Frozen meat company as a sponsor?
Tornado season?
High 80's temperature?
WTC fees to bring the family to Oklahoma?
Transition areas that are 24 miles apart?

Did that work?

The distance from swim start/T1 to T2 is crazy. I’ll be anxious to see the course map. Anyone from that area have any input?

Please explain.

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Pink? Maybe. Maybe not. You decide.

For an IM for the families that will go watch the race at the swim and then move to transition, it actually "wastes" time and probaly works well for a full. It's when it's a 70.3 and you go to the swim start and then have to wait around until the final swimmer is done before you can leave T1 area to get to T2 that you run into real issues.

I've had it where I've missed athletes into T2 for a 70.3 cus I'm stuck still at T1.

But for a full, this wont be an issue.

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Brooks Doughtie, M.S.
Exercise Physiology
-USAT Level II

Easy for me.
4 hour drive vs 8 to 10 or flying.

For all the issues mentioned above, I'll be very curious how long it lasts.

I think it's a sort of experiment to see if locating a full IM in the southern Midwest is sustainable. Will it sell out? Will it attract enough people like me that want to do a full IM, but don't want the hassle of driving forever or flying and the logistics.

Every tri group FB page I'm on, people are clamoring for it. 3000+ people? Time will tell.

I'm not a huge fan of the multiple transitions... but what are you going to do...

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Ryan
http://www.SetThePaceTriathlon.com
http://www.TriathlonTrainingDaddy.com
I got plans - https://www.trainingpeaks.com/...dotcom#trainingplans

IMHO, families at the swim start/T1 area of a 2 transition race are just unnecessary distractions for all involved.

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Pink? Maybe. Maybe not. You decide.

T1 and T2 are 24 miles apart.
5.0.3

Which means that you will have to somehow get your bike out there pre-race; than get a ride back into town. And than post-race, have someone or yourself go all the way back out there to get your swim gear.
Boulder had a similar setup but it was only a few miles; this is rediculous.

They will probably cart your swim gear bag to T2/finish line for you. I doubt you will have to run all the way back to T1 to get it.

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the world's still turning? >>>>>>> the world's still turning

Which means that you will have to somehow get your bike out there pre-race; than get a ride back into town. And than post-race, have someone or yourself go all the way back out there to get your swim gear.
Boulder had a similar setup but it was only a few miles; this is rediculous.

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Race will provide rides out to the venue for most athletes/sherpas. 2nd- I've never seen a race not take your T1 stuff to you at the T2/finish area. Your stuff isn't just going to "sit" in T1 until midnight and your expected to go get it.


Your bitching about something that isn't as big of a deal as your making it be.

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Brooks Doughtie, M.S.
Exercise Physiology
-USAT Level II

Sure but reality is, people want to see you start an "ironman" (hell a 70.3 too). It's not as big of an issue with a IM considering it's a ~6hr bike ride. So you can wait til all swimmers on the course and still make it back. You really can't make it back for some doing a 70.3 event, especially with wave starts that can be over an hour difference in starting times.

But with rolling starts it's probaly easier to manage.

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Brooks Doughtie, M.S.
Exercise Physiology
-USAT Level II

Ironman UK has a split transition, about 10 miles apart.

Seems to work, tho i hear from many they do find it a bit of a PITA, but it does work.
The orgsnisers provide shuttle buses from Bolton centre (where T2 is).

However, at the age group racing at Leeds a couple of years ago (1st time the ITU went to Leeds) the arrangements for getting to/from Roundhay Park (Swim+T1) to T2 and back, + kit bags after the race etc, was an unmitigated clusterfhuck. That was (p1ss poorly) oganised by... wait for it... Ironman / WTC.

So - it needs the organisers to really sort their shizzle out otherwise you'll have a thousand wrecked athletes waiting and waiting and getting p1ssed off.

