I’m looking to do my first Tri this year. I’ve ran cross-country for the past 4 years and I’ve been a road cyclist as well. I’ve done biathlons and I’ve done pretty well. What would be a great triathlon in the midwest (I live in Southern Illinois), around Olympic distance? I don’t want a “beginner” triathlon just a good one that will give me a great taste of the sport.
Lots of good Tri’s to choose from Chicago is a good event just BIG! BigFoot in Lake Geneva is good,try to stay away fro Lake Geneva extreme sports events if you can. Good Luck!
Rockman Sprint (first year for the sprint) is a very “easy-ish” course. Plus will have the expo for the Half Iron and a nice beach to play at for the day. Great MTN biking in the park too.
BigFoot is a good choice - pretty mellow, early season, great swim in Lake Geneva, nice roads to ride and a challenging XC run course. If you do an early season race and get hooked, RockMan, Racine and Harbor Lights (Waukegan, IL) are good options. Looking for a late-season race, check out Pleasant Prairie - sprint and olympic options to choose from. I wouldn’t recommend Chicago - way too much hassle.
Memphis in May…
…there is a ton of them near Southern IL.
First ones that come to mind are the Ultramax series in MO. A+ Races.
Quartermax is a great race…and a fun distance.