Quassy is a hilly course, and not one for a PR - unless it's your first 70.3. At least the swim is pretty straight forward!
Bike - It is less than 56 miles, but over 4k feet of climbing. I had the top bike split this past year on a road bike (tri bike broke the week of the race) at 2:28. I would have been maybe 3-4 min quicker with my tri bike. Compared to a flat bike course like Eagleman, I'd say there is around 15-20 minutes difference (I've done 2:11 at Eagleman). There is very little flat terrain - either up or down, and the road quality isn't great.
Run - The course changed this year from a one loop to a double loop utilizing the Olympic run course - not sure if there will be an Olympic option. The run had well over 1k feet of climbing, with some pretty steep hills. The first few miles are a good drop, then two lops with hills and back to transition. I'd say it is around 4-6 min slower than a pancake flat course, but could be more depending on ability.
The weather is also a big 'what if?' The two years I did Quassy the weather wasn't that hot. However, there have been several days where it's been in the upper 80's to low 90's, so that would slow times down a bit as well.
Blog:
http://262toboylstonstreet.blogspot.com/ https://twitter.com/NateThomasTri Coaching:
https://bybtricoaching.com/ - accepting athletes for 2023