This race will forever be Quassy.

In advance -- bike is short. Thomaston, I think it was, wouldn't let Eric run the bike course earlier down to 254 to get the extra mileage in that was needed due to needing to run the bike course back in the way the Olympic used to. That said, the wall coming back up from East Shore Road in Morris will help knock times back down.

I just wonder how much of that run course will get the infamous Quassy sauna effect. The stretch bringing us back to Christian Road was always a massive PITA when it was run on the old, old run course -- and that was with it being downhill. Should be interesting, to say the least!

Give it hell!

---

----------------------------------
Editor-in-Chief, Slowtwitch.com | Twitter

It looks like the new run course no longer has the climb up Highpoint road. I'd almost classify it as a headwall. A pretty big challenge and "highlight" of the old Quassy. Folks were gathered at the crest of Highpoint cheering with signs and stuff last year. And you had to get up and over it twice for the half. Not sure if the new run course has anything similar.

Good luck to everyone racing!

---

"The first virtue in a soldier is endurance of fatigue; courage is only the second virtue."
- Napoleon Bonaparte

That run course has changed so many times over the years. I miss the 8 miles around the lake with the three mile dirt climb that felt like you were headed to the surface of the sun.

The three worst climbs should be (edited because I misjudged where one of them was in the OP):

• The climb from Old Sherman Hill Road to Christian Road;
• at the out and back at Timex (x2);
• the climb back to Quassy.

---

----------------------------------
Editor-in-Chief, Slowtwitch.com | Twitter

Just because it comes immediately after the climb up to Christian Rd, I think that Timex climb is going to be a bruiser, at least mentally. Plus if it's a sunny/ warm day I'm pretty sure that stretch is totally exposed so it'll be toasty. The climb to Christian is at least somewhat shaded and comes after the only flat section so you have some time to prepare.

"Flat"

Bwhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahhaaha. Don't you know the old joke about Quassy and how Eric even managed to put hills in the swim?

To be honest, I've had more issues on the "shady" parts of this course over the years, because there's usually so much moisture and it's still hot enough that those sections turn into a sauna.

---

----------------------------------
Editor-in-Chief, Slowtwitch.com | Twitter

Is the run as hard as last year ? Only done it once

Ran a 1-28 last year and found it super hard and it was not even hot

Not racing this year; but raced Quassy half 4X -- just an epic, great course. It will ALWAYS be called QUASSY. I miss 2010 when they had the K-Swiss mile (mile 3.5 to 4.5) that went straight up that dirt road and it was timed separately. My kids who were super young then loved the games and rides. We got pictures with Craig Alexander and Miranda Carfrae, and they also signed all our hats. Rev3 really knew how to treat the pro's right and throw a truly family-friendly event. Also hit my fastest descending speed ever on one of the downhills there @ 49MPH.

The run should be significantly easier than last year's.

I'm not just saying that. It really should be.

---

----------------------------------
Editor-in-Chief, Slowtwitch.com | Twitter

My favorite memory of the run course from 2011 - 2014: the signs Charlie put out in 2012. A series of them "you're almost to the top!" where it looked like it flattened out. Come around the corner to see it pitches straight up again, and there's a sign with Nelson: HA HA!

I've never laughed that hard in a race. My best ever finish at Quassy.

---

----------------------------------
Editor-in-Chief, Slowtwitch.com | Twitter

I've not heard that one, but that's brilliant! I grew up in that area (spent quite a bit of time at the Pomperaug HS pool), and know that flat is a relative term. I should have been clearer, maybe "after not continually slogging up an illogically steep hill that still manages to have 100 ft of elevation drop over its rise, then trying to run down a vertical wall"

I’m doing it this year. I’ve never done Quassy before, but hills is what I train on, no concerns there. The water will probably be cold, I hope it will not be my first OWS of the season.

I’m just coming from a good running-heavy cycle, so I should be in ok shape. Hope for a podium spot in M40-45, although I don’t want to go to Nice even if I get one.

Went past the park tues and see there are already IM trailers there. i havent checked yet, but is there
still a turnaround point in litchfield in White's Memorial/Allain White Way I believe? that's my usual spot on race day.

---

http://www.PatGriskusTri.com USAT Certified Race Director
2024 Races: USAT State of CT Age Group Championship/State of CT HS Champs/ CT Club Championship - Sat June 15th (Oly/Du/Sprint) Hopkins Vineyard Tri at Lake Waramaug Saturday July 13th http://www.HopkinsVineyardTri.com

Tom!!! Hope all is well man.

So, yeah, there's still that turnaround point. The big change is that we wind up banging a right to go up East Shore Road back into the center of Morris versus the straight out and back.

---

----------------------------------
Editor-in-Chief, Slowtwitch.com | Twitter

Thx bud, if you're racing be sure to announce yourself, I believe you've gotten high marks on your turn steeze! Happy to support Eric and I have dear friends in the I'M family as well, so alls good.
Come down and race Usat State of CT AG Champs june 15th!

---

http://www.PatGriskusTri.com USAT Certified Race Director
2024 Races: USAT State of CT Age Group Championship/State of CT HS Champs/ CT Club Championship - Sat June 15th (Oly/Du/Sprint) Hopkins Vineyard Tri at Lake Waramaug Saturday July 13th http://www.HopkinsVineyardTri.com

I would, but Kelly is doing Patriot over in MA with Mark Walter. Next year...