.
You clearly are not a logistics person..5,000'ish people in Cairns managed just fine with a 26k split transition..
.
Ironman organised trucks to shuttle bikes and rack them for anyone who didn't want to ride out or drive out to T1 on Saturday.
Ironman organised busses for athletes to go to T1 on Saturday if they wanted.
Ironman organised busses for athletes and supporters to go to the race start on Sunday.
Ironman organised busses for spectators to go back to the finish after everyone left T1
Ironman collected all the swim gear and street gear bags and took them back to the finish area to be collected at T2 after the race.

Ironman Australia in Forster used to do the same
Ironman Malaysia does the same.
It works and you are focussing on something that is at worst,inconvenient.

Ironman Lake Tahoe had a distance of 17 miles from T1 to T2. As mentioned, all T1 items were packed up after the athletes left and carried to T2 - no reason to believe that IMOK (ha!) will be any different.

That said, getting from T1 to T2 was a major hassle and took a long time. Granted, Tahoe has very few ways to get from place to place so Tulsa could be easier to navigate.

This seems similar to IMLOU in a few respects - a rolling, hilly bike and a flat, urban run in fairly warm temperatures.

Overseas IM events tend to be nicer for a lack of better word when it comes to this stuff. I've never had an athlete stuck on a bus in Asia/AUS when racing an WTC event. Plenty of times in NA when they've used buses this has happened in 70.3 events anyway. Hopefully they can pull it off without a hitch though.

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Brian Stover USAT LII
Accelerate3 Coaching
Insta

Please do not disrespect Louisville by comparing it to Tulsa.

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Pink? Maybe. Maybe not. You decide.

I bet this race will have a similar vibe to Louisville and will see about the same amount of success.

.

Yes,I will have to say that they fall all over themselves to get stuff done right at Asian events from my experience.The Thai Navy Warrior Iron and its associated events are a thing to be seen to be believed.
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The only race in Oz that came close to being a gong show was the point to point Iron Distances race that was held in Sydney once in the 80's and once in the 90's.That was an exercise in navigation, forced self support and lost gear.Luckily my place was on the run course and I got to go home to get some food and go to the bathroom.
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We used to think the split transition in Forster was a pain back in the '90s but these days it is just "one of those things" that happen when you try to create a perfect races in an imperfect location.Langkawi in Malaysia is an example of their race improving with the change of venues and the move to a split transition.

That's good to know that they would likely provide a bus for people/bikes out to T1 on the day before. I did Raleigh 70.3 and we had to get our own bikes and self out there on the day before which was a pain.


I'm still not sold but I'm not sure anything would sell me given the cons I've heard so far. If I lived within driving distance that would be a big plus but it's a 13 hour drive from where I am. Drove that far to IM Texas once. Now with a kid, no thanks.

Seems like a good test for the Midwest and will be interesting to see it play out.

.

Certainly Tulsa isn't a place that will entice me to sign up and fly across the Pacific for a "destination race"..

Which race is WTC trying to kill with this choice?

If you haven't been to IM Canada in Penticton, I suggest you give it a try.
Great fun, beautiful course. And poutine trucks.

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Karen ST Concierge

The run will go through the Gathering Place, which is an amazing park. That's probably the biggest highlight of the course, although i haven't seen the actual map.

The finish line is in a hip area of Tulsa, and there are some cool places to eat nearby and hotels in hobbling distance. Chimera is a great little coffee shop with good food, just a few blocks away. There's also a minor league ballpark right by the finish line, so it might be possible for the family to catch a game while you are racing or stressing out before the race.

The people of Tulsa really get behind Tulsa Tough (a bike race). It's the biggest party in Tulsa each year....no joke. It's a crazy place. This race will be a week before Tulsa Tough. Perhaps somebody in Tulsa can get the Cry Baby Hill people to come out and party it up on the run course.

Some selling points:


- The bike course will run generally West to East, so the bike course is not entirely into the 30 mph wind that blows from south to north in Oklahoma from May to October.

- On May 31 there's a good chance that the temperature will be below 100 with a dewpoint below 85, although I wouldn't count on it.

- Crosswinds and heat are good practice for Kona

Damn families! Nothing but an inconvenience and distraction. Why can’t we just IM without the families (pink).

