Wildflower triathlon weekend is pure magic!  I’ve always looked forward to it.  I attended the event for a few years in the early 2000’s just to camp and party prior to even considering I could complete a triathlon.  The energy of the event has brought me back year after year.

When I was asked to write a race review, it was hard not to focus entirely on what Wildflower once was.  The race was dubbed the “Woodstock of Triathlons” and was widely regarded as the largest triathlon festival in North America and arguably one of the largest triathlon events in the world, peaking with nearly 7,500 athletes and 30,000 – 40,000 attending the event each year including campers, spectators, volunteers and vendors.  The long course evolved into the standard ½ ironman distance in the 80’s and offered Kona slots for many years.  Our local legend Mike Swan qualified for Kona 7 times at the event!  The collegiate scene at Wildflower became legendary because thousands of college athletes camped together all weekend, raced Sunday, and treated it as equal parts competition and rite of passage.  (And that Saturday evening naked run!  EPIC!  If you know, you know) Even in 2026, organizers are still leaning into that history, calling Wildflower the “birthplace of the collegiate triathlon championships.”

One of the best traditions of Wildflower has always been the schedule itself. If you are tough enough to race the long course Saturday, you can bask in the glory post-race while also keeping your friends awake who have to get up and race the Olympic course on Sunday.  This year the event offered an additional 20K trail run, and a 5K and 10K fun run Saturday evening, along with an open water swim event.

The race conditions this year were beautiful and unusually cool. Overcast skies, around 70 degrees, and a calm lake swim (70 degree water temp) made for a great start to the day. The swim felt peaceful, though maybe just a little lonely out there.  Running up the rough boat ramp to T1 is always a challenge.

The bike course was classic Wildflower: hilly, demanding, and relentless. Road conditions around the lake have not improved, with plenty of bumps along the way.  The winds stayed relatively light and the scenery was beautiful. The back half of the course reminded everyone who’s boss, with “Nasty Grade” around mile 40 and the demoralizing rolling hills heading back into the park.

Wildflower never gives you a chance to settle in on the run with rolling hills immediately out of transition. Most of the climbing comes between miles four and seven, but the section everyone remembers is “The Pit” around mile 10 — the steep drop down followed immediately by the grinding climb back out between miles 11 and 12. Veterans know you can treat this as a 12-mile run because that final mile down Lynch Hill is gloriously downhill all the way to the finish.  Assuming you still have the legs to run fast.

Post-race Wildflower delivered the scene that made the event famous. Hanging out in the festival area afterward, listening to great live music, enjoying a beer, and mostly vegging out until the awards ceremony around 4:00.  What a perfect afternoon! It was fun watching athletes collect awards from all the different events this year.  Of course, the final challenge of the day remains the same: hauling your bike and gear back up that giant hill to camp, which somehow spikes your heart rate right back into Zone 4.

 

That evening around the campfire was my favorite part of the whole weekend. Sitting with friends, replaying stories from the day, laughing about the highs and lows, and enjoying everything that makes Wildflower special.  The race directors also brought big trailers with rows and rows of hot showers.  This was a nice touch and made us all feel like we were “Glamping”

Everyone from Santa Barbara represented well, and it felt good knowing we helped keep the spirit of Wildflower alive for one more year.  I finished 1st in the long course 45-49 age group.  Roland Lewin had a heroic finish in his first experience on the long course contending with cramps on the run and finished strong in the 65-69 age group. Congrats to John Nelson for taking 1st place in the 70-74 age group on the Olympic course.  You’ve still got it John!  Bob Deloe had a strong first Wildflower Olympic with 2nd place 65-69 age group.  Catherine Gloster brought her wonderful energy and strong overall performance with a 6th place finish in a tough 55-59 age group.

Will Wildflower return next year? That remains to be seen. With rumors of the race director retiring and the noticeably smaller turnout this year, the future feels uncertain.

Could this be the end of an era?

I sure hope not.

(Ed. note - Jamie won his age group by 46 minutes. Andrew Walton raced in the Olympic distance event)

Full results at: https://raceresults.eternaltiming.com/20260502_Wildflower_Experience.htm

Just one week after doing the Olympic Race at Wildflower, Catherine Gloster ran the Wine Country Half Marathon in Solvang, and finished 3rd in her age group.

Full results at: https://results.laurelt.com/sbw/results?race=168001