I'll be wearing either my light blue Owen Otter / Sonic Endurance kit, or the brand new none-more-black version. Yellow/black P3. I'll be impossible to miss.

---

----------------------------------
Editor-in-Chief, Slowtwitch.com | Twitter

Great you're still continuing the Owen_Otter cause, but ill not likely remember the kit...shout out a "hey" as you execute the 180 champ ;) good luck dude, hope to see you pre June 2nd!

---

http://www.PatGriskusTri.com USAT Certified Race Director
2024 Races: USAT State of CT Age Group Championship/State of CT HS Champs/ CT Club Championship - Sat June 15th (Oly/Du/Sprint) Hopkins Vineyard Tri at Lake Waramaug Saturday July 13th http://www.HopkinsVineyardTri.com

Hah, of course! We just started a scholarship in his name for summer camp here, I'll be doing Quassy with IMF to donate to the Bike For a Kid program, and we'll figure out something else by the end of the year.

I'll be sure to say something snarky. Return it my way.

---

----------------------------------
Editor-in-Chief, Slowtwitch.com | Twitter

I will be there, first 70.3 (67.8?), swim and bike should be fine, achilles issues will make the run adventurous. I'll be the one in the bruce lee game of death kit.

I’m planning on using my tri bike this year - was forced to throw the disc wheel on my roadie last year when a shifter broke on race week a few days out from race day.

---

Blog: http://262toboylstonstreet.blogspot.com/
https://twitter.com/NateThomasTri
Coaching: https://bybtricoaching.com/ - accepting athletes for 2023

My entire race strategy is predicated on beating you and Nick Logan out of the swim, and then attempting to hitch a tow rope to either one of you when you come by me on the bike.

---

----------------------------------
Editor-in-Chief, Slowtwitch.com | Twitter

HA! The first part shouldn't be too hard - I'm swimming like crap currently, so most folks will be out of the water before me.

---

Blog: http://262toboylstonstreet.blogspot.com/
https://twitter.com/NateThomasTri
Coaching: https://bybtricoaching.com/ - accepting athletes for 2023

This is a complete shot in the dark, but is anyone staying at the Comfort Suites Southington and could give me a ride to Quassy on race morning? Otherwise, I will get an Uber.

---

Blog: http://262toboylstonstreet.blogspot.com/
https://twitter.com/NateThomasTri
Coaching: https://bybtricoaching.com/ - accepting athletes for 2023

I *think* we're going to be at the Courtyard or Residence Inn in Southington off of Exit 31. I'll let you know.

---

----------------------------------
Editor-in-Chief, Slowtwitch.com | Twitter

This is going to be my first Quassy and also the first race of the season. And probably the hardest. Two weeks later I'll be in Mt. Tremblant for another hilly course. Wish me luck!

I'll be doing the exact same thing. Havnt done Quassy in years, but I remember it being much tougher (at least the bike) than Tremblant.

Ready for some hills? Should be fun---see you out there.

Road quality at Tremblant is much better than Quassy. It'll feel comparatively flat after racing in CT - except for that last 20k of the bike course. The hills at Quassy are pretty steep and there is very little that is flat. Most of the Tremblant course is up or down, but the grades aren't as severe. Bike times should be at least five to ten minutes faster in Quebec.

---

Blog: http://262toboylstonstreet.blogspot.com/
https://twitter.com/NateThomasTri
Coaching: https://bybtricoaching.com/ - accepting athletes for 2023

Good to know! I will take it easy at Quassy! It's going to be my first race using a power meters. I will try to stick with the plan (I don't have yet!).

New England weather in mid June is always a crap shoot. Could be hot, or maybe not. Last year it was super hot on Saturday then the weather broke on Sunday for the race (mercifully). I decided to "go easy" on myself this year and do Patriot instead :) Good luck to everyone racing! That course is a definitely tough!

---

"The first virtue in a soldier is endurance of fatigue; courage is only the second virtue."
- Napoleon Bonaparte

Yeah, it's supposed to snow in parts of NE tonight, and has been generally cold all spring. If it's 85F and humid for the first time all year on race day that could make for a long run. Using Quassy as a prep race for IMMT in August. Good luck to everyone racing.

I was reading the athlete guide and just noticed there is no parking right near the transition. It looks like you're going to have to use shuttles.
Will there be a place to drop a bag I use to bring all transition crap? Or there will be time to shuttle back to the car and drop the bag there?

And I just noticed if you have a family member with you who isn't racing they can't get onto the shuttle until after 5:30am so you have to be split up in the morning. I'm also wondering how to get the bikes back to the car after the race. Bring them onto the bus? That will be a first. I think it's going to be a long day!

---

Death is easy....peaceful. Life is harder.

I'll be at the Courtyard in Southington with a fellow athlete and my family. After reading this thread and realizing the family won't be able to get on the shuttle at oh-dark-thirty it looks I'll need to find some transport for myself and another. If anyone is in the area and wouldn't mind dragging us along, it would be appreciated, thanks.

Miranda Carfrae on this race:

"Pace yourself and mentally prepare to suffer. This course is no joke from the moment the gun goes off to the second you cross that finish line; you will earn your stripes at this half."

http://rev3tri.com/...on-quassy-triathlon/

Good luck all racers!

