I raced Cabo back when it was in the spring.
It's a tough race, especially the bike! Not sure how the weather is in the fall but it the 2 times I raced it, it was brutally hot and not much shade, neither on the bike nor the run.
I still love that race but since they moved it to the fall it just doesn't work into my schedule.

Can't comment on Cabo but did Cozumel last year. Loved it.

Swim - point to point, advertised as downcurrent but we had one half into the current and second half with, it just switched midway. The prevailing current is usually against the swim course, but there must be shore eddies that affect that. Most people I talked to said it was about 20 minutes slower than expected but mine was the same as it was in 2 other IMs and exactly where I seeded

Bike - Flat, windy and hot so make sure you are dialed in on your aero. Seriously, so many people on their pads on the headwind portion, didn't get that. Aid stations every 10 miles so plentiful. Cold water in real water bottles. There are a few "rollers" on the windward side (you wouldn't notice them on a normal ride but they are tiny uphills, I actually welcomed them as I got out of the saddle). Three loops, each will get hotter and windier. Good crowd support thru town

Run - also three loops, also minor rollers. Run goes all the way up into the northern hotel zone and there are people along most of the route for encouragement. More shade than I expected. Sunday is the day where most locals go to the town square, on race day they all come out for the race. Best crowd I'd had. Aid stations every kilometer - so yes, there are 42 all told!

Logistics - For a point to point swim with a two transition race, and being in MX, it's probably the most well organized race I've done in 10 years. Gear drop off, plenty of buses for transport back to town. Race morning plenty of buses and cabs to get to T1, and buses to get to swim start. I used TBT, bike picked up at T1, after the ride you hand off your bike, and in the interim they've moved all the bike racks to a covered garage at the finish. After the race, go to your number, your bike is there along with your race morning, bike and run bags. Quite amazing. Walk 50 feet and drop off bike at TBT.

We stayed for another 9 days diving and relaxing

Not sure if I'll do another full, but Coz would be on the list (just got back from Coz Sunday as well)

Did Coz this year just with the wife in tow. Are planning to go back again this year with whole family. As Chris said, well organized, lots of support, and you can turn it into a family vacation. Promised my wife I would learn how to scuba dive before we went back, not looking forward to that nor do i have any idea how to fit that into the summer schedule, but the diving is supposed to be world class there. Loved the snorkeling we did after the race last year.

Lots of accommodation choices as well.

I've done both races. I did Cabo three years ago when it was still a March race, and Cozumel the year before that. I agree that the bike was tough, but I don't think it's tougher than IMMT or Placid. My perception of the bike is skewed though, because I was a total dummy and read the elevation change in the course description to be 2000 feet instead of 2000 meters. I showed up with the absolute wrong gearing and slaughtered my legs for both the bike and run on the first half of the bike. I mostly enjoyed the Cabo run, but my race experience was not great because I screwed up.

I loved Cozumel. The swim was tough the year that I did it -- unusually choppy water and a really strong current - but the water is just incredible. The course is flat, fast, and hot. There's a lot of drafting, but what can you do.

I know people love Cabo for a vacation destination, but I preferred Cozumel. The place where we stayed in Cabo strongly discouraged swimming in the ocean, so that was disappointing. Cozumel was kind of a pain in the ass to get there without shelling out a ton of cash to fly directly to the island, but it was worth it. We rented a nice house on the beach for about $1200 for 5 days, got a scooter and enjoyed our time on the island a lot.

Any recommendations on where to stay in Cozumel? Hotel or rent a house?

Depends on what you want, who's coming with you, for how long, how far away you want to be from race or town.....etc.

Just commenting on areas right at T2/finish, and places I know and/or have stayed at, Cozumel Palace (a host hotel) is nice but fairly expensive. Right at hot corner and finish. El Cantil condos are also right there next door, you can rent through VRBO.

To the north, closer in town, and actually on the run course, is Casa Mexicana and its more run down sister Suites Bahia. All walkable to finish. Casa Mex has a great breakfast buffet and I've seen lots of racers when I've stayed there before. Clean hotel but not a lot of places to hand out other than the room (why we don't go there anymore). There are some other hotels in town , i.e. Barracuda, etc that I have not stayed at that are somewhat lower rent

Way north of the main road (Melgar) is the northern hotel zone, on the run course but remote, you'd really need a car to get around, or by taxi

Going south from the finish, Hotel Cozumel is a little bit down the road, about 1/2 mile from finish, also a host hotel and where the meeting is. My only exposure is the meeting, seemed like a nice place. Large pool are athough and seemed like it could get crowded. On the bike course.

Scuba Club Cozumel is across the street from Coz Hotel, not a host hotel and I haven't been but friends like it. It's all inclusive and mainly a dive op. On the water

We always stay at Blue Angel, about 1/2 mile from Hotel Coz, on the bike course, but not a host hotel (great grounds though and we love it, very reasonable and 10% off if paying in cash, dollars or pesos). On the water all rooms with ocean view. On site dive op and restaurant

South of that is VillaBlanca, not as nice as others but seems to get good reviews.

