Dave:

I did IMFL too and I think we could not have had better conditions. One "hill", mostly good roads, and little wind. As for the IMNA events, you can compare the courses by going to a course description for the event, then comparing the other courses. Florida is the flattest by far for both the bike and run.



LD

IMF01 5:35 -10:42total, IMWis02 5:59-11:27 total, GFT03 5:55-10:45 total, IMF04 5:25-10:03 total. I am a flat lander and I give up more time coming down hills than I do going up. But I still think IMF is 20-25min faster than IMWis or GFT. My experience--but look at a guy like Joe Bonnes and you'll see about the same. Don't forget the easier bike affects the run too.

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Ken St. Pe'

I think you can expect similar times unless you maybe go to a very hilly course like Lake Placid. I have gone back and forth from IM Germany to IM Florida and Germany's course while not superhilly is definitely challenging.
Here are my splits:
IM Germany 03 5:41
IM Florida 03 5:21
IM Germany 04 5:26
IM Florida 04 5:40
In my case the times were more so due to nutrition and fitness versus the course, and I think most people under estimate the Florida course.
Cheers,
Herbert
Litespeed/QR

The IMFL bike course is interesting. Many age-groupers set absolute best PB times on this course, but many of the top pros do not. Men's winner Tom Evans was two minutes slower overall at IMFL compared to his IMC overall time and IMC at first glance would be the more challenging course.

People that I talked to at IMFL said that there is almost no coasting - you never get a break. Couple that with being in the same gear in the same position for 5+ hours and that can lead to some tough running.

It's a surprisingly challenging race.

Here's my take: I say this with respect, - if you are in the I'm-going-just-to-finish group, then IMFL will be a faster/easier course. If you are a top age-grouper or pro, don't go there thinking you will set a PR - chances are you wilol not.

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Steve Fleck @stevefleck | Blog

if you want an estimate in minutes, here is a simple method that does not take into account conditions on a given course on a given day. go to the male 30 - 34 and 30 - 39 ag of and find the time of the median (middle) bike split [or if you finished in the top 25% take the person who finished on the 25% line and so on and so forth] and then just compare that to median from another race. this method was reasonably accurate at predicting my times across half ims. maybe less so for a longer race where the conditions and nutrition can play a more meaningful role because you our out there longer.

In 2000 I did both IM USA-Lake Placid and IM Florida with the following results:

IM USA - bike 5:39:13, run 3:46:49, total 10:42:28

IMFL - bike 5:14:26, run 3:47:35, total 10:19:48

Run was tougher at IMF. During the bike I only used 2 different gears and stayed in the aero position the whole time except to drink.

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18x Ironman, 3x Hawaii
US Army (Ret.), Vietnam Vet ('71-'72)

Fleck kinda nails it....for the MOP, FL yields much faster times.

I hate to say I've been looking at the numbers..but did get stood up on Friday night and did a little 2005 planning. Here's some interesting bike times....for the 500th bike time at each event (not the bike of the 500th finisher)

2003 IMFL - 5:25:09

2004 IMFL - 5:25:38

2002 IMLP - 6:00:12

2004 IMLP - 5:55:12

2003 IMWI - 6:04:45

2004 IMWI - 5:55:16

Now...there are many factors involved. 2003 IMLP was thrown out due to a typhoon. IMWI were both heatfests. It would be hard to complain about IMFL weather. Also...not sure 500th place is a good indictor.

2000 IMLP 5:47 (3:44)

2001 IMCali 5:49 (3:34)

2002 IMCan 5:51 (3:51)

2003 IMFL 5:22 (3:57)

2004 IMLP 6:00 (3:45)

Note: a fast bike does not necessarily mean a "fast" run

something else to consider at IM fla. is the amount of drafting going on. it is absurd at fla... a course with a good amount of hills like placid or wisconsin, makes it harder to draft for those fu*#!rs with mirrors attached on their helmets. i rode 5:03(fla.-2004) and i got passed by 3 separate pelotons of age groupers, with the person in the back playing look out for draft marshalls. either way, i also think it depends on what you prefer. i prefer hills, you get more recovery and if you know the course you can take in nutrition on the downhills....just my 2 cents! j

Just use the numbers. It's around 25-30 minutes for a true MOP cyclist. Stronger riders won't give up that that much and weak cyclists will probably give up much more.

Here are average bike splits for the entire field, from fastest to slowest for the last several IMNA events:

1. Florida '03 5:52
2. Florida '04 5:55
3. Florida '02 5:58
4. Canada '03 6:15
5. CDA '04 6:17
6. Canada '04 6:18
7. Wisconsin '02 6:23
8. CDA '03 6:24
9. Lake Placid '04 6:25
10. Lake Placid '02 6:26
11. Wisconsin - '04 6:27
12. Wisconsin '03 6:30
13. Lake Placid '03(Monsoon year) 6:39

I'm a little confused by how you did Lake Placid '02 twice in the same year at two different times.

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"your horse is too high" - tigerchik

Sorry, that slower time is for '03. I'll fix it.

I have to agree. I was 5:25 in Canada, and the next year I was 5:12 in Florida. The big difference was that I was 65 minutes faster at Canada overall. The overriding thought in Fla..."my ass hurts." Hey, the IM course could be entirely downhill, at the end of the day you still have to cover 140 some miles, it can get to you.

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"Maybe you should just run faster..." TM

IMLP 2000-5:41

IMLP 2001-5:34

IMPC 2001-5:05

IMLP 2002-5:36

IMLP 2003-5:39

IMCDA 2004-5:23

Florida was an extremely hard effort. I only ate 500 calories on the bike as my stomach was stressed. I'll take the hills any day.

The real answer to your question is just to work your ass off on the bike this year so that you'll be able to put up IMFL numbers at whatever race you choose ;)