McMinnville Parks and Recreation Sprint Triathlon and Duathlon Official Website

The "Nitty Gritty" Details (User Opinions)

Scott .
McMinnville, OR

  (05-25-2010)

"McMinnville OR is a small town in the heart of Oregon's wine country. This was their first year hosting a triathlon.

The swim was at the COMMUNITY POOL, not a lake. An open body of water is always preferable, but the organization managed to do as good a job as can be done in a pool. The transition area was right outside the pool. The bike racks were not numbered, so it was first-come, first served for position. The open transition throughout the race made things a bit crowded, but the field was small (150) and the crowds did not get in the way through T1 and T2. (Volunteers did watch the bikes, but the area was not strictly controlled).

The bike course is out of town into some beautiful valley roads, with expansive views. The roads are narrow with no bike lanes, but law enforcement (city and county) were everywhere patrolling the route and intersections, and traffic was very light and cooperative. The course has a few small hills but was mostly flat, rural, with great scenery.

The run was a 3 mile out and back along the first part of the bike course through a local neighborhood. It was not as scenic, but it was fun to have the bikers and runners all leaving and returning together.

Overall exceptional organization, especially considering the size of the town and the inaugural event. The crowd and volunteers were great.

This has the potential to be a fantastic yearly triathlon provided the field is kept relatively small, and provided they continue to have the same level of community and especially law enforcement support on the road."

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2010