Been to Mt. Tremblet when they had the Poutine. Poutine sucks IMO. Give me onion rings or fries with white vinegar any day!

Poutine sucks IMO. Give me onion rings or fries with white vinegar any day!
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Take a short break from ST and read my blog:
http://tri-banter.blogspot.com/

[/quote]
Fine by me!

(Not pink)

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Pink? Maybe. Maybe not. You decide.

Probably the best reason to choose Tulsa is that you will get in without stressing about whether or not it is going to sell out in a week. And if you like heat, that could be a big plus...

.
I agree.My sister lives in Montreal and I've been to Quebec many times for events and ridden through from the east coast.I never liked poutine.That said the Jeffers Fries van in Penticton is a must visit place for me to eat in town during any of my many visits.Thier fries are just awesome and malt vinegar for me.

Redman in OKC

I lived in Tulsa and I currently live in Louisville. I did IMLou before I moved to Tulsa, but now I’m back in Louisville.

Here are my observations and comparisons:

Culturally and socially, Tulsa is getting its act together in terms of being place to visit and do interesting stuff. There are some pockets of places with good bars and restaurants, but nowhere near the quality and quantity of Louisville. Cherry Street, Downtown, the area around the Drillers’ Stadium, Guthrie Green, The Center of the Universe, Cain’s Ballroom, etc, are getting better and are honestly perfectly fine. The Tulsa Museums are actually world-class. If you’re comparing to Louisville for culture, dining, pubs, cocktails, etc, Louisville is a better bet for the family or young couples.

Rt 66 is the centerpiece of the city. Huge pride in that road, which is marked by road signs everywhere. There’s a great sculpture where Rt 66 starts across the Arkansas River (or crick or gulch or trickle, depending on the year). It is said that the true western USA starts at that exact point: the country opens up and spans westward just as 66 crosses the river.

As for the race: Keystone Lake is going to be much warmer than the Ohio River, and will have no currents. The bike course is much more rolling than you’d imagine: there are some really great rollers on the course, some longer than the rollers in Louisville. The run through downtown will be great.

Tulsa does have a very proud endurance sports scene. Most famous is Tulsa Tough, which is a weekend of bike racing the includes pro and amateur crits, a popular century ride, and the famous “Crybaby Hill.” The annual Rt 66 Marathon is a big deal, as is the 15k Tulsa Run. There’s even a great OWS race, Tallchief, that is one of the best in the USA (and a race I won 5 times!).

If you do drive to Tulsa, be prepared for HUGE expanses between cities. Coming from the east, there is almost nothing between Joplin and Tulsa, a stretch of almost 100 miles. There’s a tollbooth and a service plaza halfway. Coming from the west and north Texas, you’ll find that distance between OKC and Tulsa even longer with even fewer services. I can hardly think of more remote city pairings than OKC and Tulsa, right there in the middle of this vast continent with nothing else remotely nearby. KC, StL, DFW, Little Rock are all at least a 4 hour drive, and only StL can be reached directly by interstate highway.

Since I do have connections in Tulsa, I’m very happy for the community for getting this race. I think they’ll do a fine job!

Tulsa is a fantastic city and one that heavily supports the athletic community. The cycling and running communities there are absolutely insane. Check Tulsa Tough and the Route 66 marathon. These are 2 of the best athletic events in the country.

As Rob Bell stated in an earlier post, The Gathering Place is a HUGE park and will be a blast to run through. I bet the crowds there will be nothing short of crazy and awesome. However, a finish downtown means hills....lots of them. Now if only IM can work a loop or 20 of cry baby hill in the race! The bike course will be challenging, but hey, it is Ironman...it is supposed to hurt.

I lived in Tulsa for 31 years. I plan on this race being my first full length Ironman. With Riverside, Blue Dome district, Cherry Street and the Gathering Place the run course will be a lot of fun. Weather this time of year is tricky. Could be 80's sunny and wonderful, 100+ and insanely humid (think hell on earth) or pouring down rain and chilly. Crowd support should be awesome, Tulsa doesn't have pro sports or major college sports so when things come to Tulsa people tend to get really excited. It is a very very easy city to get around, traffic is not bad and the city is laid out on a grid so most streets run north south east west.