---

"The first virtue in a soldier is endurance of fatigue; courage is only the second virtue."
- Napoleon Bonaparte

With just a few days until the weekend, the forecast is calling for possible showers on race morning. It'll be cool with temps only in the 60's during the day, but humidity will be up. I'll take that over some of the hot days this race has had in the past.

---

Blog: http://262toboylstonstreet.blogspot.com/
https://twitter.com/NateThomasTri
Coaching: https://bybtricoaching.com/ - accepting athletes for 2023

Also not entirely clear to me how bikes will be transported post-race. Perhaps they suggest you go get your car, and then pull up to the race site to collect your bike? Escape The Cape in the past used busses coach busses with bike transport beneath the bus/seating area - may be something similar happening.

Last year they allowed people to take bikes on the school buses, which wasn’t very efficient and took up a lot of space. My plan post race is to bike to my car as my wife and kids go on rides and then return to pick them up.

---

Blog: http://262toboylstonstreet.blogspot.com/
https://twitter.com/NateThomasTri
Coaching: https://bybtricoaching.com/ - accepting athletes for 2023

if you can ride to your car you haven't raced hard enough ;)

Does anyone know if you will actually be able to park at the venue on Saturday for check in or will it be too crowded and require us to use one of the shuttle locations?

Also, it sounds like the park will be open on Sunday - is this the case?

IMO, you can say that to anyone except Nate...

I remember doing a search of the fastest bike times at the Quassy HIM race and only 3 guys cracked sub 2:30 in 2018, including that guy...who led the pack...

I was signed up but my training has gone so badly this winter I'm bailing.

Ha! Thanks, Dale.

I'm just thinking of time efficiency with the family and biking to get the car is much better (and probably quicker) than using a shuttle.

---

Blog: http://262toboylstonstreet.blogspot.com/
https://twitter.com/NateThomasTri
Coaching: https://bybtricoaching.com/ - accepting athletes for 2023

Updating the forecast, it looks like any rain will hold off until the afternoon on Sunday. Morning temps will be in the 50's to low 60's with good cloud cover. The humidity will be high, which could help bike times out. With the lower temps and quite a bit of shade, the run shouldn't feel as tropical as this race has historically been.

---

Blog: http://262toboylstonstreet.blogspot.com/
https://twitter.com/NateThomasTri
Coaching: https://bybtricoaching.com/ - accepting athletes for 2023

The answer to this question is no. We need to get to one of the parking lots, take all the stuff with us, bring it on shuttle to transition. And after the race bring everything, including the bike back to the parking lot. That's what you guys meant when you said Quassy is hard? :)

It looks like only 2 farest parking lots are available all the time, the rest is closed till 3PM. So if I want to leave early, I'd have to select one of those two.

Already off to a shit show start. Delayed start of at least 30 minutes due to a complete logistical failure of the shuttle lots and buses it seems (which they are) and the fog

Yeah the venue is a tight one, esp if the park is open. Always a surprise for new comers. Not a lot of real estate for a good, logical layout and I would guess there are a lot more racers this year due to the ironman brand. All of this can add to pre-race stress levels! Sounds like good weather though. Have an awesome day everyone!

---

"The first virtue in a soldier is endurance of fatigue; courage is only the second virtue."
- Napoleon Bonaparte

Okay-whats the deal with the swim?

And the bike is only 29? What’s going on over there today?

Rev3 managed to put on a great half and Olympic for over a decade, and last tear both on the same day! Did IM expand registration beyond what they could handle or something?

Bike is 2 or 3 miles short...timing issues on IM Tracking...

It was cut short to 750 meters due to the heavy fog

I think the bike is normal.

My bad, I misinterpreted the tracker. Carry on.

I'm interested to hear about how the race was in terms of organization. It seems as if the Rev3 did a much better job...


If I'm reading this right, Nate still can retain AG bike split bragging rights, despite it now being an IM race. The course was a bit different, but he tore it up tying for first AG with a 2:21:54!

Nice job out there! Made the podium too-3AG. Congrats Nate-solid race despite the lack of a taper...

The RD is the same guy, Eric Opdyke, that used to run this for Rev3. He does a great job. I hope people don’t get too pissy here about everything not being perfect. Shuttles worked fine for those that arrived ahead of time at the outer lots. If you thought you could just roll up to the venue itself, I imagine you got delayed.

I hate swim cancellations in general. The fog made a delay reasonable, but if we are going to swim some of the course, Lets just do it all. The sprint style swim made it a lot bunchier than normal.

Otherwise, the race was very good. Yeah, you can complain about the road conditions and slightly short bike course, but we are lucky to have this race in the first place. These municipalities don’t really get much from hosting it.

Great job, Eric! Please keep this thing going.

I think they did a good job considering how heavy the fog was. No way we could have done the full swim and it would have been a total shit-show if the cancelled the swim and had everyone going out to the bike course randomly (other than AWAs with low bib numbers).
I got in early enough to park by transition and was able to get out around 1, they allowed pickup of bikes and leave the parking lot earlier than athlete guide said (which is great). Can't comment about shuttle, but everything else was very well organized. Tons of volunteers, lots of hydration/nutrition in aid stations.

The only thing I think was handled badly is that hard left turn at the bottom of a really steep decent. It was not well marked and the "slow down" flaggers were way too close to it. Some people had bad accident there and evacuated by ambulance.

