Pasadena Triathlon

Overall great event. People say it’s a good triathlon to start with. Probably because it’s slightly shorter than most: 5k run, 15k bike, 150m swim. Decent price as well, about $ 94 including 1 day USAT membership. Super convenient location & parking. I had no trouble finding parking arriving 1 hour prior to the event. Packet pick up was slightly annoying though because they only offered it during traffic time, and the expo wasn’t quite worth it. Didn’t even give us the usual goodie bag, just a plastic B of A bag. not like I need anymore reusable bags, but don’t like wasting plastic either. They didn’t have the usual snacks most races do (before or after), but they did have some energy gels if you needed to stock up. So if you’re an early bird, pick up race day. The shirts are soft and I like the white swim cap they give us. Super cute medal this year as well!
Cons: rude people! Taking up a ton of space in transition area, biking very slowly in middle of lane (the lane was tiny and we do 3 laps around it so there were too many people in my opinion for such a small race size), or people yelling. I got kicked by two different people during the swim portion (1 was behind me, guess they weren’t paying attention and another trying to pass me up. to beat me by a second I suppose). The pool was a tad too warm (mid 80s I believe). The run & bike portion were slightly longer than stated because of the long distance from & to the transition area. You also had to walk a long distance bare foot from the end of the race back to the entrance of the pool to get your shoes. Then the post race snacks were even further. The Slaters ⁵⁰⁄₅₀ sliders were set up late so sucks for fast racers and super dry. They only had cuties for fruit. But they also gave energy gels. but my favorite was a pack of Clif shot blocks!!! Love em & they’re pricey. I noticed they only gave water bottles at water stations. such a waste because people take a sip then throw the entire bottle away! I even saw one guy throw it all the way into the ravine. where volunteers can’t clean it up.
I know the con section is long. but it’s all little stuff and the race was still fun & worth it. Well organized! Looking forward to next year.

I’ve done this race twice now. It’s very well organized and not overly crowded. However, for the cost it’s pretty no-​frills – not a lot of snacks at the end and a long line for Slater’s. Not very appealing for a vegetarian anyway.

2013 was my third year participating and I ran the 5K. Packet pickup was held on Friday (the day before the race) as well as the morning of the race. There is a triathlon and duathlon was well. The 5K is actually longer than a 5K, since it begins/​ends at the Rose Bowl Aquatics Center area and goes around the Rose Bowl. There was no line for packet pickup on the morning of the race, but finding parking was a bit of a challenge. I arrived an hour before the race started and the line to get into the parking lot just west of the RBAC was already backed up. Registration included a bib and a blue tech shirt with the Pasadena Triathlon logo on it. The shirt sizes were unisex and ran big. At the start line, all of the 5K runners started together (no wave starts, no pace signs to line up next to) and it wasn’t crowded. The course wasn’t crowded either. I do not notice any mile markers. At the finish line, there were lots of spectators and there was water, Gatorade, and Slaters ⁵⁰⁄₅₀ burgers. I don’t know if I’ll run this race again now that I’ve participated three times. While it’s close to home, it’s longer than a 5K and the focus seems to be on the triathlon/​duathlon.

The Pasadena Triathlon is a great event for anyone who is interested in trying a triathlon for the first time. It’s a very short course, it’s super flat, the swim is particularly short (most first-​timers seem to struggle with this the most), and it’s spectator-​friendly so you can bring friends and family out and they won’t get bored.
At the same time, it’s a great early season fitness test for serious triathletes. It’s relatively inexpensive, well-​run, and just generally enjoyable to race. Also, the relative size of the race (600 participant max, I think) makes it feel like less of a race and more of a gathering of like-​minded people. It’s a great place to meet the locals. Last year I met several people at this race, nearly all of whom I raced against later in the season. Very friendly atmosphere in which to get to know some other athletes.
One recommendation: This is one of the few races at which you don’t really need to pick up a packet in advance. I always try to get my packet in advance just in case… but I would feel comfortable picking it up on race day as the crowds aren’t huge and the event is well-​staffed.