I've done it 3 times but will probably skip it this year as I'm doing Ohio on 7/29.

It's a great a race. Hopefully you booked a hotel or you live fairly close. Last 2 years we camped and I was only about 3 miles from the race.

Here are some general tips. I'm sure others will add to this:

1. If possible check your bike in the day before. It's a long walk from the parking lot to transition and it will be dark. They do have shuttles from the parking lots to transition but you can't take your bike on the bus. After the race you will have to either walk back to your car or ride your bike back. Best option would be to have someone drop you off and pick you up.
2. Bring a flashlight. While there will be spotlights everywhere there are some dark spots and trying to use a portapotty in the dark is not fun. Transition is a long strip down a parking lot.
3. Lake Michigan can be unpredictable. Last year the day before the race had huge waves. Day of the race it was pretty calm. Year before a warm front blew in making it wetsuit optional. First year I did it, it was chilly. See if you can get some practice swims in.
4. Swim was rolling start last year and it will probably be again this year. They'll be signs with expected finish time.
5. There will be a swim warm up.
6. If Lake Michigan behaves it's a great swim.
7. No wetsuit strippers at this one and it's kind of a long run from the beach to transition.
8. I can't comment too much on the bike because from what I understand they changed the course. It is pretty flat and I've always had my best bike splits on this course. Beginning part is more uphill but you are rewarded with a long downhill back. Wind has never really been an issue. Roads are in fairly decent shape.
9. Run can be hot and there really isn't a ton of shade. There is a fire station that I think in the past had hoses out.
10. Run is a stick out, 2 loops, then the stick back. First mile has an annoying uphill.
11. Run is pretty flat except for one crazy hill you run twice.
12. Volunteers have always been great at this one. The first aid station you hit when you get into the Whirlpool campus have the best volunteers, in my opinion. It might be a church group and they are the most enthusiastic group you will see.
13. Last mile of the run is downhill.
14. Finish is on the beach which is nice if you have family waiting. They can hang out at the beach and wait for you.
15. Post race food is Pizza Hut. I don't remember any other options but I'm sure there are.
16. Walk back to your car can suck, unless you have someone waiting for you at the front of the park.

Overall it's a good race that's been around for a long time. I've always had my best times at this one and I've used it for a final tune up before IMWI in September, which I think a lot of people do. Kind of wish I was doing it this year but can't really swing doing 2 HIM's in 2 weeks as I'm training for IMLOU.

 
It's my first 70.3 too. My wife is going to drop me off in the morning. Is there a designated drop off spot that is closer than the parking lot?

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It'll be at the front of the parking lot going into the park. They won't let cars in since that area will be reserved for race personnel. You'll still have to walk a bit with your bike, but it's closer than parking in the remote lot.

I'm drawing a blank on the street name (might be Klock Rd) but if you scope out the area the day before you should see the area and get an idea where she can drop you off.

Thank you @trigirl2013. That was just awesome. Couldn't ask for a better description! Hope you can do well at your next race!!! :)

Good lucky for you too man!

How was the camping and where did you stay?

I love camping, but I've only done it once for a tri. It was a bad experience. My site happen to be surrounded by a family reunion with a lot of kids running all over and the families didn't follow the noise rules.

BTW, I'm also doing lou. Steelhead a possible last minute race for me.

I know there is a KOA near by that my friends have camped at while doing the race.

I’ve not ridden the new course but a quick look at the map...it should not be that different elevation wise. That being said it will be more susceptible to stronger winds off the lake with more north/south riding.

One of these years the swim will take place the day after the lake turns over which means 50-55 F water...as others have said Lake Michigan is unpredictable so you could anything.

Last time I raced it was 2016 and the run was miserable. It was a low wind and very high humidity day in the upper 70s/low 80s...add the fact that the Whirlpool campus is in a bowl you can have conditions that are very easy to over heat and dehydrate in. I saw more people dropping on that run than any other race I’ve done. That one hill just sucks...

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Fester from Detroit, Mi

Coming from North Carolina, that 2016 race was like a dream come true (except for the non wetsuit swim)!!!

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Pink? Maybe. Maybe not. You decide.

We stayed at KOA and it worked out well. no issues with noise and I actually sleep better when I camp vs. staying at a hotel. However, I'm a pretty sound sleeper.

This KOA really enforced the quiet hours.

As a former swimmer running is not exactly my best modality. I usually strangle at the running even at the oly distance. For sure will take special care on my hydration and try to run at the hotter hours of the day to try to get "acclimated" - I live in Indiana tho!

Many thanks for the tips! Going to pray for a cooler and wind day! lol

Low 80s?
This, this right here why we refer to Michigan as St. Louis' Air Conditioner.
It's why every other vehicle in the resort towns in late July and August is a minivan/SUV sporting a MO plate and stickers in the windows provide a tour of St. Louis area high schools.

