Did it in 2014.

Swim: they advertise point to point with the current. That year the current changed around the mile mark. We were against it the first mile, with it the last 1.4. If you're checking your pace and it's slow don't panic. But it's a gorgeous swim, probably my most enjoyable IM swim.

Bike: beware the back side of the island on the open coast. Cross wind the whole way. Three times. When you turn back inland you don't get the benefits of a tailwind because of the trees / wind block. Otherwise there's not much to it. Three flat loops.

Run: again not much to pass on. Great crowd support, adequate aid stations.

Overall it's a great venue / race, I'd go back in a heartbeat.

Good luck!

Your swim will likely be faster than a wetsuit swim due to the current. Enjoy it, best swim out there.

People will go out very fast the first half of the bike - let them go. If you can run somewhat well you'll take back a lot of time. Be able to hold aero position the whole way.

The sun and heat is deceiving. Be proactive with electrolytes and sun protection.

thanks WCT great tips

Thanks FullEmpty, good tips

2x Cozumel. Most beautiful swim I've ever done. And it's a nice ride with the current. The bike is surprisingly difficult because the wind slows you way down. But the bike course is basically in thirds, with the part by the hotel zone being pretty neutral wind, the open end of the island being a stiff head wind with cross winds, and then the "back to town" portion being some tail wind but not as much as you would like. Keep in mind, you are literally right by the Caribbean so you get to enjoy the view.

The crowd support on the run is great. Note that if it rains, which it probably will at some point during the day because you are in the tropics after all, the run course is at sea level and will become a swampy lake. I'm talking like up to your shins or knees deep in some places. I think it was in 2012 when this happened in a big way. There is a slight uphill part of the run course - the "out" portion - and all of the runners, including the runners heading back to town, crammed up there to avoid running in 18" of water. Also, on the run they serve water in sealed plastic bags, not out of cups. You have to bite the darn things to get water out and it can be a pain if you are trying to run at a decent clip. You will love this race. It is a great way to spend a Thanksgiving weekend.

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

Did Coz last year and really enjoyed it. Heard lots of good feedback from others who raced there as well.

Swim, as others have mentioned, is fast due to a bit of a current. I was in shape for a 59min normal IM swim and came in just under 56min at Coz. You self-seed the swim start, so I'd recommend going with the ppl just a bit faster than you are normally. The water is crystal clear, which makes for a beautiful swim -- and makes it easy to get on fast feet! (They have the swim course open in the days prior to the race, so you can do a bit of a practice swim. They make you start at where you end though, or at least that's how it was last year.)

The bike is more difficult than you might imagine. The headwind on the east side of the island is the real deal. (West side is protected so you don't get that big of a tailwind to compensate.) I rode a bit slower than I was expecting (5 minutes slower) due to wind, and likely the heat as well. Road conditions on the course are good -- I think they repaved the roads in the past couple years; really nice when on the highway esp compared to how shit they are on the smaller streets in town.

The 3 loop setup on both bike and run course is actually nice. Helps break things up mentally. I found that a big advantage on the run in particular.

My bike and run files are here if interested in diving into course profile/ other data: Scroll down for IMCoz Info

Endurance Corner has good info on the course here too: http://www.endurancecorner.com/2016/05/04/ironman-cozumel/

Good luck!

Only thing that I would add is further detail on the bike. 3x loops, 1st 1/3rd of the loop will be tailwind, 2nd 1/3 of the loop will be crosswind, 3rd 1/3 of loop will be headwind. The wind is brutal and constant, but it does not wear on you as much given that it is broken up. The crosswind is definitely the worst. Know that when you see the rasta bar that you are about to get nailed by crosswind for the next 12 miles or so. Disks are not allowed so keep that in mind. Run is great although it can get slippery back in town, especially late in the race. They hand out water in bags so don't worry about montezuma's revenge.

Thanks for the info
and a belated congrats on winning M25-29 IM COZUMEL

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Done it twise ('13 and '14). Love it.


Just to add to what everyone else has said, get yourself a good bike fit, get as aero as you can and try to get to a place where you can hold your aero position for the whole bike leg. If the headwinds on the East side of the island are bad you'll regret every exposed cable and flapping piece of fabric.

The drafting can be really bad on the bike, just shout abuse at the cheaters and then put it out of your head. There is one tri club that had a lot of people there in '14 that has a green and blue or green and black kit. We called them the "Mexican cheating club" because we only ever saw them in the middle of big draft packs - they wouldn't even take a pull as far as I could see.

