No experience in Arizona, but IMCA was my second full. First full was IM St. George in 2022, when it was the 2021 world championship, so that’s my only comparison.
The bike is so very, very flat. So much so that seeking out flat training ground or even long trainer rides are really important for staying aero. I was out there for a practice ride with extreme wind, it can be very disheartening, but on race day itself when it was just very rainy, course went by quite quickly. Could absolutely be happy with a 1x set up.
I also did not experience traffic issues despite open roads. I think a handful of cars went by outside of town? It seemed like there was some bike traffic / packs, but I think that’s pretty expected on a flat course like this.
I thought spectators were awesome in St. George, but honestly I had more fun with spectators in Sacramento. Some quiet spots, but also there were some random intersections where a bunch of people would be hanging out and cheering. Running through ‘Old Town’ there were some people with no idea there was a race going on, watching us run by with clear looks of “WTAF”. I saw my friends 5 times on just the 2x loops, and then 2x more on the course to the finish line. I had a lot of fun during the run.
The swim is… ridiculous. The river was fine. I had no issues with cleanliness or anything. I got a ~20 min boost and was one of the top women out of the water in 37 minutes. I don’t remember seeing a swim time slower than 1:20. Kind of silly. But, there ARE sea lions in the river which was a hilarious surprise!
Not sure if this matters to you, but the expo was in the River Cats baseball stadium. Kind of a cool experience, I thought it was fun. Awards and roll down also take place in the stadium just above the dugout.
To you or anyone reading - happy to answer any other questions.