The East Cooper Coastal Triathlon has been laid to rest, officially cancelled for 2011 and beyond. If you're completely bummed by reading that last line, I'm with you, I feel your pain. That was one of my favorite races, and one that I competed in each year since its inception in 2005.
In early January, when I went to the Charleston Triathlon Club website to look at race dates and start planning my season, I noticed this race wasn't listed. I was hoping that race director Paul King had just not found a suitable date, and would put the race back on the calendar once he did, but that is not the case. I live on the same street as Paul, so I see him all the time. I saw him over the weekend and asked if the race was going to happen, and he confirmed that it will not.
We really didn't discuss why, because I could tell he was bummed out as well. My best guess, and this is purely a guess, is that because this race spanned three municipalities, in very busy areas, there were likely complaints from residents. If you've done this race, you've seen how traffic is affected on IOP, and then again on the connector as you near the finish. I'm guessing people complained about the inconvenience it caused them. Again, that is purely speculation.
How did I come to that conclusion? This race was supported by sponsors and had a great athlete turnout. Most races die because one of those two criteria aren't met. In this case, I'm guessing that Bitsy was late to her hair appointment, or old man Cranky was late to his foursome at Patriot's Point, and they called town council, or the mayor, or whomever, and raised hell.
Most triathlons are done out in the country, in a more rural setting, on back roads, with a few police scattered about for traffic control. And there is a reason for that. An urban triathlon is a logistical headache, and everyone, including those who are not racing but live and work in the communities affected, have to be on the same page. Otherwise, it's like fitting a square peg into a round hole. It just won't work.
But whatever the reason, we should focus on the positive and just move on. Last year Paul added a 5th race to the James Island series, which will be held this year on May 22. So really, that void in your race calendar can be filled with another local race.
R.I.P. ECCT, you will be missed.
