Escape From Alcatraz

At TriFit, we’re all about the journey—before, during, and after race day. This blog is where we share our experiences from races across the country, from local sprints to epic destination events. You’ll find travel tips, race-day insights, and honest recaps to help you prepare, perform, and enjoy every mile. Whether you're chasing a new PR or just in it for the thrill, we hope our stories inspire and guide you on your own racing adventures.

The Race: Escape from Alcatraz

“A boat to Alcatraz Island, 1.5 mile swim across the San Francisco Bay, 18 mile bike through Golden Gate Park, and 8 mile run. What started as a conversation at our kitchen table with me asking him to watch a YouTube video (click here to watch), telling him I had found this triathlon. It was a lottery to get in… so we said “what is the chance of actually getting it?”. A few months later and an email saying he has been selected sent us to San Francisco”. 

This was my facebook post almost one year ago when Mitch and Marcus had just completed the Escape from Alcatraz Triathlon. Almost a year later, and it’s still one of the coolest experiences we have had. Since I decided to start blogging these trips, I thought I’d look through my notes and outline the process, because doing a triathlon all the way across the country was no easy task! 

Packing & Preparation

As you can imagine, completing a triathlon all the way across the country took a lot of planning. We went in with the mindset of “complete, not compete” which really helped us make some decisions along the way. One of the first decisions that we had to make was how Mitch planned to bike. There are two options: Ship his bike to California or rent a bike for him. Thankfully, the Escape from Alcatraz website was very helpful with navigating some of this. 

Shipping the bike was approximately $500. We would have dropped it off at a local bike shop in Columbia, SC and picked it up during check-in once we got to the triathlon. Though this was a good option that we may use in the future for other triathlons, we chose to rent a bike. We rented the bike through a company called Unlimited Biking which was a company that was working with this specific triathlon. For 2025’s triathlon, it looks like Escape from Alcatraz has partnered with a different company. The bike rental was a couple hundred dollars cheaper than shipping the bike and also included the helmet (one less thing to pack). 

We were planning to be in California for an additional week after the triathlon, so our packing looked a little different. Most importantly, the boys had everything that they needed to complete the triathlon in their carry on bag (wet suit included). After the triathlon, we re-arranged our items, put everything needed for the triathlon into a checked bag, and sent it back to South Carolina with some family that had joined us for the trip. 

Check-In

Check in was a smooth process, even with the addition of picking up rental bikes. The line was very long, so go early and allot plenty of time; this is a big race. After getting the typical bibs and swag items, the boys had to pick up their rental bikes. Mitch was hesitant to rent a bike, but it made the most sense with how far we had to travel. 

Quick Tip

• Flat pedals are provided on the rental bikes. You CAN bring your pedals to have the mechanics put on the bike for you. Many people rented bikes for this event, as it is such a travel destination race.

Race Day

For the athlete 

Our day began very early at approximately 3:30 AM. This is also the time that shuttles begin to leave the Marina Green area (transition). The morning of the race, our athletes took an uber from our hotel down to set-up transition, then got on the shuttle to head to Pier 3 where the ferry departs. You had to place any items NOT jumping in the water (jackets, shoes) with you in a bag at the bins before boarding the ferry.

You are on the ferry, waiting for approximately 1-2 hours before you get to jump. Athletes began to jump at 7AM; it takes 6-7 minutes to unload the entire boat. Plenty of bathrooms on the boat for the long wait.

Once exiting the swim, you proceed to a mini transition before the half mile run to transition. In this mini transition, you have the option to put on running shoes for the half mile run. Mitch packed shoes and planned to put them on for the run, however during race time he chose not to. He also ended up with a rock in his foot for the rest of the race… choose wisely.

Quick Tip

• Take an extra pair of googles on the ferry that you are willing to throw away. The worst thing would be for your googles to break and you have to complete the swim without them. 

For the spectator

Our support crew took an Uber from the hotel to the transition area. This was not as simple as I had initially hoped for. You can put the address in, however there are several road closures which make the Uber drop off difficult. If you take an Uber, I would expect to get close, but still have a little bit to walk. If you are able to get close to the Palace of Fine Arts, you are close to the swim exit. 

Once the athletes begin to jump, they exit the water pretty quickly. On average, Mitch would complete a 1.5 mile lake swim in approximately 40 minutes, however he swam this in 21 minutes and 53 seconds. It’s easiest to watch from Marina Green beach on the Golden Gate side of the St. Francis Yacht Club. Once the swimmers exit, they will go through a mini transition area as there is a half mile run to transition. We saw our athletes through the mini transition area and then did not see them again until they came back in from the bike. 

This was not an easy triathlon to spectate on the course, but there was plenty to keep us entertained at the Festival Village. Food trucks were also available for coffee and a snack. 

Where to Stay

We took a lot of suggestions off of the Escape From Alcatraz website and one of the hotels that had a block for the event was the Hyatt Centric Fisherman’s Wharf. Marina Green is where most of the action occurs. This hotel is walkable for some and not for others. It’s approximately 1.5 miles from the hotel. We were able to walk to most of our “adventures” and to dinner, but the race itself was a little far. The morning of the race, we took an uber. 

Where to Eat

Our first evening in the city, we grabbed dinner at Taco Cantina at Pier 39. If you are from the East Coast, this is very similar to a Moe’s, Chipotle, or Salsaritas- casual and quick!

The next day, we stopped for lunch at In-N-Out close to Fisherman’s Wharf. It was very busy, but somewhere that we wanted to stop since it is somewhere that we do not have back home. For our pre-race dinner, the night before the race, we ate at Piazza Pellegrini. It’s a great spot if you’re dining with a larger group- plenty of seating. For anyone interested, this restaurant does have gluten free pasta options, however, there was not a gluten free pizza option. 

While not a restaurant, we made a quick stop at Trader Joe’s, just a 3-minute walk from our hotel. It was the perfect place to stock up on snacks and essentials for the next few days ahead. 

Adventure

Since some of our group had been to San Francisco before, we decided to split up and do different things. While the boys completed check-in, picked up their bikes, and attended the athlete briefing, several of us took the opportunity to visit Alcatraz Island. The ferry to Alcatraz is approximately a 0.7 mile walk from our hotel and you must arrive 30 minutes prior to the boat leaving. We purchased tickets approximately 1 week in advance. For anyone who is like me and always wants to know where the nearest bathroom is: you're covered. There are bathrooms located at the boarding area, on the ferry, as well as on the island. This adventure took us approximately 2.5 hours. 

While eating dinner at Taco Cantina, we were already at Pier 39, so we took full advantage of the Sea Lion Viewing. I would say that Pier 39 is very commercialized and “touristy”, but the Sea Lions were a highlight of our trip! 

While at the pier, I found one of my favorite kinds of souvenirs- a Christmas ornament! I love collecting ornaments from every place that we visit, and this shop didn’t disappoint. My mom was even able to get one with all of our names on it! 

Another stop on our itinerary was Ghirardelli Square. After lunch one day, we were able to walk over and get an ice cream treat. It’s a great spot not only for dessert, but also for picking up small Ghiradelli chocolates for souvenirs- they have more favors than you can imagine! 

Weather/Packing

I seriously underestimated how many layers I would need to watch this event. Since the race was in June, I assumed the weather would be mild, but I was wrong. I needed multiple layers and a jacket. There was also significant wind once down by the water. 

Overall, this was a bucket list race and one that I would recommend completing (or spectating) once in your life! 

We look forward to continuing our travels one race at a time!