Event Description

The Golden Gate Duathlon is a Double Course Event, Short and Long and a 5K Run/Walk.  Finisher Medals to EVERYONE.

Duathlon - Short Course - 5K/35K/5K
Duathlon - Long Course - 10K/70K/5K
Relays on Both Duathlon Courses
 

5K Run/Walk

All at the beautiful San Pablo Dam Reservoir - Orinda Entrance

Event details and schedule

The race will start at 8:00 AM at The San Pablo Reservoir, Orinda Entrance

500 San Pablo Dam Rd Orinda, CA 94563

Golden Gate Du and 5K Run/Walk

All Racers – Duathletes Runners Walkers

PARKING:

·         To avoid conflicts with regular customers, all event parking will be in the overflow parking lots for participants and spectators. Except for events that occur when the park is closed for the season.

·         If participants and/or spectators want to park closer to the event, they can access the main lot, but must pay the access fee of $7.00. Except for events that occur when the park is closed for the season.

 Registration opens at 6:30 am – always 1 ½ hours prior to the race; we’ll take you up to 15

minutes before starting time

 Pre-Registration pick-up is the morning of race day

 Starting Time for Long Course and 5K Run/Walk is 8:00 am Short Course is 8:05 am

 Parking fee has been waived and is free for all racers

Parking and Such:

 Entrance for Races at the Orinda side is called the boat launching entrance.

 You will follow the entrance road for approximately 1.6 miles till you are at the huge boat

launching parking lot where a flagman will show you where to park.

 Registration, route maps, first aid, packet pick up, including timing chips is very convenient.

 There are 8 Bathrooms there.

Duathletes:

 There will be a bib number for your chest stapled to your pre-registration bag – TAKE

SOME PINS so you can pin it to your shirt.

 There will be a Bike bib in your bag – it is self-adhesive and goes on your bike so it is

visible

 Your Race T-Shirt is in your bag

 MOST IMPORTANTLY….. Your Timing CHIP is in the bag… It goes on your left

ANKLE; it will not register on your arm and you will have no race time at the end if you

use your wrist instead – LEFT ankle so no bike chain mishap – no chip at the end… no time on

your race – for TEAMS this means the chip must be passed from player to player… bib

doesn’t matter, the chip is the only thing registering your times

 Return the chip at the end of the finish line, there is a bucket for collection; there will be

helpers to remind you, but if you don’t finish and decide to drive home with your chip we

respectfully request that you send them back to us, otherwise the chip costs $25.00 and

we don’t want to charge you for it !

5K Runners/Walkers:

 There will be a bib number for your chest stapled to your pre-registration bag – TAKE

SOME PINS so you can pin it to your shirt.

 Your Race T-Shirt is in your bag

 MOST IMPORTANTLY….. Your Timing CHIP is in the bag… It goes on your

ANKLE; it will not register on your arm and you will have no race time at the end if you

use your wrist instead – it does not matter which ankle – no chip at the end… no time on

your race

 Return the chip at the end of the finish line, there is a bucket for collection; there will be

helpers to remind you, but if you don’t finish and decide to drive home with your chip we

respectfully request that you send them back to us, otherwise the chip costs $25.00 and

we don’t want to charge you for it !

DU First Run and 5K Racers:

You will run approximately 100 yards, past the Guard booth, slight uphill for approximately ¼ mile.

There you will make a sharp right turn onto the Old San Pablo Dam Road. This is a wide trail, the Old

San Pablo Dam Road that cars used to travel on from Orinda to El Sobrante in the early 1900’s. The

run is a rolling course, meaning there is up and there is down hills. After approximately 1.5 miles you

will go by a restroom and hit pavement. Continue on to the turnaround. There will be people there

with water, Electrolyte drink, and Gels. Come back the same way then to your left you will see the

boat launch parking lot. You will be directed to a steep downhill to the transition area. For the Short

Course run it will be 1.6 Miles of running the same route, but turn around at the 1st Aid Station and

come back.

Bike Portion – Duathletes – 22 Miles and 40 Miles:

Grab your Bike Helmet and run to the transition line. Mount your bike with helmet on and get ready

for a scenic but tough ride. We have the entire bike route on our web site for you to see in pictures.

Most important is the 1.9-mile in and out of the Reservoir. The road is rough with lots of little bumps.

I advise you to pay attention to the surface in this area particularly. (You will drive in on this portion

of the ride with your vehicle so check it out). Once you get on top of the Dam Road immediately turn

right and follow the white flour on the road before and after each major turn for the entire trip. Ride

for approximately 6 miles to the first traffic light at Castro Ranch Road. Make a right turn, go up

Castro Ranch road, over the top past newer homes and then you will fly downhill for ½ mile. At the

“Y” in the road make a right onto Alhambra Valley road. The next turn is about 2.5 miles away.

Make a right onto Bear Creek road and bike all the way over the Bears until you have a very steep

short climb (you will remember this one). There at the top will be your second traffic light. Make

another right onto San Pablo Dam Road (you are making a big circle on this route). Go downhill for

¾ of a mile and turn right back into the Reservoir for 1.9 miles. You will want to fly because your

bike ride is basically over. There could be people going and coming with their (fishing) boats from the

boat-launch ramp watch for them. Ride to the transition area. Dismount before the dismount line; rack

your bike then run out of the back end of the transition. Long Course Du Bikers you are doing 2 loops.

After the first loop do not come back to the transition area. When you get back to the park entrance

just continue down the road and do your 2nd loop before coming back inside. We will have a Water

Bottle exchange at the intersection of Bear Creek Road and San Pablo Dam Road. You must throw a

bottle to get a bottle. That’s how we know you want one.

Du 2nd Run:

2nd Run Short and Long course Duathletes after getting off the bike leave the transition and go up the

hill (there will be people there to guide you) and run up to the trail that you ran on the first run. Make

a right and run to the turnaround. Both the Long Course Duathletes and Short Course Duathletes will

run to the 5K turn around and back to the Finish Line. Check out the transition maps and you will see

the direction of the flow.

Bikers – no Drafting, we follow USAT Rules

Awards are 5 deep in 5-year age groups for the Duathlon Short and Long Course, 3 deep in 5-year age

groups for the 5K Run/Walkers.

We’re going to have a great day and a great race. Any questions please call me. 510.459.0854

Wolf