My first race this year is St. Anthony’s, which I have not done before. In fact, the total field (if indeed it is 4.000) will be twice the size of the bigger races I have done. Wondering how the bike course and run course profiles look, and in general if this is considered a fast course. I’m also interested in the logistics - how do they handle the waves (some would be quite big even if they just had one age group in them), and how do they handle the hordes of bikes on the course at the same time (e.g. drafting). And, I guess the the start is 3/4 of a mile from the transition area? That sounds like a pain.
I’ve done it a few times but not in a few years. The start and T1 are about 1/4 mile apart. You walk around the other end of a marina and swim off a beach and back into the marina to T1. When I was doing it the bike course was a mob scene and we only had about 2500. 4000 cyclists in 25 miles is going to be crazy. The bike course had 40 some turns.
I actually stopped racing it due to the sheer number of competitors. Transition is huger then huge.
HUGE race. Flat as can be (both run and bike) LONG wait for your wave to start (could be over an hour from the first wave). Very crowded run. Very well run, but too big in my opinion- I won’t do it again.
I will echo the others. Flat and fast,Last year my wave 50-54 started 1 and 1/2 hour after the pros. They split the larger age groups up into 2 by last name. A-L and M-Z. I was surprised that it was pretty open when I got to the bike course.It is a nice race crowded but for me now it is a local race so it gives you a nice early season event to peak for.
Bike is very flat, watch out for the speed bumps when riding through the golf course. Run is flat, and hot. They break the age groups up into multiple waves. I believe that the male 45-49 had two waves. Some may have had three. It does take a long time to get going. I believe the race started at 7:00, maybe a little earlier, I went off at 7:55, a friend of mine did not start until 8:30. Transition is huge, but I thought it was organized very well. Compared to other large races I have done(Nautica NYC) I liked this one the most. Logistics were good. The walk to the swim start is not bad. I do remember the sun being tough at the start of the swim. And of course the beer truck at the post race party was a popular spot.
Done the race a few times, and its honestly one of my favorites. Flat, fast course both on the bike and run; however, depending on which wave you are in it can get pretty hot for the people starting later in the day. I’ve been lucky in that my AG wave has gone off within 5 groups of the pros the last 2 years I’ve done it so I was done before things warmed up too much. I didn’t notice a ton of drafting last year, but its always going to happen on a short flat course with that many people. It was fairly spread out where I was though, and I think the stronger swimmers in the earlier waves will have a similar experience. The walk from transition to the start really isn’t a big deal. What I’ve actually done the last couple years is go to transition very early, get things in order and head back to my hotel before walking down to the start. This only works if you’re close by though. Good luck and have fun!
I love this race and was unable to do it this year b/c of scheduling with duathlon.
The start is a nice beach start. It is not that far away. Use it as your warm up. There’s a really nice atmosphere and everyone is excited about the race so its not bad getting to the start.
Transition is HUGE. Like football field huge so learn the landmarks around your bike.
The swim is very crowded. My wave usually has over 250 women and started almost 2 hours after the pros.
The water can be pretty choppy and you will get beat up a bit on the swim.
The bike start is on the cobblestone street that can be a little daunting but quickly becomes flat and pretty fast. There are lots of people on it but its not bad. Watch for lots of debris on the course tho. Lots of lost water bottle, etc. there are speed bumps in the golf course and the water area can become sort of crowded with the H2O exchange and kind of a tight turn.
The run is flat and fast. The only hill i remember is the small bridge. Goes through some nice neighborhood with lots of local support / crowds cheering you on. Some will have hoses for you to run through. and music. Not much shade and you will get sun as the day goes on.
The race is one of the best organized I have seen. Bikes are well guarded. Drop off is organized. Transistion is organized.
Thanks everyone for this info - very useful. I’m using this as a qualifier for Tuscaloosa this year, and was looking at times in the 50-54 age group from last year to see how the times stack up with some of the racers I know from other races I did last year. I know how they did compared to me on courses we competed on together last year, but wasn’t sure how their times in this race should be viewed not knowing how St. Anthony’s profile compares to those other races. It’s very helpful info. It will be fun to do a fast course at sea level - plenty of air to breathe down there (I’m from Colorado).
It is a fun race, the course is indeed very flat and fast. I did it last year and did not see much problem with drafting or crowds. As many have mentioned previously, they space the waves out quite a bit and if you are in a later wave it may take 1.5 hrs or more before your wave starts the swim.
One tip I learned last year, buy yourself some $1 flip flops while you are down there, then you can walk from transition to the swim start in those and just leave them on the beach or throw them away.
One thing of note. You are swimming in Tampa Bay. Usually the conditions are good, but I’ve seen it get pretty wavey. One year (2006 I think) had 4-5 foot waves. It was a nasty swim. This is the exception to the rule but thought it should be mentioned.
get mirror goggles. you will be swimming into the sun—very difficult to see buoys without mirrored lenses. walk to start is long but it is a happy atmosphere—do wear disposable sandals or old shoes. The bike course is not bad in spite of the total number. You do need to be conservative however since there are a number of inexperienced riders who do stupid things(as in Team in Training inadequately trained riders) The entrants are very competitive- you will find some of the top people in the country there. Dont expect a podium finish unless you are very fast in your age group—look up past years times on their website. The water can be choppy but nothing that you can’t live with. It will be wet suit legal–that way the race director will find it easier to find the dead floating bodies. Seriously, every year it is marginal whether is is above or below 78 degrees, so with so many wetsuits having been bought for the occasion the race director aims to please. There are also a bunch of marginal swimmers so with wet suits they are helped to float to the finish.
I have done this race 4 times and it is my all-time favorite race. Despite 4,000+ competitors, it is not as crowded as other posters lead you to believe. The swim filters out pretty quickly. I recommend wearing tinted goggles. The bike has a ton of turns so be careful of others. There are some poor bike handlers out there. As someone else stated, be careful when you ride through the golf course community as there are several speed bumps in the road. I saw someone try to go around one and he clipped the curb and that was all she wrote. The run heats up very quickly! When you run through the residential community after you cross a little bridge, the run course really heats up because of lack of ventilation. I’ve felt like I was running in an oven before. There is a great fan base to keep you motivated. The post race party is top notch. Some complain about the high registration cost but in my opinion, the race is worth every penny you pay for it. It is a well organized race and a very safe race. Have fun!