We are looking forward to putting on another great IRONMAN event in Tulsa!


T1 is located Keystone lake and is approximately 24 miles away.


Bike course has rolling features similar to Wisconsin


T2 is located on the OSU-Tulsa campus. Athlete Registration and Expo will be located adjacent to this location.


T2 will also be the home of Bike Check in! Rack your bike at T2 along with your Swim to bike bag


Free of charge, we will take your T1 equipment to Keystone Lake, rack your bike and place your swim to bike gear in the appropriate location


Also, during bike check in at T2, bring your bike to run bag and you can place it in the appropriate location.


T2 on race morning will serve as shuttle bus pick up and special needs drop off


Run Course- will feature a two loop style course located on the River Park Trail System. The majority of the course is flat, and there is some nice shaded areas on the trail.


Guthrie Green will be the home of our finish line, welcome ceremony and awards/slot allocation ceremony

The Voice of Ironman - Mike Reilly will be there!

Hope to see you at the race. Z

That's me. I love the heat like 110+ heat. Bring it on!!

@laughable. What do you mean by: WTC fees to bring the family to Oklahoma?

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Tri is my Tribe! "Sometimes you need to slow down in order to go fast."

Tulsa is a great city. I could see doing this race once. My experience with Tulsa cycling races (Tulsa Tough being the most recent) is that the local racing event dna definitely tends toward a running culture. In some ways, that's good. In others, not so much. And the quality of volunteers (even at Tulsa Tough) is a little spotty. Most go above and beyond -- some of the best volunteers I've ever seen. And extremely friendly. Others seem to go missing at the worst possible times . . . every single year. After a couple years of the same issues and the same venues, I opted out of Tulsa Tough this year, even though I traveled to Tulsa the very next day.

Is Tulsa a "destination race?" Probably not, unless you have some other connection to Tulsa. But if you live north of the Red River in the middle of the continent? Perfect. You won't find a friendlier venue or an area in which it's harder to get lost. In late May, it might be hot, but I wouldn't guarantee it.

Wow, that sucks. Count me out. I can't stand races with different T1 and T2, especially that far away. And a first year race? Expect serious travel issues on race morning.

Agree, there is nothing for them to see and if they are planning to see me finish, that is way too long of a day.

Sure but then I go to races with 2 transitions and see hundreds of people cheering and telling you good luck on your most important day. I've never not seen people show up to watch the swim of events, lol.

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Brooks Doughtie, M.S.
Exercise Physiology
-USAT Level II

Thank you - the logistics info is so helpful. Checking everything in at T2 is very convenient. Am I correctly deducing that we cannot check our bikes at T1 and rack ourselves, even if we choose to head out to T1 to check out the swim area?
And just to ask the obvious, all gear will arrive at the finish, à la IM Boulder?

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http://www.extramilenutrition.com

I am mostly with you, but he did say that you don't have to check your bike into T1, which would typically be the worst part of the whole ordeal.

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Dimond Bikes Superfan

Yes! You may go out to T-1 and check you bike in and look at the swim venue! We will be bringing all of your T-1 gear bags back to T-2 while you are out cycling 112 miles (Bike Gear bag and Morning Bag) so you do not have to go back out to T-1 after the race!

Z

It doesn't seem that bad. Santa Rosa is a split transition and it's easy. I paid tri bike transport 40 bucks to take my bike to T1. Well worth it.

My morning of routine didn't change whatsoever. From skimming the prior posts it looks like transportation of the bikes is free.

While I have no intention of flying across the country for a race the transition situation goes into the neutral category for me.

A local race called Redman, it is a full and half. It is one of the last remaning, if not the only remaining, independantly opened halves in the U.S.

that shouldn't be in pink.....I'm sorry, your families do not want to sit around a race site for 9-15 hours "watching" you race. Its pure torture for them.

