Dev - I’m considering making the trek north to Peterborough and while perusing last year’s results, I came across your name. Can you tell me a bit about the race? Muchas gracias.
Not Dev…but did the race last year.
2 loop swim course, a bit weedy, but not too bad
1 out and back bike course. Constant rolling hills.
1 out & back run course on the same road as the bike, so hilly. Last year it was pretty damn hot out there.
Anything specific you want to know about it?
Thanks! I picked out Dev, as his name was easily recognizable in the results. Weeds in the water? Not too big a deal. 2 loops in the water, or is there a beach run in between? How’s the water? Bike course sounds great! Of course, I’m in the Midwest, so ‘rolling’ might mean different things to us. By any chance, have you done IM WI? If so, are the bike courses comparable? Any major climbs, or just up n’ down all day? Run course sounds good, too. Gotta have some rollers to break it up. In general, is it well run? Scenic? Enough H2O on the run course? Thanks for the info!
Hey MTHammer. It is a very well run race. Rather than recreate the wheel, you can read what I wrote about it in xtri last year:
http://www.xtri.com/article.asp?id=1257
This course has absolutely zero shade and no protection from wind. It can be a real “meltdown” race, but if you get a cooler cloudy day, you can smoke a reasonably quick time on this course provided the wind is light. Personally, I have never nailed this race in my two attempts there.
I might be back again this year. To some extent, it depends on the timing of my trip to visit my in-laws in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. I’d certainly like to be back and get revenge on that bike course. I had a pretty pedestrian day on the bike, although the rest of my race was solid, but to me, its never a good race unless I bike quickly (I could care less about my swim or run split!!!). I guess I view the whole thing as a bike race with a swim and run tacked on to either end 
Dev
DP did a great article. I read it before and would suggest that you do so.
To answer some of the questions though: yes, there is a beach run in between, but pretty short IMO The water was fine. Not clear, but didn’t smell or anything. I was able to sight fine and I am a MOP swimming I guess Haven’t done IM WI, or any IM, sorry. Last year was season #1 for me, with Peterborough being my A race. I kind of screwed it for myself as I was really nervous the week before, and so I went out and did a 90k/3k brick on the bike course 1 week prior to race day. Don’t think I recovered too well from that. Hopefully others on here can compare the bike course for you. From all the races I did last year, i found it to be the “hilliest”. But I didn’t do the other 1/2 IM (Parry Sound) or the long course race in Colingwood. Others would have to comment on that. Major climbs…for me anyway, I found the climb to the half way point a bit challenging. Also at about 10km mark, you turn onto the main road for the entire bike and there is a nice downhill to get your started. Coming back it is up hill. Being at the 80km mark of the bike, I found it to be a bit of a tough climb. Aside from that, rollers can mean anything to anybody. I just remember that they were constant. very few flat parts except at the beginning and end. Run course is very boring. As stated, very open so tough in the heat. Nothing to see but farmland. But yes I found there was enough water on the course. Although I carried a bottle with me and pretty much drank it and a few cups inbetween stations in the last 8km or so. Last year was VERY HOT. In general, very well run event. Stay in the campground the night before. Lots of athletes so it is quiet at night. Cheap accomodations also.
Go to www.trisportcanada.com and go to the Peterborough page from the schedule. There’s is a faq link at the top of the page. Here there’s info on aid stations -2 on the bike (30 & 60km) and 10 on the run (approx 2km apart).
No major climbs - small rollers. Much flatter than a Muskoka or Parry Sound - likely much, much flatter than IMWI from what I’ve heard. Good course for a PR if weather conditions are good (can be really hot & windy) cause the entire course is wide open (hope you enjoy the sight of farmland).
Very well run (Mitch Fraser is organizer, related to Graham Fraser).
Dan
Sorry…just my opinion, but I thought Peterborough was way hillier than Muskoka.
Great write-up - I especially like your ‘About the Author’ bio - good stuff! Haven’t decided if we’ll make it up there yet, but I’m definitely interested in the race - sounds like a good one. Actually, it sounds an awful lot like Muncie - especially the part about melting down on the hilly and shadeless run course. I’d like to put in a good bike as well, but a sub-1:30 on the run would make my day! Got some planning to do, but if we do make it up there I’ll let ya know. Perhaps we can meet for a beer after you’re done kicking my ass in the race. Hope you’re recovered from Boston, and thanks to all for the info.
