Cda 70.3 (1)

Triathlon Forum
1

Registration just opened for this race next June. Excited to give this one a try. Thoughts or comments on the race or area in general? I booked a charming little BnB in town, so I think it will be a fun weekend in Idaho. We will be making the drive up from Bay area, stopping in Bend for a day to toll around, and then spending a day in Crater Lake post-race. Tough to get to this little neck of the woods, so trying to get a little taste of it all in one swoop.

As for the course, the bike and run both look like fair tests, and times look a little slower than some of the faster courses out west. Is that fair to say?

2

I did the full in 2015 so same course setup for swim and bike just cut in half, the run course is a little different from when I did it from what I heard for the full so not sure if the 70.3 copies it or not I think it now avoids the major hill out there at the end of the old run course they used to have but someone else could chime in on that. Water could be 57 or 73 just depends on the weather leading up to the race. Bike course is a good tester, can be windy. 2 really significant climbs nothing more than 6% but quite long hills around the 1.5-2 mile length. So just sit and spin :slight_smile: Beautiful course, beautiful area. Love, love, love the town. Very supportive community, during my race when it was hotter than hell the neighbors where the run course went by had sprinklers, hoses, ice whatever they could do to help keep you cooler. Awesome venue, challenging and fair course.

3

great town, and people…just did the full last month. Lake was a good temp in August (68-ish?), should be nippy in late spring. Roads in good condition except for a few pockets inside the town…long climbs, winds. Grab your bullhorns on the descents…side winds can be quite unexpected! Run is mostly flat (if its a similar course to the full) with nice breezes off the lake.

4

Did the 70.3 this past June. A terrific venue, the entire town comes out to support this race. After a miserable St George (cold and wet), this race was perfect! The weather was ideal, water temp nice. The bike was rolling and flat then a 2 loop run with tremendous crowd support. We rented a house close to town and walked everywhere. Loved the one transition area. Highly recommend!

5

I did the half in June. This year weather was literally perfect. Rainy cold and windy on the days prior to the race, but sunny, warm and a little wind on race day. I think it hit low 80’s by the afternoon.

Swim, rolling start, with signs to help seed you by time (sub :30, 30-34 mins, etc). Water was pretty calm for CDA, at least until the far turn bouys further out into the lake. A little rolly for about 200-300 yards, but that’s it. I’ve swum in this lake multiple times for races, and the water was the best I’ve ever experienced.

Transitions are somewhat long.

Bike, out and back along lake is rolling but fast for the first 14, then you head up the highway on Mica grade, which climbs for several miles, then drops, then climbs again to basically the turn around at mile 35. There are some flat spots and downhills from which to recover and rebuild speed on the way up. The bulk of the 2800 feet of climbing (1900 or so) is done in this section, the first 35 miles. This year we had a slight tailwind / cross wind going up. Once you hit the turnaround there is lots of fast downhill. This, however, was when you is realized you had a tailwind going up, and now have a slight headwind on the way down. The backside climb up Mica is kinda a bummer, long climb ending around mile 48, but then a big downhill and flat to the finish.

The run is 2 loops, nothing special, one minor hill around mile 3 (go down, back up at mile 4). Tons of specatator support in the park when you finish lap one and start lap 2. The finish is fun. Huge crowds the last .5 mile to the finish.

I live in Boise, and am doing this race again, since we lost our 70.3 last year. Great race, course, town.

So less climbing that St. George or WF for sure. Definitely not flat.