The IM Branson 70.3 (MO) had separate T1 and T2 locations, I don't remember miles between each but it wasn't 24 miles, maybe have been 3-5 miles but they bussed spectators from T1 to T2 while people were on their bikes. They moved all your gear from T2 to the finish area too. I don't remember any issues being brought up. That was a great race too. I think numbers dropped so IM pulled out. Guess 5,000+ feet of climbing over 56 miles was too much for the masses.

Definitely not the last independently owned half in the US. Set Up events puts on 3 halves in the North Carolina Triathlon Series every year.

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Pink? Maybe. Maybe not. You decide.

Plenty of independents at the 70.3 distance. Not so many at 140.6. Redman has strong USAT and even ITU experience.
If you sign up for IMF, WTC will give you early access to IM Tulsa entry. Woo Hoo...
I'm still waiting to see the IMSG and IMC courses. No more registrations for me without a course. WTC does not even have a date for Galveston?
PS: If I'm going to Oklahoma it will be to support Redman.

Why would they ever pic a location right in the middle of tornado alley in peak season!!!???











jk

I did catch the jk, but I lived in tornado alley for 20 years and never saw one nor had one pass near. Kinda disappointed.

To kill Redman full......

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Pink? Maybe. Maybe not. You decide.

Good way to poach some Strava KOMs if you've got the tornado at your back

The distance between T-1 and T-2 at IM 70.3 Branson was 7 miles. We transported Morning Bags and T-1 Bags to the finish line for athletes. The bike course was fantastic - on a four lane highway completely closed to traffic! Race was very tough and the athletes numbers kept going down each year. I still see athletes with IM 70.3 Branson finisher shirts at our events. I make sure to talk to them about their experience how they did at the race. Gordan Haller, the Original IRONMAN Champion did IM 70.3 Branson! Z

I live in Arkansas and have been to Tulsa a ton and I have done the Redman Full before

I will not do Tulsa next year. The T1-T2 distance seems a bit far, weather in May in Ok and, AR for that matter, is TOTALLY unpredictable….that's one reason Redman is in Sep. I don't want to be a "Beta Tester" for a logistically complicated race.

All that said if you live close to Tulsa that is always a good reason to go race there. Tulsa is not a destination race by any stretch no matter how you may spin it. Its it a cool town......Yes, is it a place to vacation.....Nope.

Good info Tom! Look forward to the race and hope to see you there.

Will there be an opportunity to swim in Keystone Lake prior to race day?

The distance between T1 and T2 has me saying nope but the biggest reason is that the weather can swing wildly that time of year. May is a wet month, it can be a little chilly or....and most likely.....hot and humid. Nothing like training in a cold wet spring to race on the fist hot day.

Just got the email from Ironman MD, that I can defer to Tulsa, I'm thinking that will be the way to go. Hoping to compete for a KQ spot; it should be tougher field at Tulsa compared to MD, but hey Kona aint easy. Might have 1 more shot for '21 after that.

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IG - @ryanppax
http://www.geluminati.com
Use code ST5 for $5 off your order

That will never sustain, Tulsa is a shithole and that is the end of that.

Tulsa is a shithole that would be an utter waste of money to race. I will just leave at that. No way in hell I would drop $1k for a race fee to race there. I have seen here two transition race comparisons with Tahoe, Cairns.....thats an insult to Tahoe.

Please explain why Tulsa is a shithole. I’ve lived, worked, gone to school, partied, and raced in Tulsa, and love that town. I’m signed up for IM Tulsa, and wouldn’t miss it for anything.

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Athlinks / Strava

The separate T1 and T2 - - Ironman has experience with that and my experience has been they handled it very well. I raced 2 IM St. George Ironman's and IM Boulder with split transitions. Granted Tulsa's will be further apart than those 2 races, However, at IMST and IM Boulder, they brought all your gear down to T2 so after the race it was all there--just like they plan to do at Tulsa.

