Boise is a good choice for a first half. Unless its hot (which is seldom) it usually gets easier the entire race:
That is to say the swim is usually choppy, cold and slow; The worst wind is usually during the middle of the bike course (Last 7-8 are fast easy miles - OK not last year. Wind from weird direction) ... And the run is as fast & easy as possible (Bike path). But crowded.
The city is big with plenty to do before and after. The only weird part is the 1 p.m. start, which means slower people run at dusk.

Both races are hit and miss due to the weather. St George is way harder both on the bike and on the run. Despite St George being the harder course I would highly recommend it.

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St George is a fantastic venue. It's a point to point with makes it extra cool (the logistics that come with it are easy). Swim in Sand Hollow Reservoir will be hit or miss depending on the wind; if it's windy it can get extremely choppy and if it's calm it will be smooth sailing to the finish. Clear water which is very nice, and easy to sight since you're sorta going in a rectangle around an island.

Bike course has some flat and some slow sections. It's very scenic, the best part is the climb through Snow Canyon (do a search on google images) which is super scenic followed by a really fast but not technical descent to the town and T2. Run = very hilly. It will kick your butt. Running along Red Cliffs Parkway is brutal.

All in all it's a fantastic race, and very rewarding. Highly recommended. Never done Boise so I don't know anything about it besides it being very cold a few years ago causing guys to ride their bikes in wetsuits.

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I did both Boise and St. George this year. Here are my 2 cents...

Swim – To me they were pretty much the same. Water temps were cold at both races and I wore a neoprene swim cap in both, though it wasn't absolutely necessary. I don't remember there being choppy water in either and my swim times were about the same.

Bike – St. George is hillier and prettier. Boise is probably easier.

Run – Again, St. George is a bit hillier. Both are pretty IMO, but different. St. George is exposed and you're running next to beautiful red rock the entire time. It's also an out and back run. Boise's run is along the river, very pretty and shaded. It's a two-loop run.

Cities – The city of St. George was a bit of a let down. There wasn't much in terms of good food (mostly big chain restaurants) or anything memorable. That said, Zion National Park was amazing. My husband and I spent the day after the race there and did the Angels Landing hike which I'd highly recommend. Boise was surprisingly fun. I didn't have any knowledge of the city beforehand, but turns out there's great food (locally-sourced restaurants, mom-and-pop type shops) and a great downtown. It has all the amenities of a big city, but thankfully lacks all the annoyances of a big city.

Picking a race would all really depend on what you're looking for. St. George is a challenging, but beautiful course. Other than Zion, there's not much to do there. Boise is faster. The course isn't quite as amazing as St. George, but it has some pretty rural areas on the bike and the run along the river is pretty. And I really liked the city of Boise.

Easier to find beer in Boise...

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