Otherwise, you can't fault WTC (although I'm sure it will not stop ST'ers) for the shitty roads (I had a double flat on a huge pot-hole) or the heavy fog.

This is a common thing @ quassy. They need to give the roads back at a particular time.
So, if the swim is delayed, they cut the swim enough so that the last person out of the swim is still out at the same time of day (which means they can keep bike course and its various cut offs to the same times)

I'm very happy with the race, execution-wise. Bike was slower than usual, but it was hilly. Run felt good, 1:32, tried to go under 1:30, I think I lost 2 min on the last hill :)

To my surprise, this good race just gave me 13ths place on AG. By previous non-IM branded events were 3rd, 4th and 1st. But well, that's just shows my current level of fitness with real competitors in the field.

Nate did great. He's apparently not tired at all. Purple patch podcast - fake news!!!

That spot has ALWAYS had issues. People are never prepared for it. You could have 50 flaggers and I’d bet that you have the same number of incidents.

---

----------------------------------
Editor-in-Chief, Slowtwitch.com | Twitter

Yeah, I saw a few folks down on sharp turns on downhills. I wonder if folks panic and brake instead of leaning into the turn. I do agree that there should be better sine-age - something like 'SHARP LEFT TURN ON DESCENT AHEAD' instead of just having volunteers waving at bikers. I hope those who did crash are ok.

---

Blog: http://262toboylstonstreet.blogspot.com/
https://twitter.com/NateThomasTri
Coaching: https://bybtricoaching.com/ - accepting athletes for 2023

Nice work out there.

How’d the swim shake out? It looked a bit like a gong show from my view up top.

---

----------------------------------
Editor-in-Chief, Slowtwitch.com | Twitter

Not quite sure what the plan was for the shortened swim. There were initially a couple larger groups of maybe 40-50, but then they started sending folks off in 2’s every ten seconds for a while and eventually it increased to groups of four, which I eventually started the swim in.

---

Blog: http://262toboylstonstreet.blogspot.com/
https://twitter.com/NateThomasTri
Coaching: https://bybtricoaching.com/ - accepting athletes for 2023

This was my first one here, so I'm not sure how it was before. But the following things were a bit annoying:
- slow parking on Saturday due to Amusement park being open
- the idea that sherpas cannot come with athletes, but only after 6:30am
- for people who don't have sherpas there was no bag drop.
- 2000 bikes brought back to parking spots on old school buses (did it really happen this way? or people send their SOs to bring cars?)
- in the morning bike tech people brought 4 pumps with shrader valve connectors and let triathletes have fun for a while. Then they took pity on technically challenged and give us normal pumps :)

Probably most of it has to do with the disadvantages of the place. Too close to NYC/Boston to find a park with a lake and lot of parking that can be rented exclusively for the weekend?

But I agree, there was a lot of things done right:
- Enough police presence and volunteers.
- Course markings are clear
- Sings "Caution, rough road ahead" could have been replaced by "Caution, you're in Connecticut", but appreciated anyway
- Letting bikes to be taken before announced 1:30 - nice touch.

The bike was 53.5 miles. The course was very congested. I believe the cause was the shortened swim mixed with too many racers. They wanted 6 bike lengths between racers, impossible. I'm a middle of the packer, and I always felt I was in a large pack. Going 4 wide sometimes. Ton of potholes!!!!! Never saw so many racers pulled to the side of the road with flats. I did think Syracuse was more challenging.

I will say all the high school volunteers were amazing. Very focused and helpful!!

Yeah, I stayed for the first 10 mins or so of the swim and then headed back up toward transition. Given how they initially started I figured I'd be seeing you much sooner up at T1 -- but then I saw how long it took for you and others to get into the water.

For those commenting on road quality -- that's always been a hallmark of this course. A particularly harsh couple of winters has not been kind to some areas. When it's what you train on...you get used to it pretty quickly.

---

----------------------------------
Editor-in-Chief, Slowtwitch.com | Twitter

I’ve done quassy for several years now, but this was my first IM event. I agree with the bad roads, but I couldn’t get past the swim. They ask for self seeding for start and then half of the competitors seem to be sub 1:15/100 swimmers. There needs to be a better way of starting a swim without having people start in the first group and immediately start doing breaststroke!

Generally agree with this, but don't know what the answer is or how much fault is on IM vs the athletes themselves. Im a decent swimmer (top 10-20 at a race like this usually) but started in that second "wave" because i entered the corral too late to get any closer. I have no problem starting a minute back of 50 people, but all 50 of those people should at least be swimming within a minute of me for a 750. I must have swam over/through a dozen of them though, as early as the first turn buoy. I cannot imagine what possesses somebody who should be in the 40-45 group to line up at the front...

---

Me: https://carnivoreendurance.blogspot.com/...ever-comes-next.html

Latest: Colorectal Cancer is in the News Again. Don't Blame Red Meat
https://carnivoreendurance.blogspot.com/...news-again-dont.html

There were initially a couple larger groups of maybe 40-50, but then they started sending folks off in 2’s every ten seconds for a while
---

My buddy was in that first wave of 50 or so. The thing was that the swim people didn't want it to be a big wave. There was a lot of noice and communication was difficult. Their plan was to try and maintain the rolling start procedure but when they lined up the athletes and sent the first small batch, a bunch of athletes who didn't get the memo just went. The swim people tried it again with a little better success. I had lined up in the 28 min swim group and by the time I got to the line, they had us under control and were sending off in groups of 2. Word on the street is that they abandoned the rolling start system by the time the 35+ minuters got in just because it was taking a lot longer than they expected. I suspect that they'll have a better back up plan (or, hope, at the very least) for that event in the future.