Everybody's right about the lake. It could be 76 degrees one morning and 63 the next. You could have 7 foot waves with an awful undertow and some nasty rips, and an hour later be looking at a sheet of glass.

It's why we love it. Heaven on earth.

Also, I've only ever seen Blue Moon twice outside of Michigan.

How easy is it for family to get to the race finish? Does the beach get really crowded during the race? My wife will have 3 kids all 6 and under. I wasn't going to have them even try to navigate the finish line unless it's relatively easy for them to get to the beach and spend a few hours until I get done. They likely wouldn't even be there until mid/late morning well after the start anyways.

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It’s right by transition so if they come with you in the morning they can just stay there and relax until you finish. Even if they come later in the day it shouldn’t be an issue. The beach is huge so even if they’re not right next to the finish they won’t be too far. Assuming the tracker works they can check up on tour time then head to the finish chute when you’re close.

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I did it in ‘13 & ‘15. Its one of my favs.
In ‘13 the lake had pretty good size swells. This was when we had to walk down the beach a ways for the swim start. In ‘15 my wife did it with me. The lake was calm & you could see the bottom. So be prepared for anything.
The transition is a little tight, but everyone realizes this and are real cool about it.
As mentioned, that hill you have to do 2x gets the HR up ;)

I was thinking about doing it again. I have a hotel which I have until Tue to cancel. But I did Munice & Ohio & this 57 yr old body needs a lil rest.

Enjoy & have fun!

I agree with most of what Trigirl says. However, if you can you might want to bring your bike race morning. Winds from W or even E would blow fine sand into your drivetrain. Last year I parked at a friend’s near the athlete parking and rode right to transition no problems.

I’ve ridden the new part of the course the last couple weeks. Roads are in better shape than old route. Only downside for me personally is the massive amount of time on Blue Star. I liked the distraction that was the turns of the old route.

I’m excited for the race though. Good luck to all that are racing.

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Weather looking good so far except the water temp, which is measuring 79. ftp://tgftp.nws.noaa.gov/data/forecasts/marine/near_shore/lm/lmz043.txt

I was a little surprised 2 years ago when it was not wetsuit legal. From what i remember the water was close to the cut off temp and a lot of people kept saying they would find a cool spot.

Lake Michigan water temps don't mean anything until the morning of. Currents change overnight and then you get a cool upper peninsula current and it's like 62.

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How did your day go?

I went in the cheater wetsuit wave. Had a solid bike. Then struggled with the heat on the run. Visited the med tent with a temp of 102.2 and BP at 90/57. 20 minutes of ice towels and another Gatorade and I was good to go.

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Holy wavy swim batman. I thought it would smooth down a bit when the sun came up but it stayed pretty bumpy.

That was a rough swim

I didn’t race but came down to spectate as I had an athlete racing along with quite a few friends.

I heard mixed reports on the swim. It looks like Starky swam just under 1 min slower than last year for comparisons sake. Some of the better swimmers I know came out maybe 2-4 minutes slower than I expected while some of the weaker swimmers were 10-20 minutes slower. I was told it wasn’t necessarily the size of the waves that made it tough but rather the lack of a rhythm.

Two things really surprised me. The first is that it took an hour to get everyone in the water. They let 4 people in every 5 seconds. We had a similar setup at MT last year but it was 12 at a time so they got people through a lot faster.

The second is the number of people I saw walking around who were dressed in full kit, had numbers, and simply chose not to race. At first I thought maybe they were waiting as a portion of a relay, but I overheard a few talking and they couldn’t bring themselves to get into the water. I know the swim is what scares people, but if you pay $300 or whatever a WTC 70.3 costs now and the swim is in Lake Michigan you have to know you could have conditions like this. I guess it’s a great example of why you should train/practice in all conditions... you never know when a swim will be no wetsuit and what the water conditions will be like.

I was there and noticed the same thing. I saw lot's of people leaving with their bikes (20-30) and the pro men were still on the course. I thought maybe they had added a sprint distance that I somehow hadn't heard about.

Ran into a friend that was in a kayak for the swim and said they pulled out about a 100 swimmers. It didn't look bad but that short chop on the big lake can be harder to swim in than bigger swells.

Swim was Bad, swim was rough! I was not expecting that!

As a former swimmer I don't get scared easy but that was rough! I had my swim target time but halfway I got into survivor mode and let it go! I did 24min swim two weeks ago in my training local Oly race and end up doing 36 minutes yesterday!

But that was not what killed me ( well maybe it helped a little ) it was the running. That whirlpool camp sucks. No shade at all, easily 93 degrees in the tarmac and that last hill in just a killer!

Overall for my first 70.3 I did ok but I wish a cooler day for a better time!

I was thinking about finding an early season race so I can have a not so hot race!