Trying to decide on first full distance race and I’ve narrowed down to 2: IMTX in the Woodlands or IMFL in Panama City Beach. Any recommendations between the two? Main concerns are heat and wind. Is either particularly hot or windy?
I know IMFL can be a more difficult swim, but I’m less concerned with that piece.
I raced texas this past April and it is incredibly windy usually in one direction of the hardy toll road. You fight the wind going one way twice and it helps you the other way twice. Each segment with or against the wind is 20 mi each for a total of 80 on that road. Road qualify is 10/10. Temp can vary in texas but April is decently ok.
For numbers I was doing 16-17 mph out and 25-27 back soft pedaling.
That being said the swim course is great and the run course is one of the best out there for an Ironman. You won’t go wrong in texas.
Did Florida last year. It was like below 50 degrees to start race morning, with lots of wind. Swim was crazy hard, scary at times due to currents. Froze my butt off until 70 miles in on bike. In Florida of all places.
That being said, besides hellish conditions on race day last year it was a nice place to race I thought. Fun to have the beach in days leading up. I think 2021 was generally an outlier for how the weather usually is there for the race.
Of my nine IM’s Florida was my least favorite by a wide margin. Texas (live about 2 blocks from swim start) is great but haven’t done the current bike course. As someone mentioned, usually windy in one direction but tailwind the other way. Run can get hot but there’s some shade in spots and lots of support on the three loop run.
What about Florida did you dislike?
Also, I have friends that live a couple miles from the start in the Woodlands too. Great place to live!
I’ve raced Florida 2x, and it has been cold at the start both times. Last year I wore arm warmers the whole bike leg and was comfortable. The bike is flat and generally protected from the wind except for a northbound portion, then you ride it 20 miles downwind all the way to PCB. the run is fun, 2x out and back with lots of people. There are tons of places to stay within walking distance of the IM village so going home when you’re done is easy.
Florida swim is much better than Texas. Exponentially better. Unless the swim gets canceled or is choppy as shit. Which is certainly a possibility.
The original Texas bike course was better than Florida but the current course on the toll road is just horrible. You’re basically only going in two directions (south and north) the whole race and there’s no respite and protection from the wind. The Florida bike course at least has you changing direction every few miles.
The Texas run course is great only because of the spectator support. If you were to run the course with zero people out there you’d be like “meh.†It’s electric on race day though. The old Florida course also had good crowds too and the run around the park was nice. That course is gone now since they moved the race five miles up the beach. I have no idea how the new course is.
If you’re flying it’s probably much easier flying to Houston than Panama City. One of the biggest airports in the country vs a tiny airport.
Lodging is easy to find in both places. You will most likely get closer digs in PCB unless you get one of the few hotels within walking distance of the IMTX start or finish.
Weather in PCB in early November is a X Factor. I did the race 2x. Once it was 42 degrees at the start and hit a high of 60. The other it was 70 at the start and highs in the low 80s.
Weather in the Houston area can be variable in April as well but it won’t be in the 40s. It might be 65 or it might be 90.
I’ve done both. My PR was at IMFL so I’m partial to it. Probably not any of the three legs (swim/bike/run) I enjoyed TX over FL. And I’m a Texan.
I’ve raced TX twice, and FL twice.
Ironically, one of my FL races wasn’t in PCB (Haines City), and I’ll ignore commentary regarding that race venue.
I’d race Texas over PCB if I had the choice.
When I did Texas, it was a mid May race ('12 & '13). It was hotter than the April race, and the bike course was also different (loved it!!!).
But, the run course is the same, and it’s a great run race course with a great combination of solo soul searching, and cheer leading fans supporting you along the 3 loop run course.
PCB ('21) was decent, but the run was brutally boring!!! Out and back twice, and you’re running on open roads while sharing a bike lane width for those running out and back. In places, there’s hardly room to run 2 wide while another is approaching from the opposite direction. It was less than optimal, and the “November” sun sets too early for those pot holes and potential trip hazards. If you plan to finish before “7pm”, it matters less, as you’re on the inward car side with less trip hazards during those last few miles of the run. My problem with PCB is that I couldn’t “soul search” and “sleep” during the run. The race required a lot of late race concentration to prevent
PCB Bike course was ok, but a lot of chip seal and there were ‘too many’ miles going into the wind! Fairly bumpy in places, but I guess it wasn’t horrible. When the wind turned to my tail, it was awesome, but I burned a couple matches leading up to that return.