FWIW- I was pissed when I heard they shortened the swim. But, I think they made the right decision. Fog conditions on the shore were better than that in the lake. I can't imaging the blowback that they'd receive if someone needed rescuing in the water and the lifeguards couldn't see the athlete because of the conditions. A shortened swim was much better than a canceled swim.

RE: The roads- They seemed average. Yeah, there were some rough patches but most were well marked and painted and I never found a spot that needed to get me out of aero due to control issues. I wonder if these people complaining about the road conditions live in places that don't have winter.

---

---

---

Take a short break from ST and read my blog:
http://tri-banter.blogspot.com/

Eliminate/minimize crashes with speed limit signs and timing mats and further enforce with time penalties. It's been done in several races that I've been in and no one likes it, but I really, really hate seeing yearly injuries...I know exactly where that 'S' curve is and I have always warned people in the threads about the Rev3 in the years I was doing the race. It is the one really dicey spot on the bike course and the recent year we had the bad rain (?2016), it was much worse.

- “the idea that sherpas cannot come with athletes, but only after 6:30am”- NO- it was posted and stated that Sherpas” could be on shuttles at 5:30 not 6:30

- “...bag drop...” Why would you need a bag drop? There was only 1 transition.

In regard to shortening of swim, it had far more to do with safety than road timing. The lifeguards have to be able to see everyone, and if they are spread over a 1.2 mile course that would not be possible. They had to bring the course closer to shore, where it was less foggy, and make it shorter so the lifeguards could be closer together. They basically formed a corridor of kayaks and boards, making it impossible for anyone to swim off course. Shortening the swim was absolutely the right decision, and they did it quickly and in a very organized manner.

I thought the volunteers were great, well spaced at bike aid stations, very friendly and helpful.

The bike course is technical, based on the course and the often bad roads, but the biggest issue on the bike course was the horribly bad riders- why do so many triathletes not put any time into basic riding skills? Yes, it was crowded, but it looked like the keystone cops out there!

The only thing I blame the WTC for is eliminating a vegetarian option for post race food. At first I thought this was the Quassy Park, but when I asked they told me the had always had vegetarian options in the past (Rev 3) but the WTC declined doing this to save money!

The only thing I blame the WTC for is eliminating a vegetarian option for post race food.
---

If I were a vegetarian (not vegan), I'd have thought that there was adequate sustenance. Chips. Cookies. Potato salad. Cole slaw. Abundance of lettuce, tomato, onions. And I'm pretty sure that the hot dogs contained no real meat.

---

---

---

Take a short break from ST and read my blog:
http://tri-banter.blogspot.com/

Pink?

---

Strava

Pink?
---

No, I think the hotdogs were more of an ugly brown color.

---

---

---

Take a short break from ST and read my blog:
http://tri-banter.blogspot.com/

So you wont twist an ankle stepping on my pump that I have to leave in this 1 transition because I brought it from the car and have nowhere else to put it :)

^this.
People were constantly riding on the left side of the road, sometimes 3 or 4 abreast.
And most annoying is the stupid idiots that charge up the hills then totally die at the top and cruise down the other side. It totally blows up any attempt for other people to keep consistent power and low VI. This is a triathlon not a fucking strava KOM group ride!

I fundamentally disagree with any sort of mandatory speed limit/forced slow down area. I did the race yesterday and I absolutely loved the bike course (I actually registered over 4200 ft of elevation gain). We are adults, if you can't handle your bike properly/don't know how to negotiate turns, you have brakes, use them. If you crash (and I have gone down at 35mph in previous events) that's your fault, don't penalize the rest of us for it. I will echo what some others have said in that it seems like so many triathletes put zero effort into bike handling (or climbing) skills. I overheard several people talking about how they had not ridden outside of on the trainer in their basement, others that they didn't do any hill work. Why on earth would you pick this 70.3 if that's how you were going to train? Why not take a flat fast course? I was on a road bike, every uphill I would fly by people, then the stronger athletes on tri bikes would catch me on the descent (I maxed out at 46.5mph), we would make jokes and laugh about it. I'll add that I saw more flat tires, mechanical issues, dropped bottles, dropped sunglasses, dropped bike pieces, than any other event I've done. The roads were definitely rough, but they told us that.

The swim being shortened was disappointing, especially this being my first 70.3. The fog was pretty bad, I get why they did it, and better than no swim. As far as in the water....it was mortal kombat. By the time they got to me, they were just letting everyone run in and chaos ensued. I found a little bit of room to get into a rhythm after the first turn bouey, but when we hit the turn back, it funneled everyone in so much that it was just a mass of bodies.

The volunteers and police were great, as were the guys giving out beer on the run. Overall, it was a great experience.

^^Don't expect this to get better ANYTIME soon. Some of these races are getting to be down right dangerous now. People sign up for an Ironman or 70.3 and then sit on Zwift all winter and summer. They get outside on courses like these and have no idea how to ride their bike. Throw in the packs of people that all of these 70.3 races have and you are bound to have crashes. Not the only reason I am taking a break from the sport but definitely one of them.

