Is this course fast or what, or is it a bit short as well…???Even the swim times were very fast, A couple hundred people under 10 hrs.
What makes it so fast …is it downhiull the whole way?
Man if you want a PR go to Klagenfurt
Look slike I know the course to do if I’m shootin’ for a PR!
From what I hear, Austria can be fast due to the following:
- swim - 100m or so sprint into the a canal for the last 800m or so. As everyone is swimming in this canal, there can be pretty good drafting.
- bike - it’s flat, except for one fairly substantial hill, so climbing and downhill are considerable.
Did it last year. Bike course is fast. Flat for the leg out to the hill, then steady drag uphill to which gets quite steep - though the uphill drag lasts c. 30min if memory serves (its all a bit of a blur) then long downhill /flat back to the lake again, three times. All on nice smooth tarmac.
Legal drafting was a issue, the Canal felt really fast. Illegal drafting was a issue for some, I’m big against it and found myself in some packs for the first two laps. Think about the number of people and a three lap course of course you are going to get to close. Officials seemed on top of the people around me. Motioned people to make room when it was just happening but also saw a straight red card come out. The one place it was not marshaled well was just before the turnaround, a couple of Kms where nobody seemed to care about drafting. The run is flat but it was 25C and with a few twists so come for a PB and see for yourself.
I would like to think some of the fast times came from a great job organizing the event in a fantastic town. Every restaurant was pulling out pasta menus & the natives loved to help you any way they could.
M
I did the race two days ago and here are my thoughts. Overall, its a great race, great organizers and fantastic scenery. Is it a "p.r’ course? Could be. (Not for me - I was traveling throughout Europe on business the entire prior week and 48 hours pre-race came down with a b*tch of a cold somewhere between Frankfurt and Amsterdam. I learned one thing - very hardto do an Ironman when you can’t breath).
The swim- The swim has an awesome “pull” as a mass of bodies funnel into a canal for 800 meters - buts its also harder to properly stroke crunched in there (lots of body contact and beinghit and kicked) and you can’t really pass that easily as its too crowded. For what it is worth, its a lake so no salt water buoyancy. Plus, there are more than usual (IMHO) buoys turns on the course which causes some major traffic-jams. If you are lucky enough to avoid these jams, aim correctly and get into teh canal just right to get a solid draft but not be bunched up - you can p.r. the swim.
The bike - a great course. Overall flat for the first 1/3 (actually either up grades or down grades) with great scenery to help. Then some climbing. After that some rollers and then overall a long gentle descent back. You do this 3 times. Plan it right and pace it right - you will p.r. this part. But too hard on lap 1 or 2 and those climbs and the following rollers will hurt.
The run - flat, flat and flat. It is a figure 8 (kind of, both “ends” ofteh 8 are flat as its and out and back, past the finish out and back the other direction, pass the finish and repeat). The out away from Klagenfurt is less scenic (although the topless sunbathers on the beath help with scenery for awhile) and hotter. The run to town is great - along the canal, shaded and through fantastic cobblestone streets, through arches and around a statute of a dragon. This can also be a p.r. course.
So - yes, you can p.r. it. Guaranteed? No. Its not an “easy” course, but it can be a fast course if planned and paced correctly. As for distances being short - I would argue otherwise, but of course I didn’t have a GPS with me so I can’t guarantee it. Maybe the pro’s have a bit shorter as they do have a significant distance of a head start on the swim. Drafting - yes there was some, but with 3 loops on a course with hills, unintentional packing is unavoidable. I noticed most people tried to avoid drafting by moving to the sides, etc. - but marshalls (and they were everywhere on the bike course) were constantly telling people to move to the right.
p.s. - It was really cool to finish and then have Mark Allen drap teh finishers medal over my neck.