See Jane Run Women's Triathlon Official Website

The "Nitty Gritty" Details (User Opinions)

Mary W.
San Jose, CA

  (03-21-2011)

"See Jane Run is a fantastic organization! This race brought out a huge crowd of every type of woman - all shapes, all sizes, all speeds, everyone pushing themselves and having a great day! This was my first triathlon, and I had a blast.

The organization struggled a little. Volunteers could have used a little more training. The race start was delayed, and with loud speakers at the finish area but not the start, it was difficult to understand what was happening. The bike course was a little confusing (going down the right and back the left side of one road), and the CHP stopped bicyclists at one of the intersections. SJR went above and beyond in making up for the organizational woes of the day - they gave everyone FREE entries to the 2011 event! I was impressed. This is a group who really cares.

I am in the group in the fat, slow triathletes, struggling to run a 5k, and I was amazed by the amount of positive energy and encouragement. The run was hilly and hot (fortunately there was plenty of water). I wanted to walk, but the constant cheers of encouragement coming from volunteers and spectators made me push to my limits! I love See Jane Run, and I love the attitude that ANYONE can be a triathlete!"

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2010

Kelly e.
campbell, CA

  (10-08-2009)

"In the spirit of full disclosure, I am probably a fairly unique reviewer. First of all, I was not going to do this race but I actually won it in a Racevine sweepstakes (thanks Racevine!). The reason I wasn't going to participate was that I'm a fairly experienced triathlete who likes to compete and go all out and I feel this is a fantastic race for first timers and new triathletes but it tends to be a bit crowded for me and I feel I can't really put pedal to the metal without feeling like I'm being too aggressive or somewhat rude to the other racers. Unlike the OYME Tri for Fun races also at Pleasanton, Shadowcliffs, this race does not have a "wave 1" for the more competitive types who want to push. In addition, I go in wave three behind women over 50 and women over 45 so I do tend to get clogged up, especially on the narrow sections of the bike course and I don't like to constantly have to say "on your left" the whole time. However, this year it was different. Wave one went off at 8 am and there was a swimming emergency. Big Kudos to the See Jane team and lifeguards as they were on the situation quickly, the EMTS responded quickly and they took the time to triage the situation, rescue and resucitate the lady and ensure the swim would be safe for the following waves. The good news is that the person recovered well. The result of this triage was that a one hour gap was built in between wave one and wave two. Wave two was small, only about 50 ladies so by the time my wave (a very large f40-44 wave of about 150 of us) took off, there was little crowd. The swim went very well, the lake was warm and while a bit murky, not bad compared to other venues I've swum in. I was third out of the water and onto the bike. For the first 1/2 of the bike course, things went smoothly. I did need to pass a large number of racers which can be tricky as part of the bike course goes on the opposite side of the road in the bike lane with cones separating you from cars. What is hard about this is with inexperienced triathletes, you say "on your right" to pass on the outside and they are not used to this so they move into you. I had one close call and almost hit a biker when I called on your right and she moved right but she and I adjusted quickly. By the second half of the bike course, I had passed all the ladies and found myself in the lead. This was where I encountered an issue that I don't think anyone else in the race ran into. We did a u-turn and then headed up the main road back to Shadowcliffs. The main road crosses back to the correct side and there were a bunch of volunteers helping us cross so cars wouldn't cause issues. But after that, we crossed a major intersection (Isabel) and I found no one directing traffic at this intersection. I think there was supposed to have been a police officer but he/she probably left due to the one hour gap. I made a big mistake and I caution all other triathletes here. The light turned red for me but I was racing down in my aero bars so I blew through it and a red sports car went through the intersection on his green light, slammed on his horn and almost hit me. This shook me up to the point that I wasn't thinking clearly and I for a short time thought perhaps I was supposed to have turned right. I got off my bike, turned around and waited until I could see other bikers. A few seconds later, a large pack blew by me and I realized I was going the right way. By the time I got back on my bike, clipped in and riding, I was now in about 20th place. Needless to say, my message to all athletes is .. common sense says if an intersection does not have traffic control, we have to obey the traffic laws. This is hard to remember when you are racing but things can happen and it's not worth being hit by a car. I should have stopped at the red light, put a foot down and only continued when the light turned green or traffic cleared.

This, I do not believe was the fault of the race director, just one of those things that can happen out on the roads. That said, I got back in the race, passed several folks and ended up on the run in 2nd place in my age category. The run was a good, challenging, hilly course with plenty of support. Afterwards the race energy is great with lots of happy athletes, many first timers and good music. The awards ceremony is a special treat as they gave all the atheletes superJane capes.. very fun.