…I’ll act as the tie breaker. I think Muskoka is hillier than Peterborough on a per kilometer basis, but the aggregate climbing might actually be more at Peterborough due to the length of the race (90K bike-21K run vs 55-15). We’ll assume that the hills on the swim are even for both events, although I have done a few races over the last 20 years, where the hills on the swim (aka ocean surf) were bigger than the hills on the bike and run.
Well…I won’t be able to compare this year. Only doing Muskoka as a prep race for LP. But I will take some notes on the course and revisit this again later.
Yes, it’s highly individual but I know for me, Muskoka hurt a lot more on the bike than Peterborough.
I looked up the bike splits for about a dozen people I know did both last year. Bike Paces are about the same with Peterborough paces generally being about 0.5 km/h faster, however, this could be contributed to another month of training as well or closer to goal races.
So I think we should call it a tie!
Dan
(p.s. you should give Parry Sound a go if you can make it up there. Really nice course).
Friends did Parry Sound last year and really liked it. Although it was a rainy day and all.
I’m not committing to any races after July 24, as I need to see how I feel after LP (IM #1). But that one may be on the list if I can handle it.
Just to add my 2 cents, it was a great race. Great bike course and run course. I was really concerned with the water though. My girlfriend told me that as soon as the last swimmer exited the water, they closed the beach because of the high levels of bacteria (or something in the water). The fact that they waited until the last swimmer was out made me think they must have known it wasn’t that safe to begin with (they actually posted the levels from the day before at the registration tent). In their defense they offered everyone the ability to do the duathlon if you didn’t feel comfortable. But I didn’t realize it was serious enough that they would close the beach right after we were done.
most of my friends from Peterborough tell me they would never swim in anything up in that area. They never eleaborate though so I tend to think they are full of it. In all the years Trisport has been doing the race, I have never heard of any issues. But it is something to consider considering you are coming from the midwest.
I think last year was exceptional with respect to water quality. They had a flood there only a few days later and I think things were starting to get a bit backed up already by race time.
I have done the sprint at peterborough a few times and have always enjoyed the race. The park is nice and there is lots of space to warm up etc.
Agree with the comments on the run - even on the sprint I got bored on the run.
Friends did Parry Sound last year and really liked it. Although it was a rainy day and all.
I’m not committing to any races after July 24, as I need to see how I feel after LP (IM #1). But that one may be on the list if I can handle it.
Parry Sound was awesome. The bike course isn’t as challenging as Peterborough (although Collingwood trumps both of those courses), however, the run was REALLY tough. There about 3 hills where lots of people stuggled, and considering it was an out and back, that meant doing those hills 12 times (the front side and back side). It was a really nice run course though.
One last question. What gearing do y’all run on this course? The reason I’m asking is this: Me and Mrs. Hammer coach cross country and one of our runners is prepping for Peterborough as her first tri. She’s a strong runner, but just getting into the bike - she’s working her tail off and will be good to go come race day. I just want to make sure she’ll have the right cassette for the course. I’m figuring on setting her up with a 12x25. If it helps, she’s about 5 foot nothin’, but has good leg strength from XC running and hockey.
I had 12x25 and survived.
Peterborough as a first tri though…best of luck to her!
The question about gearing is highly individual, but I run a 50/34 with a 12-26 in the back. For Peterborough, for all but a few hills, I just stayed in the big ring often running the 50-26 big to big combo. It is not optimal, but I prefer that than switching over to the small ring. For the bigger climbs, I did use the 34x21 option.
Hmmm…now you’ve got me rethinking my setup. I’m running a 42x53 up front and I figured I’d go to a 12x25 on the back. Oh well, they’re only knees after all. For her, I figure I’ll work with her on some hills around here and get a better feel for her climbing ability. Thanks again for the valuable ‘insider information’! Sounds like this is a tough race, especially for her first tri - fortunately, she’s tough as hell and has a boatload of determination.
TnT -
Care to say a bit more about Collingwood? I know how they advertise “The Eliminator” (10 km climb), and the word is that the rollers at the top are real buggers. But I have also read that some people compare the bike’s nastiness to St. Croix; might that comparison be a bit over the top? (Pun not intended.)
As an aside, I have yet to do a Multisportcanada race, but the more I hang out at the website the more impressed I become - they really seem to pay a lot of attention to detail. I’m hoping to make it to Welland and Collingwood, perhaps either Parry Sound or Wasaga Beach as well, but right now I’m booked pretty solid with the Somersault races and several in the States. How many of their races have you done?