Anyone have any information on the course for ITU Chicago?
I’ve heard it’s going to be a total cluster f, but it has not been released yet.
Not released yet. Kind of crazy 60 days out from the race if you ask me.
As it’s taking so long, I’m speculating that they are not getting the support from the city that they anticipated.
I heard a while back that they would not be using LSD, as the course needs to be 100% closed to traffic, and they typically leave 2 lanes open for the Chicago Tri. Rarity for the city to shut down Lake Shore, at least the northern section.
So if they’re not using LSD, I’m thinking maybe a circuit of the loop on surface streets, but the problem there is the streets themselves. If you’re not local, Chicago pavement got ravaged this winter.
After this winter, I think we’re going to get killed with potholes.
Luckily, a lot of the city streets were repaved before the winter, so they aren’t in the absolute worst shape. No course yet is odd, but I hope it’s because they are looking to optimize it.
Lots of loops for AG might be a problem, though, with handling and forgetting what lap people are on.
Hopefully ITU can execute a good one!
It has the potential to be a nightmare if they can’t use Lakeshore at all. I’m not sure anyone can find a few miles of decent pavement downtown. Bring a flat kit!
They are not planning on using LSD. The city didn’t want to totally close it to traffic - and that is what ITU requires. So they are trying to shoehorn it into the downtown core around Grant Park. Think lots of turns, and lots of u-turns.
That’s what I was thinking too, which is not good. But the best part is that at the beginning of February they announced the course would have been out by the end of the month. Well, guess what? Mid-April and we are still waiting!
Anyone have any information on the course for ITU Chicago?
Last June, Brad Culp tweeted this:
https://twitter.com/bbculp/statuses/343075423330115584
Who knows if it will actually be anything like this at all.
I asked about the course a few weeks back and got a: “we’re working with the city to provide the safest course possible” response.
It has the potential to be a nightmare if they can’t use Lakeshore at all. I’m not sure anyone can find a few miles of decent pavement downtown. Bring a flat kit!
I’ve been contemplating and, honestly, dreading this for a few weeks now. I was in Chicago for business a couple of weeks ago and walked over to Millenium/Grant Park. Serious potholes on Columbus and Michigan. I’ll change to some sort of slower and more robust tire for that race.
In terms of course, their only choices are:
-A circuit using Columbus and Michigan Ave. This is a VERY bad idea for age groupers IMO
-Take Columbus down to Rosevelt Rd and use the inner most lanes on Rosevelt heading west then loop back.
-Lake Shore drive and head south. Probably turn around by UC and do two loops. Hopefully nobody gets shot (I kid… sort of… it’s bad down there). IMO there’s no chance they’ll close down LSD north of the river. Lifetime tri pisses off the wealthy part of the city once a year already plus, IMO Lifetime’s bike out and bike in are just dangerous. Got your shoes on yet? No? What do you mean you’re only 50 meters out of transition? Too bad, time to climb.
After this winter, I think we’re going to get killed with potholes.
Luckily, a lot of the city streets were repaved before the winter, so they aren’t in the absolute worst shape. No course yet is odd, but I hope it’s because they are looking to optimize it.
Lots of loops for AG might be a problem, though, with handling and forgetting what lap people are on.
Hopefully ITU can execute a good one!
Do they normally do the same bike course for ITU AG races? Can’t imagine what a nightmare that would be with the laps. It seems like they’d have to have a different course for us non-drafters.
I am on the USAT Mideast Regional Council and at our meeting only last week - the liaison for the ITU race simply said that they are still working with the City to try and tie it down ASAP. So no real updates on course - but it does appear (quite sensibly) that the AG and Elites will have a different bike course.
Hope this helps.
After this winter, I think we’re going to get killed with potholes.
Luckily, a lot of the city streets were repaved before the winter, so they aren’t in the absolute worst shape. No course yet is odd, but I hope it’s because they are looking to optimize it.
Lots of loops for AG might be a problem, though, with handling and forgetting what lap people are on.
Hopefully ITU can execute a good one!
Do they normally do the same bike course for ITU AG races? Can’t imagine what a nightmare that would be with the laps. It seems like they’d have to have a different course for us non-drafters.
Simple answer: No. Different courses for AG/Pro at all ITU events I’ve ever done.
I’ve heard that the city wants ITU to use a similar course to the Chicago Triathlon, but ITU wants a more spectator friendly circuit with multiple laps. The city is apparently balking at the potential closures the proposed ITU course will involve.
I must say all parties look like idiots if this is the case. Sounds like neither side did a good job of explaining what each needed in the negoiations when Chicago got named.
It might be best to to judge after details are available. For those signed up, you will continue to train anyways. For those not decided on doing the race, you can wait until full course is released.
Where ever it is plan on the swim being extremely cold, predicting record low temps for lake Michigan this year.
Two weeks closer. Still no news. I wonder how much longer we’ll have to wait.
I don’t know but I’m curious myself. The Lifetime swim course is pretty spectator friendly. They could use that and the lifetime bike course and use the run course from the pro race and it would be more spectator friendly than most triathlons.
Still n
http://chicago.triathlon.org/event_info/course
I’m staying at the north end of the park and no car. I’ll be pretty ticked off if they placed the transition further down south past the museum. Who knows at this point!
The park is not that big, so it will be easy to get to either location…
As for the water temps, we have had record cold here this year (lake froze as far as you could see) and the lake had ice in it up to about 3 weeks ago, I would see it from my office window. The air temp now is about 10-15 degrees lower than way they say online due to the wind coming off the cold (very cold) water in the lake….
We had a 65 plus degree day and then 2 days later we had snow, and that was just about 10 days ago! Crazy!