The problem with that one descending turn is that by the time you realize you need to use your brakes, it is close to being too late to do so with rim brakes/carbon brake tracks. Other than the woman yelling “slow down” at the top, there isn’t a lot of warning. The woman yelling sounds a bit like crying wolf, because other times you hear that it is unnecessary.

Agree it is rider’s responsibility to know the course. If the race returns, I won’t forget that turn.

That turn has gotten brought up every year since the race began. People always get worked up about Hard Hill Road when this is the one that can wreck your day. I've always passed a ton of people in this section of the course every year, because I know what's coming and how to set myself up for the turns.

---

----------------------------------
Editor-in-Chief, Slowtwitch.com | Twitter

I’ve done Quassy 5 times and the full revolution twice. I can hold my line and descend at speed but many others cannot. One year, I had this guy who would not hold his line and he nearly ran me off the road at the bottom of that turn, but I was lucky.

This race will continue to entice an under experienced crowd, now more than ever.

There must be a better way. I do not ever want to read about a death there.

First time poster here. And first time doing this race. I am indifferent in terms of posting speed limit during that stretch of the course. On one hand, I also believe in rider's own responsibility for safe riding. But on the other hand, I hate to see people get hurt on the decent. Yesterday on the course, I saw at least 2 very bad wrecks. One pretty much happened a minute before I passed through. The guy looked really hurt. I might have seen bones exposing on one of his knees (or maybe I was just imagining). And another wreck happened further into the course for which the person needed to be transported by ambulance. I saw fragments of the wrecked bike and it looked horrible.

So if speed limit was in place, I wonder if any of these wrecks would happen. I don't know. Maybe more "CAUTION" signs would help? Who knows. I tend to be playing safe when I decent. But I know many of us want to go fast going down. It is a tough call.

I did the race yesterday too. I had done a total of four outdoor rides in 2019 headed into the race, but I have many years of experience riding outside. I think that some folks plain panic on a downhill, especially if there is a corner, and then brake, causing the rear wheel to slide out.

What you are referencing too about the crash may be related to a post I saw on Twitter - one guy had a through-axle skewer go through his upper calf - the whole front wheel and fork had to go to the hospital with him in the ambulance to be removed.

---

Blog: http://262toboylstonstreet.blogspot.com/
https://twitter.com/NateThomasTri
Coaching: https://bybtricoaching.com/ - accepting athletes for 2023

I'm with the other poster on this one -- it'd be like putting a speed limit on Hard Hill Road, too. No thanks. Part of the reason I ride is so that I get to descend fast. Take that away and cycling loses some of its fun and skill.

---

----------------------------------
Editor-in-Chief, Slowtwitch.com | Twitter

pretty sure that skewer deal was a cycling race, a later pic in the thread shows a group on road bikes going by with numbers pinned on their backs

Agreed. Nothing wrong with a couple of speed zones where at the bottom of the descent there's a turn. If it's straight and open, let 'er rip. But we all know what a sketchy descent into a turn is -- and imagine if there were light rain and slick roads. Safety first. Two or three short speed zones on the challenging descents is not going to impact anyone's overall Bike time. Hate to hear about an athlete being impaled with his own equipment. That's terrible.

One of my Aussie buddies who has decades of extensive international cycling experience, and consistently won his AG over the decades, broke his collarbone at Quassy on the S curve section around mile 35 exactly 10 years ago. So many people crashed on that section that year they finally put up warning signs and positioned a volunteer there with a flag to draw attention to the signs and yell "slow down". I almost bit it on that section too.

Safety First. If you crash and can't finish a race, or have someone crash into you, it's a shit day. If you really feel the need for speed and to bomb sketchy descents with hard turns at the bottom, you can do it in training all day long.

Or come bomb the descents in France with me!

I just don’t get how there can consistently be bike accidents at a specific spot in a race without better preventative measures put in place.

I hated the first time I had to slow for a speed limit in Syracuse and I loved hitting 52 mph on the Keene descent at IMLP...

Maybe I’m just getting old but this was one of the reasons I didn’t sign up for IMCT.

Counterpoint. If one person crashes at a spot every year, but ~2000 other make it through with no problem, should we really adjust for the 1? If your answer is yes, then should we cancel all swims because a few people die every year from that?

Changes were made due to swim deaths. That’s old news.

And, yes, I believe in accountability. If I were the RD, I’d do something...

If one person crashes, of course not. I'm talking about the sketchy sections of a Bike course where there are multiple crashes and serious injuries every single year.

In the end it's up to the RD. And they're concern is the Safety of ALL athletes.

I honestly don't think a speed limit here would help. It's really a matter of handling, being able to dump speed without brakes, and picking a line without any choppy pavement. AKA, "everything New England has to offer in 4.5 seconds."

For reference, this corner is a lot like that descending radius turn on the Keene descent at IMLP -- the problem being that it's a significantly narrower road.

I feel like you'd see more incidents because people would try riding their brakes the whole way, which results in poorer turning / lock-ups.

