It was just last weekend I believe but I was wondering if anyone did it or has done it in the past.
I grew up in the area and am curious about the course and quality of the race.
I did the race about 18 years ago. 
Cool. I know it has been around, what…26 yrs now. Now that I think about it the race and I are the same age. I had no idea what a tri was growing up and didn’t know much or anything about it til after I left the area so I never had a chance to check it out when I lived there.
What do you remember of it? Any good?
It was actually part of the USTS triathlon series then and the bike course was quite hilly. I remember it as a very well run race.
Herbert
Cool, I figured it would be hilly from what I can tell of where the course runs. Harvey’s Lake to PSU-WB campus, can’t think of much flat b/w those two places.
How was the run course?
I just did Wilkes Barre last week. First time there. My RR’s are usually novels, this one no exception. I’ll spare you, and give you the cliff notes as best I can and still paint a picture:
Maybe 400 racers and another 100 relay folks joined in for the fun.
Race has a T quirk…swim start and T1 10 miles from T2 and finish. RD makes it easy with plenty of buses and experienced help all around. Rack on Saturday. Race on Sunday.
Race day was perfect weather. Harvey’s Lake had a little grass early, but quickly turned into the best lake I have raced in other than Mirror. Outstanding water quality at 80 degrees.
Bike is still tough…hills and more hills, with some of PA’s most picturesque valleys surrounding you…I doubt if much has changed in the 26 years this race has been around.
Rarely any stretch downhill where you would stop peddling and areo some free time…always working extremely hard it seemed. Two or three times all momentum was killed downhill for a sharp turn into another climb. The 2 mile 8% climb at mile 7 is still there…splitting two Norman Rockwell middle America farms.
Some weathered road here and there, but chalk always gave you the heads up. Each spring thawed crater and crack was highlighted in orange paint…kudos again Mr. RD. Miles of new pavement late in the bike greeted riders with “A Gift for You” chalked up on the road…made me laugh. Elderly couples clapped from their front lawns, and more than one Dad with the kids waited at the top of a hill on the back of their pickup for their local hero to come by. Throw in a little Frat support and this race seemed to have all the things that a tri-ing Nittany Lion or working class hero could want. I averaged 21.3 and was happy…it was that hard.
The run had to be the hardest 6.8 miles of road/trail/farm service access/slurry top/gravel pathway I’d ever been on. No complaints either…made for a great change of pace this time of year on the tri circuit. Again the hills…again the great support from volunteers and local folks young and old. The run course was a test. I went 6:30 for miles 1 and 2 and somewhere in the middle tossed in a 8 flat where the terrain punished you if lost focus. I did, but recovered to finish with a couple more 6:30’s. Very demanding course with all the changes of surface and elevation.
All work…as hard a Olympic (plus some) distance as you will find in the mid-atlantic states, and truly a test. And truly an enjoyable and unique race. I will be back next year.
Great RR…thanks for that. Sounds like an incredible event and I can’t wait to give it a try.
Hopefully, I’ll be able to make it “home” to do the race and show the family and friends what I do with all my free time out here.
I have done WB triathlon 3 times and love it. You can’t find a better organized race!!! I will be there next year for sure!
It’s the only race that has a 7 mile run with 6 miles of uphill running…
I did this race back in 2003 as my 1st olympic distance and remember that it really did seem as though you are running up hill all the time.
I wonder why there is little over 100 entries for this years 2008 Wilkes-Barre Tri. It has to be the best deal in town. Is it because you may have to swim without a wetsuit. This race can’t be missed.
Nicely run race. The organization is tops. Very well organized transitions and transport between them (busride from T2 to T1 in the morning). The year I did it the water was gross-- hot and tasted like mud and algae, and with a really low water level- probably could have walked most of the swim. Bike course has rolling hills, all the potholes are clearly marked, it is not crowded at all. Very nice course IMO. Run does feel like it’s mostly up-hill, about half of it is on unpaved trails, the rest on the cambered side of the road.
Water is 76 degrees today
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I was born in the area. Been back twice. Once to visit, once to bury my grandfather. Dont care to ever go back. The trash dump/ mountain in Scranton sealed the deal for me.
I was a lifeguard for this race oh, 19-20 years ago… I have this on my '09 calendar. I’m from the area (Dallas) originally and still have family there.
It was just last weekend I believe but I was wondering if anyone did it or has done it in the past.
I grew up in the area and am curious about the course and quality of the race.
I’ve done it twice, last time in 2006, but I am signed up for it this year. Great little race. It’s a 5 hour drive but worth it to me.
It was just last weekend I believe but I was wondering if anyone did it or has done it in the past.
I grew up in the area and am curious about the course and quality of the race.
I’ve done it twice, last time in 2006, but I am signed up for it this year. Great little race. It’s a 5 hour drive but worth it to me.
I couldn’t say it better…Great Race…and @ $65. How do these other race director’s get off charging an arm & and a leg?
I was born in the area. Been back twice. Once to visit, once to bury my grandfather. Dont care to ever go back. The trash dump/ mountain in Scranton sealed the deal for me.