Done it twice (12 & 14)

I liked the swim more in 2012 but that's the year people were getting pushed backward from the current and many never made it pass the start line. Look for videos on that swim. Anyway, the swim now is point to point, like the earlier poster said, in 2014 we had current against us the first mile or so but switched later. Still ended up with a fast swim.

The bike is probably one of the hardest bike courses out there. The wind can be brutal on the east side of the island and if you don't manage your bike well, it will be a long day for you. In 2014, I saw people walking their bikes on my 3rd loop. that's how strong the wind was.

The run is flat and nothing to it. If you mange your bike well, you will have a good run.

One thing to pay attention to is what you eat the days before the race. You will hear a lot of people with GI issues in that race. I was one of them in 2014 and paid for it bad from the start.

Be ready for the heat and humidity.

Enjoy it. It's one of my favorite IMs and would love to go back a 3rd time.

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Thank´s very much friends for your amazing tips.
My main concern is the swin currents and make the cut off.
I will do my best effort, since is my first IM 140.6.

Kind regards to all

The swim is fast and very comfortable. Last year the entry pier was narrow, so people started 3-4 at a time which meant everyone was very spread out on the course with very little congestion or contact. There was a mild current against us for the first third and then a free ride with the current after that. Neither current was particularly strong. The water is crystal clear, so if you glance over at the tethers holding the swim buoys to the bottom as you pass, you can see exactly what the current is doing. If you do enter off the small pier at the marina, note the water is only about four feet deep so expect to land on the bottom when you jump in. I did hear that at least one athlete ended their day jumping in the water at the swim start and injuring their foot or ankle.

Thanks to you and all for the info. Heading down for my first time at coz (3d IM). I suppose I am treating it like IM Canada but with 3 big "climbs" (done in aero). :)

Been working hard on the fit and long rides in aero. Trying to decide on a good helmet that is aero yet cool. Specialized TT won't cut it

And to paraphrase the great bryancd, treating the wind like the other guy's problem.

To add: do they hand out regular bike bottles at stations or plastic store bought ones like WTC in the states? My BTS cages have had a tendency to launch the latter

The water had definitely been transferred into red or green bike bottles. The Gatorade was not.

Thanks, not so worried about the Gatorade

Ditto on the swim, bike & run. In 2016 the first half of the swim was also against a current and gave scary pace times up to about half way. Cost me about 15 mins from anticipated time but I'm a crap swimmer and it was beautiful and well supported.

My wife and I are registered for this years edition. We bought flights into Cancun on Southwest. We are not using TBT because of cost. Any suggestions on how to get from Cancun to Cozumel with our bikes and how to handle transportation? Shuttle? Rent a car? Thanks

1. it'll all work out.
2. when you get out of the cancun airport you go out into the driveway area a bit to the bus to the ferry. you'll pay for it + maybe $7 or so for the bike.
3. the bus ride takes 45+ minutes. it's air conditioned and just fine.
4. get out of the bus, go through the station to the street and turn right. go maybe a block, then go left, down an incline….
you can see the ocean now. go down, cut across the plaza-sort of area (you can now see the ferry) and stop at the
kiosk to get a ferry ticket. total is maybe the equivalent of 3 blocks.
5. take the ticket, go down to the ferry area, wait in line and it all falls into place.
6. in cozumel: off the ferry, to the end of the dock area and you're smack in the middle of town. i had a hotel a 1.5 blocks away,
so simply walked (i have luggage wheels for my soft case). but cozumel has a zillion cabs right here, if that's good for you.
peggy

Its easy to take a shuttle from the airport, and catch the ferry across. The shuttle will take under an hour and can
easily accommodate bikes.

Take the ADO bus from Cancun Airport to Playa del Carmen (the bus is cheap, safe, and reliable. I think they charge an extra $5-$10 dollars for bikes but you there will be plenty of other athletes doing the same thing). I think it's an hour on the bus or so, maybe a little less.

At PDC, pay one of the guys with a rickshaw bike to transport your luggage the few blocks down to the ferry dock (or haul your luggage yourself). Pay for whichever ferry to Cozumel is next.

Once in Cozumel, grab a cab-- they'll be lined up.

Easy! Just mentally prepare yourself for a long day of planes, busses, boats and automobiles.

Also if you're even remotely prone to motion sickness, take some Dramamine before boarding the ferry and sit up top and towards the back. The ferry can be rough. I puked 7x during the trip a couple years ago and didn't feel quite right for days, and never really thought of myself as a motion sickness sort. Those ferries have employees whose sole job is to watch out for green-looking passengers and hand out barf bags during the trip.

I have serious motion sickness issues...how long is the ferry ride?

About 40 to 45 minutes