The weather sounds unpredictable, but a big predictable for this race is Tom Ziebart directing it. Tom has a lot of years with Ironman very effectively directing many of their races. When I saw he was directing this one, I have a lot of confidence in him that they will be able to pull off a very good race experience.

Yeah, I’d call many cities that but not Tulsa. To each their own.

do we know how many kona slots will be allocated to tulsa? i'm signed up, with a bud, and we'd both like to know. thanks!

1. Unpredictable weather, It can be cold/wet/windy or hot/wet/windy that time of year. Mainly hot/wet/windy. Good new is if you're one of the 5% in the world that likes hot/wet/windy you're in luck. If you're really lucky you might get to race a tornado too that time of year.

2. Transition areas 24 miles apart

3. Tulsa is an nice town but not a destination for a racecation if that is important.

4. See #1

5. See #1

6. See #1

This is a perfect case where just a little negative press can totally blow the big picture. I've lived in Tulsa, and in this area, for over 40 years (currently 1.5 hours north of Tulsa). It's beautiful. Yes, storms blow through. Of course there are windy days. And sometimes you get tornadoes. But 98% of the time it's very nice that time of the year. The chances that it might hit 80º for a high in the afternoon are pretty good, and the chances there might be some wind are pretty good. But the chances of unseasonably hot, excessively high winds, tornadoes, or severe thunders storms, are not any higher than anywhere else in the country. The chances we get a beautiful day, for a great race, are just as good as anywhere else.

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Athlinks / Strava

Not a big deal. Heck, I've done a 70.3 where this was the case. One of my favorite races. I did it 4 times.

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Pink? Maybe. Maybe not. You decide.

yep, and I am not happy about that because Redman is a Saturday race and IM Tulsa is on Sunday. I don’t do Sunday races for religious reasons. Tulsa is my home town. I know lots of people are doing this race. The weather would have perfect on race day in 2020. Yes Tulsa Tough Bike race is big and the town gets behind it. I loved the Tulsa running community when I was there (work moved me to Texas for 5 years and to a small town 2 hours south of Tulsa for 5 years so it has been a decade since I lived there). I have my favorite places in Tulsa. Most of them are the trails I used to run in highschool, and scenic areas along the Arkansas River. I don’t do those time of things on race weekends though. I go to the race expo and pre-race meeting when I get into town the get something to eat and turn in early for the night. After the race I get something to eat again and like to socialize with other who raced then head home. So I don’t see much of any city that race in. I am not doing IM Tulsa so I don’t get excited about it being close, but I do have some team members from out of state that were supposed to do the race this year and I offered to meet them on Saturday. If we had I few hours I would show them what my friends and I call the 7 wonders of Tulsa which a some of the coolest things to see in town. Half of them are on the Oral Roberts University Campus. My favorite is the Center of the Universe down town.

well, ironman just did just announce that it has been selected to host the North American Championships and gets 75 kona slots...

"The 2021 Certified Piedmontese IRONMAN North American Championship Tulsa will offer 75 qualifying slots to the 2021 IRONMAN World Championship in Kailua-Kona, Hawai`i. "

Interesting to see the pro field for this event with the $150,000 prize purse and 2 MPRO and 2 WPRO and 2 unassigned Kona slots allocated with IM Texas just one month prior with $100,000 prize purse and one slot each. So far those are the only two North American races posted hosting a pro field, but it is early on still.

And, it has now officially SOLD OUT!!

i figured it'd sell out on the news and the extra kq slots...

does anyone know the # of participants to im tulsa?

Just reading all the comments starting back in 2019. Different world then...

But I'm excited about the race! The extra KQ slots are nice, that'll roll down to at least 2nd place in my geezer group (65-69). I used to live in Lincoln, NE, so I know that kind of rolling terrain for the bike course, It's definitely going to be challenging. And it will also be a fair course, a good measure of your bike training rather than skill at not getting caught drafting.

So bring it on- new course, fair course, quality competition from strong AG competitors- what's not to like about a race and competition that'll kick your butt? Sounds like it's going to be a worthy endeavor...

