Sunrise is 5:36 on race day (twilight at 4:57). I recall when I did it couple years back during mass start the sun was just clearing the surrounding mountains at the end of the second loop. Pros will definitely be in the dark, AGers will have a dark first lap but it’s also now rolling start so not for all

Will be fully light by bike start

Obviously the directions arent super specific, but I made a route on strava.

> start at rainbow park
> Go left leaving park to 99
> go left on 99, down to pemberton, past pemberton to "base of duffy lake rd"
> "loop through mount currie" (doesnt say how far)
> Return back up hwy 99
> Take a right at alpine to go back to swim start, go past it and along alta lake rd again to highway
> Take right at highway, go to callaghan
> Up callaghan at end of race instead of start
> return to whistler


https://www.strava.com/routes/11169982


2750m climbing ~ 9000 ft

The fish will be on their bikes by 6:30, and as you pointed out, the sun does not clear the mountains until about 7:15. If there is any early morning cloud cover, which is not unusual for that locations, it will be very dark at 6:30.

It would be a more viable option if the start was located in the village and if there were not rugged mountain peaks looming to the east. IM CDA had a 6am start later in the year and it worked great, but they have a lower probability of clouds and no huge mountains blocking the sun. The sun had cleared the horizon by 6:20. The pros at Whistler did a 6:30 start. I think that is about as early as you would want swimmers in the water there.

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Oui, mais pas de femme toute de suite (yes, but I am not ready for a woman straight away) -Stephen Roche's reply when asked whether he was okay after collapsing at the finish in the La Plagne stage of the 1987 Tour

I live near the course and have done the full a few times, and I will take on whatever bike route they come up with.

But a 5:30 start- for something I do for fun- no way in hell. Won't be racing there again.

2750m climbing - wow! epic. I'll do that in training.
Realistically this is just a proposed route. I doubt that either the 5:30 start or proposed route will be what is the final decision.

Close, though I don't think they would do an out and back to D'arcy. Basically do to local attitude you want to spend as little time in and around Pemberton Valley/area as possible.

Also missing the out and back to brandy wine falls. Having said that the description is unclear and route is obviously not final.

Interesting that they haven't consulted or discussed this with the MT Currie band, basically like the Olympics zero upside for them unless the get a small grant or something.

No matter what they do pretty much impossible to make that course easier.

You gotta love how these articles about IM Whistler now all parrot the "safety concerns prompted by cyclists travelling along Pemberton Meadows Road".

A well done nice bit of bullshit from some Pemberton residents on Facebook trying to make their complaints seem more reasonable.

Let's be honest: it's flat, straight, and probably the safest part of the entire (old) course.

Having never stepped one foot in the Whistler area, i'm stoked to race it regardless of the course. I'm not a fan of the earlier start though. Keep the time as the same and adjust the course. Why not make it a double loop somehow?

I'll be coming from extremely flat..flat..flat South Florida. So either way the course with be a challenge.

Agreed,

Both in training and racing by far and away the safest part of the course.

There is no safety issue period, not sure why they just don't say look we don't want it, end of story.

Maurice

Agreed! It truly is the safest part of the course. In training it is virtually traffic free at times.

Also - every year i go down to Pemberton and do "the slow food ride" which is a great family day on that same road going from farm to farm eating local organic food etc. The road is closed to traffic and there are more bikes out there than on Ironman day. About half the people dont have helmets on and at least one of the stops serves beer. Its a great day but much less "safe" for a number of reasons..... But, of course, that event is not canceled.

I registered a while ago expecting a moderate difficulty bike course but if the changes get implemented as suggested I'd be totally down with it! I've done 5 ironman races so far (including St George in 2012) and would really like another one of those races that's extra challenging. While 5 IMs isn't all that much, I feel like I had that one 'perfect' race where everything comes together already, as well as that one race that kicks your ass and you cry for your mama because it's too tough but you do it anyway. Looks like I get another shot at a race to cry for my mama, lol!

This is what I got but obviously 10 km short somewhere...8500 feet!

https://www.strava.com/routes/11173048

I mentioned this on FB so might as well say it here, too: the course for 2018 is NOT final. We are still working with stakeholders and will release the course as soon as possible. If you read an "official" course that isn't released by me or IM, consider it speculation and nothing more.

Christine - RD

Seconded. No reason in the world to start that early, that's stupid.

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Any run that doesn't include pooping in someone's front yard is a win.

I did Norseman last summer. Started around 5 am. I thought it would be awful. It was really ok. I have no trouble starting at 5:30 at all. Most days in the summer I start long bike rides around 5:30 or 6. The sun is not glaring over the lake at that time either.

Yeah, I get that. I am inherently a night person, which I know puts me in the minority here on ST (and among triathletes in general). I think getting up at 8:30am is 'early'.

My main complaint is regarding the night before the race. Talking about 3am breakfast and 2:30am wake up is a little ridiculous in my mind. I know that I'm not going to sleep the night before regardless, but lying awake in bed from 10pm-4am somehow seems better than 10pm-2:30am.

Anyway, hope the killer course comes to pass! I was there this year, but won't be next year, hopefully it exists until 2019!

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Any run that doesn't include pooping in someone's front yard is a win.