536 and 1405 were the numbers I saw from the results page (might include DNFs though). I don't know what the registration numbers were. But it's a weird day when ~2000 is "not sustainable".

Yeah, I guess my view is just of 2013, the first Whistler year, when numbers were up

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Wow, really surprised at the very low 70.3 numbers, whichever one it is....

Coeur d'Alene also got bonus Kona slots this year which probably drained some athletes from Whistler.

It's deservedly known as a hard course, and last year showed how unpredictable the weather can be. Even this year, a few days earlier and it would have been cold and rainy again (though not as bad as last year). Saturday would have been perfect for fast times with a high of 66. And Sunday was into the 80s.

Registration is now open for the 70.3. $225 CAD until Oct 19th. I think that equates to about $12 American right now. ;-)

I'm a firm believer in a tri bike over a road bike in just about every tri but would there be any advantage to a roadie for the 70.3 course since there's not a lot of flat and there's a lot of up and down. The Whistler to Pemberton to Whistler part of the course is all up and down and accounts for more than 1/3 of the course. The only "flatish" parts of the course are miles 0-10 and 20-30.

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Favorite Gear: Dimond | Cadex | Desoto Sport | Hoka One One

Anyone have a Garmin file for the 70.3 run course?

I've only done the full there, but I would say the only part that really kept me sitting up for an extended span was the final climb back to Whistler. Callaghan isn't quite so bad and it rolls.

You can stay on the aerobars for the entire downhill portion. There's not much you have to watch out for unless there's a crash ahead of you.

Tri bike all the way. You can stay in the bars for all the descents (the 70.3 skips the only sketchy one outside Pemberton). And even heading back up to Whistler, you may run into a headwind and want to drop into the bars.

With all due respect, I have ridden the course on both a road bike and a TT and would always choose to race Whistler on a TT.

There are very few technical descents that would force you out of TT bars for long, and there are enough 2-4% grade sections and wind that make a TT bike a huge benefit.

I've done the full at Whistler 2x so I'm familiar with the course but I was just thinking about the constant up and down for the majority of the 56 miles and it had me thinking aloud. Tri bike it is.

Registered for the 70.3 this morning.

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Favorite Gear: Dimond | Cadex | Desoto Sport | Hoka One One

Awesome! Hopefully the weather is as stunning as last year.

I raced the full in 2013, half this year, and am a "local" (Vancouver). I don't think you will regret choosing a TT bike for the half provided you are comfortable on it.

Even on the hilliest part, which is the return from Pemby (you don't go all the way, it turns well before suicide hill), the TT is the better choice due the large sections of false flats. I actually found the half course to be relatively fast despite its apparent elevation on paper - in terms of time, I rode a 2:34 on a TT, would usually ride 2:30 on a rolling/flat course. So it isn't that brutal of a ride - quite stunning actually, and you get to miss the boredom of the Pemby flats!

Is there any wind on this course?

Typically, yes. In the late morning, winds will pick up in the Pemberton valley and back into Whistler.

The 70.3 course doesn't really go into the Pemberton Valley. It turns around about 10K before you even get to the Village of Pemberton. Riders will be almost completely shielded from crosswinds due to the mountains but head and tailwinds can come into play.

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Favorite Gear: Dimond | Cadex | Desoto Sport | Hoka One One

Ah right. I wasn't paying attention. You can face headwinds back into whistler, but the timing works in the favour of the athletes.

As an aside... the Pemberton area (not relevant to the 70.3 but definitely relevant for the IM) can have very different weather from Whistler. In 2014, Pemberton was like 20 degrees warmer than Whistler and totally exposed to wind and sun. That and all the f'n bees in Pemberton. I got stung both years I did IMC ('13 and '14), I got stung a lot in 2014.

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Favorite Gear: Dimond | Cadex | Desoto Sport | Hoka One One

Not much we can do about the bees or the weather, unfortunately.
As an aside, I live in Pemberton and have yet to be stung. Weird.

Not really. I haven't had any in the 3 years I have done it.

I also have not been stung by any bees. I thought they were al dead anyway? I was bitten by Christine Cogger once though.

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