I heard from a little birdie (nearly 40 IM's) that this is a great course and possibly the hidden gem in the US for IM's. I plan on doing it...just not in the near future. Oh, and be prepared for heat...and humidity.

x2. All joking aside, this race should be the model for all future Ironman races.

X3. I just love this race (3x), and I have done Wisco, Lake Placid (3x), Florida (1x), B2B (1x) and been to Ariz and CDA to watch. I like the TT swim (I don't care about spending an hour in the Ohio river), love the bike course, love the heat and humidity, and love the finish. Nice flat run course too. Plus, I think Louisville is underrated as a city.

I second joining the IAMTRI group as they host numerous course practice weekends leading up to the race. I'm talking an hour+ practice swim in Ohio River with kayak lifeguards, 8 aid stations on the bike course, all fully stocked with water, gatorade, perform, granola bars, power bars, oranges, bananas, sunscreen, butt'r, aquaphor, wet wipes... for a suggested donation of $15.


I drove 12 hours each way to do one of these weekends and am glad I did.

Just a cautionary note about people saying the run is flat - it is flat-ish, but it's not pancake so be prepared for that. Definitely no IMLP or IMC on the run, but there was enough grade change last year that I was cursing the people who said it was flat going in.

I was just getting ready to say this. Off the top of my head there are three hills on the course. One over the bridge. One under the train tracks by University of Louisville. One on Southern Parkway when you go under the expressway. Plus going out you are going uphill and come back you are going downhill. It isn't hilly but it isn't pancake flat.

Come on folks...Louisville is FLAT! The "big" hill up the bridge is all of 43 feet elevation gain over 1.5 miles, done right at the start of the run. Once you come down the bridge, the max elevation change is like 20 feet...yes, you go up 20 feet and then down 20 feet and then back up 20 feet and back down...it all adds up to 220 feet of MASSIVE VERTICAL change during the run. Hell, I get that much vertical just using the squatty potty!

When viewed from above, the bike course looks like a lollipop with finger pointing out from the "stick." Unless you are out in front of the field, this area is likely to be crowded. Combine the crowds with some of the steepest hills on the course and an aid station, you have high potential for crashes. The "finger" is still early in the day, so I would recommend some defensive and alert riding through that area. I think most people overstate the "nastiness" of the river, but each person responds differently...I had no issues with water in the eyes or the taste. The run is flat, and I liked the two loop run...I knew what to expect the second half...I hit the turn around and it was "game on" to the finish.