A truly great and enjoyable time was had by all. At least up until it came time to get the results. Yes there were a few bugs with the results, but other than that small annoyance, this was a VERY well run event. Well, except that apparently there were no markings or people present at the 10K turnaround for the first few riders. Still, all in all,for a first time affair, it should be considered a success. According to the News Journal, over 300 people turned out for the days festivities. No word on exactly how many were there for which events, but a rough estimate would put about 100 people in each of the races, with some people racing more than one event.
Getting back to the glitch with the results. I can't recall ever going to a race where they weren't prepared to present awards that day. Still, it was the first time this group ever hosted an event of this sort and I suppose it is possible that they simply underestimated the amount of work involved. Additionally, they did post the results on the web promptly, and notified everybody that provided an E-mail address of the results and postings in about three days time. However, some questions remain in my mind for myself and all the others that qualified for awards according to the flyer: Where are the awards? Are they forthcoming? Has the number of awards been reduced? Should we make arrangements to pick them up somewhere, or will they be delivered?
The 10K. While there were three people at the turnaround by the time I reached it, it is my understanding that there was no one there for the first few riders. Tres mal. A word of advice to the organizers, this should NEVER happen. This is the type of thing that will discourage people from returning next year, or showing up in the first place when they hear about it. And that would truly be a pity for such an otherwise excellent event. Oh yeah, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE do it again next year. It was a real treat to only have to ride a small distance to a race on a closed course with police coverage. You may not realize just how nice that is, but trust me on it.
So, in closing, I would just like to say that despite the fact that the tone of this review is a bit dour, I whole heartedly endorse the Route One Race and Ramble. Consider it constructive criticism. Kudos to all involved. Let's do it again next year!