They call Wildflower the Woodstock of triathlon and it has been running since 1983. The Wildflower Festival takes place in the country and involves camping, just like Woodstock. As one race report put it: “This means communal showers, stinky toilets, dust and dirt. The cold, starry, wide-open nights of spring are all yours for no additional fee”.
Triathlon has taken precedence over the festival with at some point 7,500 athletes flocking to the event. Besides the 70.3-distance “long course” triathlon, they also have an Olympic distance, Sprint distance, trail runs, …and parties!
The Wildflower race is best summed up as hot, hilly and hard. Be prepared to add about a half-hour to your usual 70.3 finish time. Since 2014 the event has struggled with the dropping water level of Lake San Antonio, which eventually led to a cancellation in 2017. The event saw a return in 2018, but was cancelled again in 2019 and promised to return in 2020…
Rodolphe von Berg (USA) and Heather Jackson (USA) may end up being the reigning champions for a while.
Fun Fact: The Wildflower Triathlon has a nude aid station! (…or at least, used to have)
Find out more about MetaSport Live and the Triathlon World Tour, 6 May – 1 June 2020, here. If you wish, join us, it’s free!
Check here the other Triathlon Destinations reached by the MetaSport Live Triathlon World Tour participants and learn interesting triathlons facts.