I live near WB. Great race. That is what got me started in Triathlon. There are few very talented people locally. If anyone needs info (race, where to stay, etc) just let me know.
BTW, Scranton has changed a lot lately…for the better.
Great race! I am in again this year. Don’t forget about two other races in the area. Anthracite Triathlon in Jim Thorpe PA(7-20-08) and Beware of Barracuda triathlon in Eagle Rock resort near Hazleton PA(Aug9th,16th,17th). Anthracite also has a youth splash and dash and Barracuda has several events(youth tri,open water race,adult sprint tri). Both races benefit the Hazleton YMCA aquatics dept and swim team.
Anthracite is a nice hilly Olympic race. I’ll be at LP this year.
maybe next year.
2008 Wilkes-Barre Triathlon was a great race. This is my third time doing it. The swim was with out a wet suit due to Harvey’s Lake water temp @ 79F. But, to be assured there was plenty of life guard protection as compared to other races that are not staffed properly. Here is an article I came across concerning this fact. Indeed they are concerned with safety including the bike course & run course. In all my years doing this sport I’ve never seen such volenteers. They make the race including the spectators @ the swim, along the bike course & on the run. I always like seeing the man sitting on the porch of his house with the lawn sprinkler on if you want to cool off. I know the brutal run is almost over. Will be back next year even if I have to call in sick for work.
Wilkes-barre triathlon
From: WWW.timesleader.com August 1
Course’s water safety a priority More than 100 rescue workers will be at the lake for Sunday’s swim portion.
By Dave Konopki dkonopki@timesleader.com
Assistant Sports Editor
Sean Robbins says he wish he hadn’t read about the recent deaths of several athletes who passed away during the swim portion of separate triathlons.
But that won’t stop the Shavertown man from getting into the water at Harveys Lake on Sunday morning.
Robbins will be one of the hundreds of athletes competing in the annual Wilkes-Barre Triathlon this weekend. The three-sport competition features a 0.9-mile swim, a 24.8-mile bike race through the Back Mountain and 6.8-mile run to the finish line at Penn State/Wilkes-Barre in Lehman Township.
Donald Morehouse, 60, and John Hobgood Jr., 52, died in separate triathlons last weekend, one week after 32-year-old Esteban Neira passed away while competing in the New York City Triathlon. The three deaths bring the total number of athletes who have died while competing in triathlons – all of them during the swim portion of the race – to eight in 2008.
“I wish I never read about it, but it really hasn’t bothered me,” said the 38-year-old Robbins, who began competing in triathlons in 1994. “I think most guys approach the race with an ‘it will never happen to me’ attitude. It sounds as though it was a couple of freak accidents.”
The deaths of Morehouse and Hobgood were ruled as accidental drownings and an initial autopsy on Neira was inconclusive.
Organizers of the Wilkes-Barre Triathlon go to great lengths to ensure safety of the athletes – especially in the water.
There will be 75 lifeguards at the lake and more than a dozen kayaks and canoes will be on the course in the water. Members of several Back Mountain area ambulance companies, as well as paramedics, will be on the beach
Pontoon boats will be on the lake and speed boats will be positioned on the outskirts of the course. Members of the Luzerne County Sheriff’s Search and Rescue dive team are also expected to be there, said race director Joanne Gensel.
“I think we have a very safe race,” she said. “We take all of the safety precautions we can. We’ve been very fortunate. But Heaven knows anything can happen.”
Robbins has competed in many triathlons in other states – including the grueling Hawaiian Ironman in Kona, Hawaii. He says one of the safer ones takes place in his back yard.
“The people in Wilkes-Barre do to a great job,” he said. “In the water, there are always people around. If you pop your head out of the water, you can see someone who can help if needed. Most of the safety concerns usually pop up when it rains and the bike course becomes wet. Other than that, I feel safe at this race.”
One of the safety concerns involves the use of wetsuits by the athletes. The suits can give the athletes a little buoyancy, allowing them to glide a little easier through the water. But they can also be dangerous when worn in warm water.
“It’s like putting on a rubber suit and going in a sauna,” Gensel said. “If the water temperature is 80 degrees or more, the athletes are going to boil. It’s very dangerous.”
If the water temperature is between 78 and 82 degrees, athletes are highly encouraged not to wear a wetsuit. If they do, their time will not be compiled and they will not be ranked either overall or in their respective age group division. If the water temperature is more than 82 degrees, wetsuits are forbidden.
The water temperature Monday morning was 77 degrees, said Gensel. With all of the warm weather this week, she expects that number to rise.
“I’m confident wet suits won’t be allowed,” Gensel said.
That means athletes who usually wear wetsuits better be prepared, said Robbins. He swam in Harveys Lake last weekend for the first time in a while without a wetsuit.
“For some people who are comfortable with them, it could be a little daunting. It usually feels weird for the first part of the swim. If (a wetsuit) is you’re safety blanket, get in the lake now. You don’t want to be hyperventilating in the water during the race.”
Despite some of the safety issues, Robbins is looking forward to the race.
“I’m ready to go,” he said. “It should be a lot of fun, as usual.”