---

----------------------------------
Editor-in-Chief, Slowtwitch.com | Twitter

I do think there are some things that can be done aside from speed restrictions. If this is the turn I am thinking of- it is a steep descent, that bends to the right slightly into a steeper descent before needing to bang a sharp left. The issue is that the flagger was at the very bottom of the hill and you could not see him before you came around the initial bend and were already onto the steeper section. If you came into that section hot, it could be very tough to take enough speed off before needing to turn- especially on a tri bike on a crowded course. By the time I hit that section there was an older man sitting in a lawn chair before that initial bend telling people to slow down. He was not wearing any official gear and did not seem to be affiliated with the race- so I was like- do I believe this guy? Should I really slow down? Maybe he is just grouchy that people are biking past his house so fast all day?

I think that in the future, I’d like to see one flagger before the initial bend, in addition to the one at the bottom- and this particular turn brought to our attention both in the athlete guide as well as in the pre-race briefing. As it was, we heard generally that it was a difficult, technical course with lots of tricky turns. It would be more helpful to have a specific mile marker noted for this one particularly tricky turn.

Weird.....I also had a double flat on a pothole going downhill! I’ve done this race every year but one.....too many people this year....someone said 3000?is that right? If so, it basically tripled from previous years. Not safe on the bike.

someone said 3000?is that right?
---

Nah. A smidge over 2500 registered with less than 2000 actually finishing.

---

---

---

Take a short break from ST and read my blog:
http://tri-banter.blogspot.com/

Does anyone know how the athletes are doing that were involved in the accidents? I heard one guy is in very bad condition.

My husband didn't do this race so he was my sherpa on Sunday. After the swim he was waiting for me to leave transition with my bike. He said he saw so many riders falling over just trying to clip into their pedals. He said it was insane how many people couldn't even get onto their bike. And because of that he was terrified for me as he knew I'd have to get through and around all these inexperienced riders. I used to race road bikes in the 1990s so I have good bike handling skills and can ride anything. But this was special!

I finished the bike safely. But it was crazy congested for me since I'm a very late adult onset swimmer and seeded myself with the 37-40 min group. So when I finally got onto the bike course I had to fight through hordes of riders the whole time out there. And with all the hills and technical riding it was stressful because I witnessed the worst bike handling skills I'd ever seen in any type of race or triathlon. I'm not throwing stones, but it's obvious there are many athletes who have not spent enough time developing adequate bike handling skills. Scott was worried about inexperienced riders crashing in front of me or not keeping their line and hitting me. Thank goodness that didn't happen but I never felt safe even though I'm good at staying out of trouble and can respond quickly with my bike.

I will not be back to IMCT 70.3 unless they place a limit on field size. 2000 riders was too much for the road conditions and technical aspects of the course. And with the roads open to traffic that added another dangerous variable with that many riders. I realize with the fog/shortened swim the bike was a lot more congested but even with a normal swim I'm sure it would have been too bunched up on those roads. I did Syracuse 70.3 last summer and had plenty of room on the bike course and loved it. I think they had around 900 on the course and it was great. I hope WTC does the right thing with this race. I did like the hilly bike course coming from Vermont. The road conditions were like ours so I'm used to that kind of riding. Winters are rough in New England. However, I was a little surprised I'd have to race on those rough road conditions.

I enjoyed the run. It was hard but fair. Second lap was congested but that's normal in an IM event. And safety is not an issue. The volunteers were excellent and everyone working the event did a great job. Loved having Tony Lugo from Puerto Rico announce at these events. The venue was neat. It is a cute old time amusement park. Something I'd never go near unless doing a race so it was fun.

Someone complained about food. I never expect much at these events, so I just fill up on chips, bananas, oranges, pretzels, bagels.....if you want great race food, try the Ironman MT events! They do it right in Canada!

---

Death is easy....peaceful. Life is harder.

Haven't heard anything on the wrecks.

I think people forget that once upon a time, you had 1200+ entries at this event, without an issue. I do think, very generally speaking, that people are more likely to underestimate the difficulty and technical nature of the course at an Ironman branded event versus a non-branded one. You're also more likely to get a crowd with less experience, which will exacerbate the bike handling and positioning noted here. The road conditions have always been a little rough -- particularly the stretch from Camp Dutton Road on 63 until the right turn to head toward Morris.

Here's the problem -- I don't think a field size limit smaller than 2000 is going to happen. Not without some cartoonishly high entry fees to make up the revenue -- police costs will still be the same, and the fee that is charged by Quassy to host the race isn't going to change. There's a reason Syracuse doesn't exist anymore -- that's not enough athletes to run the event at a reasonable margin.

At some point we also need to hold athlete's responsible for showing up completely unprepared and underskilled.

Aside: where in Vermont? I'm just over the NH border from Brattleboro.

---

----------------------------------
Editor-in-Chief, Slowtwitch.com | Twitter

I have a cost accounting background so I totally understand the need to break even at these events. Syracuse participant numbers kept falling and the two years in a row at 90F degrees didn't help. And the sad reality is that I don't really think CT will limit participation. I am disappointed since this was a race we could drive to easily.

We live outside of Burlington. I love Brattleboro. We always stop when passing through on I-91. I love the Co-op, Superfresh (the hippie café lol ), the bookstore, and Mocha Joes. We always bring home a few bags of coffee and load up on caffeine for the drive back home.

---

Death is easy....peaceful. Life is harder.

The race had too many people. Sadly, the allure of the old Rev3 Quassy is gone. Not sure if I would go back for a fifth time.