I definitely recommend this race for new athletes and with caution for experienced ones, you need to approach it in a spirit of fun, you may not be able to race all out just due to the crowd but you'll have a good time! "

Reviewed by a: Repeat Participant for 2009

Caren V.
Alameda, CA

  (10-01-2009)

"This was my first sprint triathlon, and I felt the whole race was well organized, down to the emergency preparation. It was good to see a rapid response by the lifeguards and the on-site EMTs when the race started with a swimmer that needed resuscitation. Although unsettling, watching their coordinated response made me feel more confident about my safety when I ultimately got to start.

A couple of suggestions - it was a hot day, perhaps the event can start a whole hour earlier.

For safety, it would be nice if our goodie bags had a race swim cap in it."

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2009

Julianne P.
San Francisco Bay Area, CA

  (09-28-2009)

"This was my first triathlon, and what a great experience! I would highly recommend this event for the first-time triathlete.

Mad props to the organizers and volunteers; the folks in the yellow shirts helped this newbie stay on course during both the bike and the run. (I know I would have gotten lost on the run without them.)

Yes, the lake was green, but it was calm and not too cold. The beach had lots of goose poop.

My spectating family wished that the park had a playground, but otherwise we were happy with the venue."

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2009

Marlene S.
Redwood City, CA

  (09-27-2009)

"I had an amazing race at the See Jane Run Triathlon in Pleasanton. This was a sprint distance triathlon with a 400 yrd swim, 11 mile bike and 3 mile run. I completed the race in just over an hour and came in 1st place in my age group, out of 121 women and 2nd place overall out of 700! I am so excited. It was extra special that John and Madison were able to attend and watch me for the first time. This has been a great week in so many ways. Thanks all for your support! And special thanks to Racevine.com for giving me the free entry into this race and to Sugoi for letting me race with the brand champions tri suit!

For more details, see my blog post @ http://www.accentfitness.net/accent-fitness/2009/09/1st-plac e-in-age-group-2nd-place-overall-see-jane-run-triathlon.html "

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2009

Sandra .
San Francisco, CA

  (08-18-2009)

"This was my very first triathlon. It is GREAT for first timers. Very laid back and it seems a lot of other people there are newbies, too.

There was some confusion at the transition area as to where your bike was supposed to go (in 2008 there were no assigned racks) and also no one official doing the body marking. People were just passing a marker around and I didn't really know what to write where.

Swim: The lake was calm and a nice temperature. The water was GREEN, though, and there was some funky algae to walk through in the beginning. I sort of combusted on the swim and the lifeguards were really nice about keeping me on course.

Bike: There is a turnaround at one point which can be tricky with other newbie bikers. There was also one hill I remember which caused people to have to stop and actually get off their bikes. So go to an easier gear before the big hill! A girl in front of me stopped to get off right in front of me and I almost hit her.

Run: Was on fireroads/trails. Not very flat and some tricky footing."

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2008

Monica N.
Oakland, CA

  (08-04-2009)

"Loved this race! A perfect event for a first time, especially for women who don't want to be surrounded by testosterone. :-) The comradare was great. Energy of all of the support volunteers on the course was great as well. Can't wait to do it again this year! This is the race that got me hooked!"

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2008

Tracy F.
Pleasant Hill, CA

  (08-03-2009)

"This was a great race. It was my first time doing this event but had fun and loved it. Nice to have only women in the race and really makes you feel good about yourself when you finish. I would definitely recommend!"

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2008

Cindi G.
Oakland, CA

  (08-03-2009)

"I loved this race. The See Jane Run group is FANTASTIC and full of spirit. It's a perfect race for a beginner and I can't wait to do it again this year. There's a ton of encouragement--participating in this race makes you feel good. The swim was in a warm lake (no wetsuit) and the bike was on mostly-flat roads. The run was a little hot and dusty for my liking, but running isn't my best sport, by far. I was delighted to be part of something so fun."

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2008

Liz M.
Oakland, CA

  (06-24-2009)

"This all womens sprint tri is perfect for first timers. It's in a lake (yeah! no crazy current and waves), the bike is through the wine country and the run is on packed dirt.
The volunteers at the markers were fun and full of energy.
The energy on the course was amazing! Everyone was cheering and a lot of women came back for their friends after they finished! (WOW)
I'm jazzed to do it again in 2009 and work on some of those transition times :-)"

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2008