i havent done galveston but I know quite a few that have done both. Marble Falls is hands down the harder race as far as terrain. Last year it was hot and it is a hilly course. I think the swim even has hills. I would do MF because it is a much more affordable race, very friendly venue, very challenging and its closer. I would do Galveston for a PR....because it is a pretty flat course. There will be more competition at Galveston however, there are some salty competitors at HITS MF. The RD for HITS MF worked his ass off last year and made it a very well run race.

---

"WHEW...I really regret that workout!"..............Noone

The terrain at MF is without a doubt more challenging but the conditions at Galveston are without a doubt more challenging.

People who haven't done the Texas 70.3 assume it's a super fast race because it's about as flat as possible. I think Cozumel and Eagleman/IMMD are the only courses that are potentially more flat than the Galveston course. That stated, bike times at Galveston tend to not be super fast and average finish times are actually slower than much harder courses like Syracuse, Austin, Boulder, and Buffalo Springs.

Why?



The competition will be much higher at Galveston for obvious reasons. It's an IM/WTC race and has about 15x as many participants as MF. Last year the MF HIM had 160 racers, Galveston had 2,300. This year they are on the same day. While MF and Galveston aren't exactly located in the same area (four hours by car), they do pull from the same general race populace. My guess is MF ends up with even less participants than last year.

---

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

Marble Falls is actually $10 more expensive than the IM race given I'm registering at last minute.

I've heard good things about the RD @ MF and the bike looks harder which is why I'm leaning that way.

Besides more participants and competitors, any reason to do Galveston instead?

Not that I consider Galveston a destination mecca but it can be a nice vacation spot, whereas Marble Falls is kind of in the middle of Bumfuck Nowhere, Texas.

---

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

Just looking to get in-and-out this time rather than make a vacation out of it. MF is only an hour from home, whereas Galveston is 3.5ish. I'll sign up for MF today. Hopefully there's more than 160 participants, because I would hate to miss out on the podium with only 4 people in my AG

Hits Marble Falls and 70.3 Galveston are both excellent races. When Galveston sold out last year, we tried Hits MF last minute.

Parking is easy for both.

Check in is faster for Marble Falls.

Galveston has a wave start. Marble Falls has one big group start. Both are in-water starts.

Marble Falls has the nicer swim due to clean, clear water with great visibility. Galveston is swim by braille.

Hits has a nicer T1. Fewer people, more space and fantastic wheel racks with benches.

Being in a later wave at Galveston made biking through the masses unpleasant for me, and there was quite a lot of drafting in 2013, but Jimmy R. reportedly really cleaned it up last year.
Everyone at Marble falls rooted for each other as we would pass, or be passed. That was inspiring. Ten more watts at MF produced a ten minute slower bike split than at Galveston.

Hits T2 is again the winner, just make sure you know where your space is, because if you return first, Hits' empty racks can all look the same.

Galveston has a flat, twisty, multi-loop run. Galveston's run is interesting, and easy to break into sections. Hits has a difficult, hilly, out and back run that lets you get a groove going.

Medals are comparable between the two. Shirts are comparable. Post race food is comparable. No pizza at Hits.

Check out is comparable.

This is excellent. Thank you. Exactly what I was looking for.

If you're interested in checking out the bike course a couple of fellow twitchers will be in Marble Falls this weekend riding the bike course. Friday morning meet at the old T2 (hospital near junction of 71 & 281) at 9:00AM. If you can only make Saturday we will probably ride that morning too.

I've done both races ( HITS twice), and I prefer Galveston. The roads at MF just flat out stink. I don't mind the hills, but that chip seal is just god awful and I'm not a fan of rolling over cattle guards in aero.

I think HITS has changed the course a few times since I've last been there 2 years ago, but those roads don't change.

That said, the swim at MF is nice, and the run course is a toss up depending on which course both races use this year. Galveston had a horrible run course on tarmac a few years ago. I ran it the year after when they changed the run, but it was a bunch of loops that was fairly boring.

So I'm not much help at all. Have fun!

---

@davempratt

Please report back tomorrow on the bike course. There were no cattle guards on the bike course last year. I think those were only on the course in 2011. Chip seal, if there was any, wasn't the same chunky stuff as chip seal in Seattle or Canada. Last year, I used a front Jet9/23mm and the road seemed nice enough that this year I planned to ride the faster H3/20mm combo. I'm traveling to Houston for the next three weeks, then going from there to Marble Falls, so have to pick my front wheel tomorrow. A road surface report tomorrow would be greatly appreciated.

Will do. I don't believe there are any cattle guards this year either. I ride up around this area so am used to the chip seal roads, but agree not the most comfortable or fastest road surface. I'll be testing out Mavic 40mm and S60 rear setup against S80 front and Renn575 both on GP400SII.

I love the Galveston race. They did in fact clean up the drafting last year and in previous years there were some groups. I really enjoy the swim, the bike is kind of windy and thus slower than expected, very uncomplicated though. The run is hot, but a really great course. In years past it went around on the airfield which was blazing hot in the Texas sun, but they got rid of that last year. It's a great, very circuitous route with lots of turns. The spectators really crowd in because you have people there for both spectating but also tourists at Moody Gardens who stop to cheer. It's a blast and typically I can see my loved ones/supporters several times per lap, in one case with my girlfriend being able to see me like 7 times per lap with minimal effort by walking around shortcuts.

I'm glad to hear that the bike course has changed from the first couple of years to get away from the cattle guards. Maybe I need to make my triumphant return to triathlon and check it out.

---

@davempratt

So here are my thoughts from yesterday's ride. Hwy 71 has a nice tarmac shoulder for most of it's length (the shoulder is actually better than the road). The first short section of 962 is pretty rough chip seal but this quickly smooths out and is not too bad - still chip seal but not too rough. There is no real shoulder on 962 but I never felt in danger although you will have trucks going past in close quarters at high speed. 3347 is more of the same then you turnaround where the road turns into a dirt road. Back onto 962 and the same fairly smooth chip seal all the way to 281 where you turn around again. You then go back down 962 until you hit 71 where the smooth road begins again which does feel nice. As for the course - I would categorize it as rolling hills with a few relatively short steep inclines, there are no really long hills of any duration but there are some steep short sections (I am from Houston which does not have any hills so tKe this into account). It did get a little windy - some of this was from big trucks blasting past where you get hit by a gust of wind). There are some good sections where you can get some good speed on. Unless it is really windy I will be riding my disc and 80mm front based off yesterday's ride.

Thanks. Will front 90 rear disc too.