What's the inside scoop about places to stay? Downtown or out of town?

I stay in Tulsa quite frequently for work. If you are staying downtown, I’ve had good luck with the Fairfield. The Courtyard is a bit of a pain with an odd layout.

Thanks for the suggestion, I'll check it out

Hey greenlawn-

I booked at the Fairmont- right next to the finish line at Guthrie green and gave me a 50%+ military discount! Damn nice of 'em. Thanks for the tip- appreciate it.

You racing?

Wow, that’s great! Had never heard of such a discount, but it is well deserved.

I am not racing, but will be there for Tulsa Tough.

I was contemplating IM Tulsa (I live an hour and a half away in Stillwater), waited too long, and it sold out. I need to learn to commit to stuff.

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maybe she's born with it, maybe it's chlorine
If you're injured and need some sympathy, PM me and I'm very happy to write back.
disclaimer: PhD not MD

#1 is a deal breaker for us. Not throwing stones at meat eaters (we are friends with grass fed beef farmers). But yuck...screw that.

#2 Not afraid of bad weather. I finished IM TX 70.3 in 2019 when there were tornado warnings and the crazy micro burst came through and messed up the race.

# 3 No stranger to hot races

#4 ?

#5 two transition areas that are far apart sucks but not a deal breaker. IM Copenhagen was a pain in the ass to get to the swim start but well worth the hassle as it was a fantastic event

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

me too. I'm deferred for Tulsa but was toying with signing up for an early US 70.3. every one is now sold out

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IG - @ryanppax
http://www.geluminati.com
Use code ST5 for $5 off your order

Anyone NOT taking the race morning shuttle to T1?[/font]

IM Tulsa Athlete Guide in "Race Day Info" states "Shuttles start at 4am at OSU Tulsa on race Morning. You will will drop [/font]off your Personal needs bags off at the IRONMAN Village and get on the Shuttle to head down to T1"

Note sure if the typo "will will" indicates this is mandatory but I'd like options (like getting dropped off IVO Keystone State Park with a friend who can hold onto my race morning white bag). Moreover, hanging out in my wetsuit for ~2 hours prior race start to isn't fun.

The schedule says "mandatory athlete only shuttle (no race day athlete parking)" but doesn't clarify if drop offs will be allowed. I agree, having a sherpa drop off would be much preferred to a 4 AM shuttle followed by a 2 hour wait. It looks like maybe a mile walk from the park entrance so even if they aren't allowing cars in that may still be a better option than the wait. As far as the wetsuit is concerned, shuttle or no shuttle I'll be waiting to put mine on until it's time to walk to the swim start.

I emailed IM about this as I'll be staying close to the swim start. Here is their response "It is a mandatory shuttle because you are required to drop off your personal needs bags at the IM village and then you will get on the shuttle to head down to T! race morning."

I'm also considering being dropped off at the park entrance and taking the walk to the swim start though.

I like the idea of having my sherpa drop me off at the swim but if I have to go drop off my personal needs bags where the shuttles are taking off, I might as well ride one out to the swim. I don't know what traffic will be like around that area with people being dropped off at the shuttles. I also don't know what traffic will be like out at the swim. I remember at Boulder 70.3, they delayed the start of the race because traffic backed up getting into the park where the race was being held. You can't tell me there will not be any spectators at the swim start and T1. So they have to accomodate for spectators at the lake.

Looking for some help or suggestions here.

Wife got email to register for athlete check-in, but the time she went to register all Friday spots were taken. We do not get in till late on Thursday. Flights were purchased well before IM let it be known that you would have to register for you check-in times.

Any suggestions or help would be appreciated.

As long as she has the QR code on her phone, ID and USAT card they will let her in. At Florida 70.3 last month there were no lines and very easy to go through packet pick-up, then you got to choose your time slot to drop off your bike. They never asked or checked the time slot when you went in so I wouldn't worry about it. Just make sure she has the QR code, take a screenshot on the phone and save it to pics and she will be good to go.

That was our worst case scenario. Unlikely they turn anyone away.