I'm trying to orient my summer towards open water races. I'm looking for a recommendation on a good open water race the last weekend of June, either lake or ocean, ideally from 1M to 3M. I'd prefer something in California, but am willing to travel. I'd appreciate:
Any insight about the Lake Mendocino 2M swim that is listed on the Pacific Masters site
Has anyone done this before? If so, do you recommend it?
Does anyone know if this race will for sure be on this date? I can't seem to find a link anywhere with info about this year's event.
Are there any other races around the country people can recommend for this weekend (June 26 to 28)?
Parents
Former Member
If you think it's a long drive to Lake Mendocino from the Bay area, try coming from Oregon. Because I'd heard about the fires, I contacted one of the organizers two days prior to the race to ask if it was still on. At that point, the conditions were OK and they didn't intend to cancel. I also checked my e-mail on two occasions during the long drive the day prior to the race. No cancellation e-mail. It wasn't until I got to the lake campground (almost empty) that I learned the swim was cancelled from a park employee. While it was a little smoky, the wind had shifted by that point and the air-quality was not bad enough to prevent me from camping there that night. I understand that some of the expenses involved with such a race are up-front and would accept if part or none of my entry fee were refunded. But, I would expect to receive a refund for the cost of the shirts (or the shirts if they had already been produced). Instead, I received no refund, no notification of the cancellation, and no notification of the eventual rescheduled event. It appears that Pacific Masters members were notified of the cancellation and rescheduling, but registrants from other organizations were not notified. So, I'll stick with the Oregon events this year.
If you think it's a long drive to Lake Mendocino from the Bay area, try coming from Oregon. Because I'd heard about the fires, I contacted one of the organizers two days prior to the race to ask if it was still on. At that point, the conditions were OK and they didn't intend to cancel. I also checked my e-mail on two occasions during the long drive the day prior to the race. No cancellation e-mail. It wasn't until I got to the lake campground (almost empty) that I learned the swim was cancelled from a park employee. While it was a little smoky, the wind had shifted by that point and the air-quality was not bad enough to prevent me from camping there that night. I understand that some of the expenses involved with such a race are up-front and would accept if part or none of my entry fee were refunded. But, I would expect to receive a refund for the cost of the shirts (or the shirts if they had already been produced). Instead, I received no refund, no notification of the cancellation, and no notification of the eventual rescheduled event. It appears that Pacific Masters members were notified of the cancellation and rescheduling, but registrants from other organizations were not notified. So, I'll stick with the Oregon events this year.
