The 70.3 and IM are completely different t courses. The roads on the IM course are far better.

Really enjoyed going to Wisconsin for the event. This was a totally different experience than Steelhead and Muncie (my other 70.3 events) due to the bike course which was MUCH MORE challenging.

The challenges:
- Rough roads (Steelhead and Muncie so much better)
- So many turns. I actually got to the point of disbelief as in “how could we possibly be turning again”
- The hills! Nonstop rollers made it feel like you were never in rhythm.

I loved the experience of this event because it challenged me and I learned a bit more about how to pace while riding the hills. I will use that info coming up at Lake Placid.

My odd race complaint: the post race food was crap. After post race food at events like Steelhead and Muncie where it is so good, this was surprising. It was practically like a run aid station other than the really crappy Firehouse subs. Disappointed there.

Not an odd complaint at all... it was absolute horseshit. And not only was the food bad for athletes, the spectators had literally ZERO options. My mom and sister were at the event from 5:30am-12 and there were zero options for food until a shitty bar a mile away opened around 11am. Which they couldn't go to because I was finishing soon.

That was the one thing I honestly thought was "bad" about the race organization. I know the weather was shit but they should have had some food trucks come into the park for spectators.

My Sherpa got a sandwich from a food truck that was there. It looked good.

A few thoughts after a day or two of reflection:

I agree with the concerns about the lack of food and amenities for spectators and families. I told my wife to stay home since there would be no place for her to eat at the event.

The bike course was supposed to be held on terrible road surfaces. To my eye ( and old, bony behind ) the roads were what one should expect on a bike course held on Midwest public roads. There were some rough patches, as well as some smooth ones. The IMMOO bike course has roads that are in comparable - or worse - conditions. I have done MOO ten times and find the bike course in IW 70.3 in better condition and easier than in the MOO bike course. Road conditions should not be a great concern for someone considering the race for next year IMO.

The organization was superior. The staff had two contingencies if the blue-green algae presented a problem on race morning. The announcer was good - he announces the Chicago Marathon and Chicago Triathlon, so he knows the ropes.

I hate rolling starts. I have done mass starts and wave starts. Rolling starts suck. I was near the back of the starters, and waited for what seemed like forever - even excluding the 30-minute delay due to weather. If the sun had been beating down on us wetsuit wearers for all that time, we would have really overheated. Perhaps moving the start down a little way to the boat ramp (where we exited the swim) could have provided room for a wave start. To repeat: rolling starts suck. Although the rolling start might have been a contributing factor in the lack of drafting on the bike. I saw none.

Volunteers were magnificent. They show us how kindness, thoughtfulness, and altruistic concern for the welfare of strangers can be a part of our lives.

The run course was a nice circular tour of Lake Monona. There were a few gentle hills, but nothing noteworthy. Overall a nice 13.1 run.

I would like the term "Half-Ironman" to disappear. This race is its own distance; a 70.3 race. It is not half of another distance. Enough of my soapbox.

I am looking forward to Ironman Wisconsin 70.3 in 2019. It is a well-organized, challenging but fair race. It has its faults - as every race does - but its highlights far outweigh the blemishes. I will gladly be back.

I raced this event last year ( as my first tri after a ~3 year hiatus ) and again this year. So I've experienced it on a really hot day and on a really wet day.

The logistics are pretty decent in terms of the race site, and I think the only thing I would push for is some form of on-site food vending for spectators and even racers. There really is not much nearby that is accessible for spectators.

I personally am fine with the rolling start format. I'm a pretty decent swimmer, so I started towards the front of the line this year. Last year, I was more in the middle, and it did get a bit warm standing around in the wetsuit waiting to go. No chance for swim warmup either, which last year was caused by late arriving ambulance, and this year by the torrential rain and lightning.

I'm from the midwest ( Western subs of Chicago ), so I'm used to the road conditions. Nothing that was horrible on the course, a few sections that are probably due for repaving, but there were some newer very nice sections as well. For the most part, road condition was not an issue for me. I love to hate the hills on the course. There's a lot of climbing, so it naturally spreads out the field. I did not see any drafting or packs on the bike either year. My one gripe is that there's two fairly steep descents that have 90 degree turns immediately at the bottom. Especially this year with the rain, it made it much slower going. But, that's just another challenge for the course, and it impacts everyone the same, not a lot of "free speed" on this course.

The run is pretty scenic, as it routes around the lake. Decent turn out through the neighborhoods to cheer us on as we ran through. Last year, there were a lot of sprinklers and hoses setup in peoples yards, which made a big difference on the hot day. Madison is a pretty welcoming city.

I was surprised all day long to see how many volunteers were stationed out on remote parts of the bike course and the run course, smiling and cheering, and helping direct / control traffic. Considering the conditions, a great turnout from folks who could have easily stayed home warm and dry.

Overall, I think it's a great race. It's challenging, but fair. And the organization is solid. There was a lot of active communication and contingency plans at the ready to handle the blue-green algae issue, and then the lightning and torrential rain on race morning.

I plan to be back next year to race it again.

-C

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I ride Felt.

If anyone is interested, I was out on the bike course about mile 4 (Lake Farm Park, before you got off the bike path) and took a bunch of pictures. Feel free to look for yours: https://www.flickr.com/...s/72157697309616984/

Photos are from the leader through about 9:45am.

Thanks! I found mine and it is really nice!

I know that the local race organizers for this event heard this feedback (lack of food) from last year and had 2 food carts at the race venue this year. They were right near the big white tent where the finishers food was. Also, there are 3 hotels within 400m walk of the race site that i'm sure all had food available.

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