Swim and T1 setup is good, they are supposed to be reversing the swim so the sun is not blinding the later waves. Bike is a little rough at times but very flat and on open country roads. Run it a two loop course half in the shade thru a well populated and supported area. The community support for this event was amazing last year. Check out the facebook group for this race.

The race was just ok. If I lived closer I would probably do it again, but for no other reason. The point to point transitions were a pain to setup mainly because of the traffic. It took a very long time to setup compared to most races. The town of Delaware was very nice, but little hotel availability close plus parking race morning was a nightmare. I was lucky and got the last parking spot in the furthest parking lot away. The swim was terrible. I'm an average swimmer, but it was horrible trying to pass hordes of beginner swimmers. I started near the end which was part of the issue. The roads were rough with lots a new riders who probably spent all of their time riding on the trainer, so many didn't know how to handle a bike. That was very frustrating. Also it seemed like a million turns which forced you to slow down. If you didn't, you would wipe out from the gravel buildup or run into another cyclists. The run was the best part of the race in my opinion. A lot more shade than I expected. There were a number of new race issues that I hope are worked out for this year, but that it to be expected. I think the best experience of the race were the volunteers and spectators. They really wanted you there. My 2 cents.

Don't know if you checked the IM web site regarding this event but a couple things caught my attention.
-There is a no pass zone on the bike from mile 55 to the finish.
-The race is held the same weekend as Ohio Wesleyan Univ's student move-in weekend. Granted, it doesn't have the same student body as Ohio State but it might be something to be aware of regarding hotels & traffic.

Don't know if these issues had any bearing on last years race, as I am thinking about this race as well.

I am also considering this race and have done Steelhead and Muncie several times. Given how these 3 races have similar dates and are in the same general area, and given that Steelhead and Muncie both have generally good reputations, I was surprised that so many people jumped into the Ohio race when it first opened. I'm leaning towards doing Muncie again but would like to hear more about Ohio.

I enjoyed the Ohio race. Yes there are some logistical challenges (hotel, parking, and so forth) For a point to point race with transitions, I think it went pretty smooth. Wife went with me in the morning, parked, and took shuttle to the lake after I dropped off my run gear. We stayed 20-30 minutes away from the race by a huge mall. It was cheap, and because I'm a early riser, we didn't run into many problems. Swim did suck going in the direction of the sun because of my late start, but they've corrected this more this year. Bike was fast, roads weren't great, but weren't horrible either. Run was pleasant with some shade and some hills.
I did muncie as well last year, and personally enjoyed Ohio better. There were a LOT of first timers, but I think that was more because it was the first time having the race, don't think it'll be that bad this upcoming year. Single lap bike which gives you different stuff to see, and less likely to get caught up in the stragglers. I really battled people in Muncie on my second lap, that weren't competitive. In Ohio didn't have this problem. The last mile of no passing, is more like last 500 yards. The bike comes off the road and to a trailhead, and its very tight. *Just be fast enough where your not coming in with people and its not a problem.* Transition row was easy to spot because its on the football field and I remembered what yardage my row was on.
Only reason Im not going back this year is because other races get in the way. Will definitely head there again in the future.

[quote Blmgtnbkr
-The race is held the same weekend as Ohio Wesleyan Univ's student move-in weekend. Granted, it doesn't have the same student body as Ohio State but it might be something to be aware of regarding hotels & traffic.[/quote]
it was last year but it got moved up this year so that's not an issue

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Fruit snacks are for winners

I may be a little biased because I live here in town but this is what I know...

They recognized the date last year didn't workout so they moved it a few weeks earlier before school starts. This will help with parking.

Rumor has it they are changing the bike course because the roads were a pain.

Rumor also has it there might be lodging available at the university. If this happens you will be 300 yards from the finish line.


I've done a few IM branded races and this one had a ton of community support, a great run course, and an awesome finish. The issues from last year are being corrected from what I have heard

Restarting this post as I'd like to hear the 2017 reviews. I'm considering this race next year.

My buddy did it - said the bike was flat and fast with a tailwind and the run was hot and without much shade.

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Aaron Bales
Lansing Triathlon Team

First some of these replies are wrong . They moved the race to end of July to get away from the college opening days. Yes the swim has bright sun and they did not reverse the course. It was a wetsuit swim this year 24 waves. Bike course was great (new for this year) a little bumpy the first couple miles after that great roads flat and fast (except for the wind). The run course is the same. Yes the 2 transition areas are a little over whelming the first time you race there but you figure it,next year I will be super comfortable. Plenty of parking except for the dumb asses who get there late. Ton of motels 14 miles away towards Columbus took me all of 15 minutes to drive back in the morning. I was super impressed with is race and I have been racing since 1981. Done a boatload of 70.3's this one ranks near the top it is unique. Muncie is great, florida is great. Steelhead sucks they made it a non wetsuit swim last year in Lake Michigan of all places. The wetsuit wave was like 800 people had to go to a rolling start to pull it off.

I had a great experience at this race. The town's main street is nice with plenty of places to eat. The sun glare on the swim was a bit of an issue on the second leg, but managable. The bike course was flat and mostly low traffic roads. The run was a bit of a slog as the heat came up later in the day with only about 0.5 mile stretch with shade and I'm not a huge fan of multiple loop courses but at least it meant I got to do that shady section twice. Lots of enthusiastic volunteers. Overall, a nice event and a nice destination.