I was disappointed in the lack of any warm up swim at all. Maybe it was because of the fog. If they expected 2000 people to warm up in the little roped off area well, that's just silly. they got away with that one year when it was Quassy but there were so many fewer people.

I thought the road conditions were generally ok, no worse than what I train on, and no worse than Timberman has been.

The descents were fast and the corners were technical but not bad if one had some confidence on the bike. I got the sense many were not confident. Heeding all the cautions and driving the course before the race would have helped.

I thought the worst corner was the sharp right on broken pavement immediately after the third bike aid station. That was fun to do while juggling a gatorade bottle and steering with one hand.

---

______________________________________________________________

 I think the course can handle the number of athletes (different story about the parking logistics). I think a lot of your woes would be solved with a full swim. With a swim shortened to a third of the distance, there wasn't much of a gap even between the elite swimmers and the back of the pack swimmers. This leads to a lot more people starting the bike at similar times. With the longer swims, the line gets stretched out and the hills help thin the herd.

---

---

---

Take a short break from ST and read my blog:
http://tri-banter.blogspot.com/

I actually did an OW swim race last night and there was a sports massage person set up at a booth, apparently the guy who got taken by the ambulance is his friend. He said he has a broken collar bone, bruses and cuts everywhere, and is still in the hospital. Said it's going to be a long healing process. Now, I just met this guy, and can't vouch for his info, but that's all I've heard.

I am used to the rough road conditions living in Vermont. Winters chew up the roads in New England. I never did Timberman but have done 7 different Ironman branded (full and 70.3) venues before CT. And this course was the worst in terms of roads needing repairs due to pot holes, large cracks, patches of pavement on top of old pavement, and generally old and rough pavement needing to be refreshed. Like I said I'm used to this but it was my first time racing on roads that bad in an Ironman branded event. I didn't realize Timberman was bad too. Syracuse had really nice roads. And so did Mont Tremblant. Even Lake Placid has better road conditions (minus that one section on the out-and-back). I've only raced in Europe once and that was a nice Ironman bike course in Denmark.

If the course hadn't been so crowded I would have enjoyed the bike course. It was exactly what I train on here in Vermont. Bad roads and all. Loved the hills! But with 2000 riders it just was not fun.

---

Death is easy....peaceful. Life is harder.

Thanks for the update. I was thinking about him a lot after the race.

---

Death is easy....peaceful. Life is harder.

Ironman has a MASSIVE problem if they can't turn a profit on an event with 1500-2000 people. With a low end, Tier 1 entry costing likely $250-300, that alone is around $400-500k in revenues. Sure they have their fess for hosting the race, paying some personnel (not volunteers),etc. Factor in merchandise, etc and I think their greed is overtaking the ability to put on a great and safe event. With their fees, I'm not as willing to let cost be an excuse.

Do you have any idea how much the park rental fee is, what the police costs are, and the parking shuttles?

Hint: it is WAY more than you think.

---

----------------------------------
Editor-in-Chief, Slowtwitch.com | Twitter

I'm not arguing they don't have some big costs. But these costs are nowhere near $3-400k, which would still leave 100-200k profit from the event. I'd be shocked if park rental, police costs,and shuttles were over $75k total.

Be prepared to be shocked, then, because you're low. By a lot.

---

----------------------------------
Editor-in-Chief, Slowtwitch.com | Twitter

I don't have any first hand experience, therefore I'll take your word. It does come as a shock to me. I would estimate at renting a park for a day around $20k or so, police maybe $50k?, shuttle buses I'd guess 20-25k (@$150/hr for 10 buses for 16 hours).

I'm not going to delve too far into specifics, but:

• Park rental starts much earlier on race week;
• Police are incredibly expensive in this area;
• Shuttle busses will also require shift changes in drivers (max time they can be on for is 14 hours), which increases cost.

---

----------------------------------
Editor-in-Chief, Slowtwitch.com | Twitter

Very interesting, thank you for sharing.

wouldnt be surprised if the cost of permits were higher than in the past. the communities in the area were not thrilled about hosting the race again and put up a fight. only way to appease them is maybe with some funds.

also, to the point about the road conditions. i did the half in 2016 and it was raining so at times, hard to see the potholes and crevices, and the outlines washed away. that steep area, maybe make it a no pass zone. i understand limiting the speed is tough on a few skilled riders. i know i was riding my brakes down the whole way for the half and olympic when i did that race.

would they cap the registration? maybe? i agree that the full swim would have helped spread the people out some more. and any of us that live in CT shouldnt be surprised by the road conditions. not just the tough winters, but the lack of money for repairing infrastructure. maybe if IM gave some money to fix the roads it would also help with good will among the angry residents.

I can verify that. it's crazy

---

http://www.PatGriskusTri.com USAT Certified Race Director
2024 Races: USAT State of CT Age Group Championship/State of CT HS Champs/ CT Club Championship - Sat June 15th (Oly/Du/Sprint) Hopkins Vineyard Tri at Lake Waramaug Saturday July 13th http://www.HopkinsVineyardTri.com

Are you sure it was 2016? I did it the half that year too and didn't get rained on at all

Oh it was bad! The Olympic race that year was beautiful and sunny. For the half, lots of rain and then it got really bad for me on the run. I was a later finisher