The following is taken directly from the USAT website:

"...The race will be intermediate distance – 1.5k swim, 40k bike, 10k run..."

However, with the contempt that numerous race organisers seem to show for having remotely accurate race distances, this wouldn't surprise me at all.
I suspect Ultramax meant 24.8 mls (40km).

I haven't read much on the 2006 Nationals, but understand it will be at Smithville Lake. This was also the site of the cancelled 2005 Nationals and I was there for the race last summer. The 2005 course was also long by the approximately the same distance, and the explanation for the course alteration was that road construction necessitated the change. Based on where the transition areas were I can only assume that it made sense to lengthen it slightly. Wished I had been able to race it last year; the course was seldom flat. The rollers were small enough where you could hold momentum through most of them. This kept you busy finding the proper gear and I was shifting almost constantly.

Guys,

Thanks for the replies. A typo (28.8 should have been 24.8) does seem like a reasonable explanation, but it would be interesting to know for sure.

A 28.8 mile bike course with rolling hills the entire way sure will place a premium on having good cycling legs (say, relative to a flat 24.8 miles).

What is the run course like? Flat and lots of shade?

Cheers,
Matt

I raced the Half IM there last year. The run is not flat, there are three good hills coming out of the park. Also there is not much shade. This is all assuming that they use the same course.

The bike course is rolling but not to terribly, just never flat.

What a friend and I decided after last years race is that the swim portion was the only flat portion of the race.

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Looking like a color blind super hero!
Damn triathlon.