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Participated in the half yesterday at HITS Hudson Valley. After reading about multiple negative experiences of other ST'ers which can be found on this forum with HITS events, I was a bit wary of a poor experience but the race fit too perfectly from a schedule and location perspective for me to say no to it. I just wanted to come out and say all things considered, it was a great race and I'd do it again in a heartbeat.
I have especially good things to say about the course design and the volunteers. williams lake was clean and clear, bike course had good scenery and roads were mostly good to great, and run course on a gravel/dirt rail trail which was flat and shaded for 90% of it was a very welcome thing for a race in july. all aid stations were well stocked and volunteers knew what they were doing and were great. transition was spacious (each person was given a foldable stool to sit on and the bike racks had compartments to put things) which was a funny but nice perk, and they were on the spot with the bus to/from the parking lots.
I don't have any major criticisms, but if I'm nitpicking...a fair bit of the bike course is on winding, hilly, forested roads with no shoulders, but in fairness there weren't many cars and it's not HITS' fault that those roads, and most of the roads around here in general, don't have big (or any) shoulders. Turns which were not at big intersections were marked with signs, with police officers at the bigger intersections, no issues there. However I'm one to study course maps pretty well, I understand it's my responsibility to know the course, so someone who didn't know it by heart in advance may have felt differently.
Sure it's a lower-priced, more bare-bones event option, but the race staff was very helpful, the atmosphere was great, and everyone I saw (I was there until about 3:00 pm watching people finish) and talked to had a great time.
Of course this is just my experience, would love to hear from others if anyone else was there yesterday.
HITS Hudson Valley Full-triathlon 2018 review
I did not find many reviews of the HITS Hudson Valley Full-triathlon course so I thought I would write this, because the couple of reviews I found were very helpful for a first timer. This was my first full-distance triathlon.
I have done 6 sprints and 2 Olympic distance triathlons, one 50-mile trail race, one 48-hour (for me 122-mile) race and and over 170 marathons. I say that because I have experienced the difference between big and small scale events. And the importance of managing expectations and preparation.
From the couple of reviews I could find on the HITS Hudson Valley half or full triathlons I realized that course logistics would be basic, this was not an IM branded event with paid cheerleaders. And the field for the full distance would be small so I expected to be alone most of the time.
I lived close enough that I could go there to see the staging area and pre-ride the bike course and look at the run loop which was helpful. Pre-riding the course I got lost and missed an important turn.
There was a pre-race meeting the day before which was helpful. It was there I found out the water temperature was 82 degrees so the swim would not be “wetsuit legal”. The weather had been very warm the week before, although race day was 54-75 sunny and perfect.
Parking
They allowed the full distance athletes to park right at the start/finish, which was great. Others parked a mile away and could get a shuttle or bike to the start. The shuttle stopped after the half distance was finished.
Transition Area
The start/finish and transition area is at Williams Lake. The area is under construction to build apartments and houses, so things were different from 2017 and will be again for 2019. You get a 2’ square box to rack your bike and leave any gear. You are assigned a spot and grouped with others doing your distance. The area is in full sun so don’t expect anything to stay cool. There was a changing tent by the full and half areas which was great because I changed shorts at the transitions. There were port-o-potties in the area near the bike exit.
Swim
Because of the construction we could not start at the beach but started to the west. There were some lilly pads and mud getting in and out of the water. The (20 +/-)half women started together with a water start just off the shore. It was great to have a small field and not have any body contact. The first buoy was directly in the rising sun so it was hard to see but I just followed others. The next three buoys were very easy to see. By the middle of the first of 4 loops I was alone, which was perfect for me.
We exited the swim and there were sprint distance people waiting on the shore but they gave way. There was a 200 (?) yard path to the transition area so it was nice to have Crocs to wear.
Bike
After changing in to bike shorts and lubing up with sunscreen I was off. They said at the pre-race meeting the course would be marked with white signs at turns and police at traffic intersections. This is what I had expected for a small race and having gotten lost on my earlier test ride I had spent time reviewing the bike course and using Strava and Google maps to create my own turn by turn directions, which I printed out and taped to my aero bar pads. I can stressed about being lost and so it was great to know what to expect.
There were police at intersections with traffic but they were not there to give directions, it was not that they did not give directions it just is not their job.
The roads in general where in good shape and not much traffic. I was alone most of the time and I was glad I had blinking lights on the front and back.
The first aid station was a 12 miles. They offered water and Heed in plastic bottles with a “sport” top. . You could put them in a bike bottle cage. Because it was just a guy with a table in the sun the water was not cold. There were a few other things but it was pretty basic, but I had planned to be self supported on the bike. There was another similar aid station at mile 30.
The turn I had missed on my test ride was at mile 31.5 and when I approached I saw a guy standing by his bike looking confused. There was a white marked and some cones but the arrow came off the marker so it was no clear which way to go. I pointed him to the right and when I caught up he said others had gone the wrong way. We leap frogged each other for a while and it was nice to have the inspiration. I only saw/passed one other competitor.
You get to the first aid station again at mile 42+ and they guy there would run to the table on that side of the road.
My cyclometer measured about 54 miles for each loop, which was similar to what Stava showed.
I did not see any bike support vehicles on the course. At the pre-race meeting they said cell phones where prohibited but now looking at Ironman rules it says
Bike Special need
The turn to start loop two was 200+ yards before the transition area at the start of Williams Lake Road. It was just a cone a plastic tub with the Special Needs bags and a jug of water on cooler. A bike rack was 20’ away. The one official there was directing traffic. I asked about a port-o-potty and he said it was at the transition area. I didn’t want to go that far and I am not sure it would have been an option because they were in the transition area past the timing marker. The water in the cooler was cold but having it on a table and not the ground would have been nice. Again, I reminded myself it was a small field and just to relax and enjoy, I was there to finish not to compete. Off for another loop on the same course.
Run
Coming out the transition to start the run there was an aid station with a full set of options since it was also the post race food.
The run is on a the Wallkill Valley rail trail, the surface is mostly well packed dirt, with only a few root and loose rocks. The big benefit is that it is 90% in the shade. The Stava elevation shows a steep up and down which does not exist because you are on a tressel. You run south for 3.275 miles, there was an aid-station at the start, mile 1.5 and 3.1. They were stocked as advertised. One complaint was the water was in a plastic bucket lined with a black plastic garbage bag and the water had the flavor of plastic.
It was nice to have the out and back to see other competitors and cheer them on. You could access your run special needs bag at each return. The 3.1 aid station offered headlamps as it was getting dark.
I made it in just past dark, but I had pick up a headlight just in case. There were 3 people who had been walking behind me.
It there were a few staff at the end. They said only about 15 people were finishing the full distance, some others signed up but never start and a couple dropped out.
I was very happy with the experience and the race organization, but I had anticipated things would not be perfect but it was worth it to me to be able to do a full-distance triathlon in a relaxed setting. I am very very very glad I had studied the bike course and had my own turn by turn directions.
Thanks very much for the reviews. Do you recall how warm the lake was on race day? Do you recall if people had flats or are the roads good?
Last edited by:
topanga: Nov 24, 18 20:24
Lake was warm it was non wetsuit legal, but it was on the tail end of a heat wave. It was mid 90s for a few days leading into the race. I wouldnt say it'd be a given to be non wetsuit legal all the time.
I didn't see anyone with flats, not to say that means no one got em, but roads were good IMO.