Lake Pflugerville Triathlon Official Website

Jim M.
Cedar Park (Austin), TX

  (06-23-2009)

"This was the 3rd annual event, but my first time participating. Some friends of mine highly recommended the race as a low key, well run and very fun event. They were spot on. Hats off to the race directors Glenn Beck and Kerri Veuleman and the rest of the race committee; Raul Capetillo, JD Griffis, Jessica Ogle, Bryan Eslick, Bonnie Etnyre.

The event was full (375 competitors) approximately a month before the actual race. Evidently, word is getting around, but I hear they are planning to grow the event some next year. The venue can easily be expanded to accommodate more competitors. There was more then ample parking and getting in and out was a breeze. The volunteers were plentiful and did a fantastic job with everything from checking folks in, body marking and race course management.

The swim is 500M in length and setup in a triangle configuration. It is extremely well marked (lots of buoys), so even the most inexperienced should be able to navigate it with ease. The lake was clean, the entry and exit were easy to navigate and the water temperature was a comfortable 80-82 degrees, so no wetsuits were allowed. It was a relatively short run from the lake to the transition area over a crushed granite path with Astroturf in specific locations. The transition area was in an asphalt parking lot, so there were no issues with your feet being covered in mud, grass or debris when you were going from the swim to the bike.

The bike course is 14 miles in length on almost entirely country roads with little to no traffic. The only area where you will see many cars is on a 1 mile stretch along an access road for Toll Road 130, but there is a wide shoulder. Before the event the race directors were letting people know they were not happy with the condition of the roads (some construction in the area), but they were fine. A few areas with some broken pavement, but easily navigated and pretty similar to the roads I train on all the time, here in Austin. There were some rolling hills, but nothing long or steep. There were police officers and volunteers all along the course providing welcome motivation and ensuring there was no confusion regarding the course layout or issues with the occasional car. Just get in the aero position and go.

The run is a 5k on a crushed granite path (approximately 10ft wide) that follows the perimeter of the lake. There were aid stations at mile-one and mile-two with water. This made for a great running surface and absolutely no cars to deal with.

The competitors were friendly and I met a number of new people before and after the race. It is an event that is suitable for a beginner but should offer plenty of competition for an experienced athlete. I enjoyed the event from start to finish and even after staying for the entire awards ceremony; I was home by noon and spent the rest of the day with the family. "

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2009