raced it about 4 times.
The course is pretty much flat with "slight" hill that you hit in first mile and about mile 7 ish on the way out again. Any other run this would be nothing.

I would be more concerned about running in heat/humidity that the course.

My biggest tip is the run is all about the 2nd lap so pace lap 1.


Robbie

The way to train for the Racine run; wait till 3pm on a hot day, soak yourself then do your long run...preferably in an area filled with expansion cracks :)

Like the guy ahead said, there is one hill you hit twice, everything else is flat. The last .25 going into the shoot is downhill and you can let it rip. Be sure to grab a massage right after then wade into the icey cool lake MI to chill off.

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Whopping 315 ft

Thanks for the info and the pointers. Living in NW Wisconsin, it would be to easy for me to find a run route filled with expansion cracks! A hot day on the other hand may be a tough one to come by.

Are you doing Racine this year by chance?

every year I swear I won't do it again and this I'll stick to it. Love the swim...closest you'll find to an ocean type swim in the midwest, but the roads just kill me each year.

Good luck, great folks, great event. Make sure you have 25s on and at a nice, compliant pressure!

I'm with you there! Done it a few times but always take a year off because I would NEVER race it again: too crowed on the bike, too many thumps, then I realize it's an hour from my house and I can sleep in my own bed the night before. Let's just hope it isn't 90 degrees!

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As mentioned, there's one hill right out of transition and at the start of lap 2. Pace it smartly. Everything else is pretty much flat, with a very slight roller near the turnaround at 3&9 miles.

As mentioned, heat and humidity are the concern. For the faster guys, traffic on lap 2 and aid station congestion is a serious problem. Be prepared to skip stations of walk...or some being out of pre filled gatoraide on Lap 2. The worst was the station at think mile 2&8 if I remember.

You just hit a some congestion of lapped traffic it seems as the field "inverts" as later waves of mid 5 hour athletes pass earlier 7 hour athletes.... at the same moment that low 4 hour athletes are coming around on lap 2.

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It's actually a set of hills at the start of the run and start of the second loop. The first hill isn't too bad and is a bit more gradual and the second comes up half a block later and is the same elevation change in about 2/3 the distance.

I'll be there again this year. The swim start and the hills are one block away from my house. Anybody that complains about a few expansion cracks on race day should train on them all summer. 😀

Awesome! Talk about home field advantage. Glad to see that I am not the only one on ST that will be at this race as I was starting to think I was the only crazy one for doing this race!

How bad is the congestion on the bike? I am shooting for 4:45-5 respectively.

There are two sections about 1 mile each of the bike course that are awful with little room to pass. Probably even worse for the younger faster guys that start in later waves. The course is relatively flat with a couple hills but lots of turns and some rough sections of road. There are also some nice long straight sections with fresh pavement.

The swim is the best but be prepared for rough water or cold water. Our tri club usually does a supported practice swim a few weeks before the race. If you haven't swam in Lake Michigan much it might be worth the trip down.

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Thanks for the heads up I will have to keep my eyes open on the bike course. It is amazing how many people don't know the rules or ediqute while on the bike.

I used to live in SW FL so rough water swimming is something that I know well. As for the cold of Lake MI I will manage. I have had to many times of being the young thick headed guy and thinking that water isn't that cold. Yeah it is that cold and why would you not want to the advantage of the wetsuit!

I doubt I will be popping down there for the swim, its a 4-41/2hr drive for me.

Can't add anything that hasn't already been said about the elevation profile. A few of the locals on the run course will have their hoses out, take advantage! Also, make sure all of your bolts are torque'd down properly. The first and last 2 miles of the bike are freaking brutal with the expansion joints.

+1 on the temp. I would train in the heat to get used to it. The hill isnt as bad as you might think. I would just run a steep hill maybe once a week and you will be fine.

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Yaaaa to hoses and sprinklers!!

I will have to get the torque wrench out and run through everything then before check in. <thumbs up>

How does Racine 70.3 compare to Steelhead with regards to the expansion cracks and congestion? Just curious since I'm trying to pick between the two.

I think Steelhead is way better. Racine has expansion cracks on part of the course like every 10 yards or so. Congestion on the bike course is similar I think but Steelhead has more space to pass in most places but Racine is fine outside of a few areas where it is very narrow.

I could be harsh on the Racine course because both years I did it I did not enjoy the bike! But I'm coming back because it is a really nice race and very convenient for me to drive to.

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This is my first time at Racine, in fact, my first 70.3. So not knowing any different I should have done a little more research on the courses before signing my life away.

I think next year I will be doing either Steelhead or there is the non M Dot Door County HIM here in WI. That is actually a little closer to my house than Racine. I have heard great reviews about that race.

If you see me on the course don't pass me going to fast!

The course isn't THAT bad. The cracks are more annoying but, like I said, I didn't have great bikes either time I did the race and the second time I also crashed into a cone in one section because someone decided to just move over before looking so I have bad experiences but before that part of the course I had no issues. The roads might be annoying but they're not awful. I even think they redid a few sections last year. The swim is nice and the run isn't bad. I think a lot just depends on the weather. If it is super hot the race will suck, but any race would suck when it's hot and humid! If the weather is fine then it makes things easier.

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Probably the best advise you'll come by for training for Racine. Enjoy the coolness of the swim while you have it; you'll be wishing you were back in the water during the run.

This year will be 4th time at Racine.

Its one of my favorite races. The roads I train on are just as bad, if not worse, so I guess the expansion cracks never really bother me. The run course is my favorite part; it follows the lake for a while, then through some neighborhoods. The zoo is nice, but you're only there for about 1/4 mile or so on each lap.

My first year in '12, it was exceedingly hot and humid, but other years have been milder. Got lucky and didn't do it last year when the swim was cancelled and the bike shortened due to weather.

I only did Steelhead once, and the swim was cancelled that year. I remember the run being pretty boring; running around the Maytag parking lot if I recall. Like you, its closer to where I live, but I've never felt compelled to go back.

Are there any good places outside of transition for family members to watch the bike and run? Or is it pretty much once you are there in the transition area you don't leave because its just to much work to get anywhere or to even get back to transition? Know my parents wouldn't mind catching me at a couple of spots on the bike if they could with my kids.

Not for the bike course, it leads away from transition up that little hill and then turns away from the lake until you come back. For the run, most people wait by the hill so that you can see the runners on both laps

I'd agree with jazzy. There's really no way to spectate the bike course without driving somewhere.

Flat and Hot.

Two hills at the beginning of each loop.