South of that about 1 mile is Park Royal, a host hotel. Don't know much about it. Met some folks on the dive boat staying there and they said it was very nice. Again, i am not an AI guy

Way south of that are the all inclusives, allegro, etc. Don't know much about them as I am not an AI guy, but if you are there on Thanksgiving Fiesta Americana has a pretty good turkey day meal

Those are just a small fraction of places to stay

Any recommendations for Cabo lodging? I'm taking the family. Wife and 2 kids 8 & 10.

Thanks for the info! This helps a lot!

Is Cozumel always the Sunday following Thanksgiving? Can anyone confirm the date for 2018?

In the recent past it has always been the Sunday after Thanksgiving, which I think makes it the perfect timing for a race, at least for those coming from the U.S.

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It is the mind itself which builds the body.
-Joseph Pilates

edited - sorry thought you meant this year. They won't announce until after this race is over (and when I was there last week they were still talking about it maybe going away- same as this year). But I'd count on the Sunday after turkey day

Thanks for taking the time to type that reply with all that info! Will be my wife & I going along with another couple, at least 2 of us will be doing the race. Will be my first time to Cozumel. Thinking condo might be the way to go.

I'd recommend el cantil. Very nice and perfect location. I can give you a couple contacts if you want

I did IM Cabo in 2015. We stayed at the Hyatt Ziva in San Jose del Cabo. Super convenient - not a host hotel, but within walking distance of all host hotels, and the run went past it multiple times (I want to say twice on each loop, so six times) which is nice for family spectating. Seemed like a fairly kid-friendly place. Had a huge maze of pools for everyone, plus a kid's pool/play area and a kid's watch type place.

As for the rest of the race, I really liked it and am considering doing it again this year if I can get my bandaged-together body through Placid intact. A little disorganized, but they did a great job race day. Lots of water and ice on the course. The bike was challenging, but honestly, it was easier than my local rides (i'm in San Diego). It was still HOT in late October - high was low 90s, and it was humid. From what I understand, Cabo cools down a lot in the first two weeks of November, so I would expect the high to be closer to low 80s. Probably still not a wetsuit swim, but with the salt water, my swim was actually faster than I am in a wetsuit.

Great info. Thanks

+1 on el cantil. I've races Coz three times and stayed there every time. It is literally on the bike and run course, so it is perfect for the family. It is also directly across the street from the finish line, and just a few hundred meters up the road from registration.

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I did Cozumel Full in 2015, and Cabo Full last year and the half the year before. They are both amazing races, however you will see more crowd support , and fellow racers, in Cozumel. Cabo is a much more challenging course, with over 6k feet of climbing, and a tougher swim and run. I'm doing Cabo again this year because I wanted a challenging IM on my schedule and doing Cozumel means I cant spend Thanksgiving with my family.

Vacation wise they are both awesome.

Done Cozumel 5x, and done Cabo 3x. Love them both, but they are very different indeed.

Coz is flat and windy, and good chance of rain on the run course.
Cabo, hot, dry, windy, and hilly.

IMO Cabo is more challenging course, but Coz is much prettier and funner course.
Coz swim is the BEST. You sight on the sea floor. Cabo swim is green-ish and nothing to see.

I choose Coz over Cabo if I have to pick one.

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Team Zoot-Texas, and Pickle Juice

 
For Cabo I'm assuming dry means no rain. Is the heat dry or humid? I'm thinking about the effectiveness of a sleeved cooling top there.

Cabo is hot and humid, but not nearly like Coz. Coz is humid and mosquitos in the evening due to the dampness. Cabo is dry air, red dust.

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Team Zoot-Texas, and Pickle Juice

I did Cabo last year - race report here http://www.unelitetri.com/...abps-2016-recap.html

tldr - it is a beast of a course but worth doing if you want to challenge yourself.

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Next races on the schedule: none at the moment

When you stayed at the Hilton or that general area. Were you allowed your bike in the hotel?

Did you get rides to T1 and T2 on the bus service that left from a host hotel. Did you get a bus into the swim start in the race morning.

From the Hilton can a family walk to the finish line???

Thanks

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Technique will always last longer then energy production. Improve biomechanics, improve performance.
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First, I was at the Hyatt, which is on the "hotel strip" in San Jose del Cabo. There was a Hilton that was a host hotel that was between Los Cabos and San Jose - so a good 10-15 miles away. All of the below is about the Hyatt.

Yes, I did take my bike in the hotel. No one said anything. There were a number of other people racing who I also saw taking their bike through. The Hyatt (and most of those hotels I think) was very big, had lots of outdoor areas, so it was a good walk with the bike.

I actually rode my bike to T2 (a mile or two away) to drop off T2 bag, then rode to T1 to drop off bike. I could have taken the buses, but it wasn't that far and I used it as an opportunity for short spin. I took the bus to T1 in the morning. I had to walk out the hotel and about 1/2 a block to get on it. There were lots of people doing the same thing. Family could absolutely walk to the finish line - it was no more than a 2-3 miles away. I actually contemplated walking back after I was done, and kind of regretted not doing since I waited 40 minutes to try and get in a cab (my husband walked my bike back, and I ended up sharing a cab with several people).