington Beach, CA

  (07-21-2009)

"This is a much tougher course than I expected and temperatures in the 100's certainly does not help. Unless you have trained and trained well for a fairly hilly bike and run in extreme heat, think twice about this one.

I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Sonoma County and may need a few more 70.3 races at different venue to be completely fair to this race, but these are my feelings based on what I know today.

PS. The climb at Chalk Hill, which comes at Mile 44 or thereabouts, is tough and don't let anyone else try and convince you that it's not."

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2009

Merrill F.
San Francisco, CA

  (05-18-2009)

"The first half Ironman I ever did, this is a great one for first timers or repeaters. The swim is in the Russian river on an out-and-back course. A challenge is to avoid walking as it can get very shallow during dry seasons. The bike course is relatively easy and flat but beautiful as it goes through wine country. The run course is kind of dull as it's yet another out-and-back course, and is full of rolling hills.

The two downsides to the race are the heat (it can be in the 90s) and the logistics. The swim finish is about 20 miles from the bike-run transition and finish so you have to drive all over the place after the race to pick your car up unless you go to the start with non-competitors.

Overall, though an awesome race and good PR course."

Reviewed by a: Repeat Participant for 2004