I was just looking at the map posted on the IMMOO Course web page and noted two slight changes in the course. I confirmed these are changes by looking at the 2003 course map I have as well as the 2004 Qsheet map.
Change #1 happens on the way to Verona. Instead of continuing south on Syrene all the way to Byrne Road, we turn west sooner at Irish Lane and then we turn south onto Caine (NORTH of Whalen). Previously we took Syrene south all the way to Byrne and then took Caine north to get back up to Whalen.
Change #2 is in Verona. After the first loop, no longer do we proceed straight down Paoli to start the second loop. Instead, we go east (left) on Verona Ave, south (right) on Old Hwy PB and then west (right) again on Whalen. I’m sure that the distance is the same, but most folks that I know have been practicing it wrong based on the old maps. Sorry to bore all you non-IMMOOr’s with this, but it’s important info for those of us doing it!
From what I heard last week one of the merchants was losing business so they redirected it out around town. I noticed a lot of people doing the oldroute down Paoli as I head east around town. Htey might be in for a little suprise.Garfoot had a ton of gravel on the downhill and my tire slid out. Most of the bad gravel is well marked ahead of it. But as my friends say it will be gone in a two weeks like it always is. I hope so.
One common resurfacing technique is what’s known as “chip sealing,” which involves laying down a thick layer of bitumen, then covering it with an aggregate made of rock, gravel, or even bottom ash and slag from coal power plants. The gravel will set in the “oil” or sealant and become the road surface.
Oh. But in my experience with the gravel patches on the course this season is that they take about 2 months or so to get completely compacted from traffic.
I noticed they were nice enough to run a heavy roller over the patches on “the bitch” to cover up the words, but they didn’t do that on garfoot.
They did this last year on a few portions of the course about a week before the race. Everybody was freaking out here and on TNO. Everything was fine on race day. Deja vu. You guys will all do great. If not, I’ll be driving a sag wagon :).
i remember that. tff! when i hear all the crabbing about gravel & rocks and bad patches on IM routes, i wonder where these people train all the time that they have perfect roads. i’d like to train there. but alas, i train on roads that are re-chipsealed all willy nilly (middle km of a 3k stretch) and need to be repaired badly (3 blown sidewalls this summer).
Hey y’all - I rode the course this past weekend, including the changes. Here’s what I can tell you: The changes are no big deal - Irish Rd. is a nice stretch with a slight upgrade on the way out to Verona. The new turns through the town of Verona are also no big thing. Instead of coming through town on the main street, you now turn left at the stoplight onto Verona Dr., right onto Old PB and right onto Whalen to begin the 2nd loop. The road surfaces on these new additions are just fine. The resurfaced sections are all in very good shape, even Garfoot Rd. The chipseal has been driven over enough that most of the loose stuff is either packed in or swept off the road. It’s not a bad idea to be on your toes the first time down it, though. Watch your speed through the first couple of bends and then you can let it rip. The updated course was not marked (as of last Friday).
Thanks for the heads up. I just looked at the map; the changes don’t look too confusing, but now we can test ride them before the race. All we’re really doing is by-passing the long stretch of Paoli.
It looks like the run was recently changed as well, the site says updated on 8/10/05. I’ve never seen any part of the run course. Is it conufsing? Are there sufficient markings and volunteers directing you? I’ve heard that it’s almost all on concrete, does that mean sidewalks? It seems kind of strange to me that we would be running along the sidewalk, with other people who are going shopping and getting icecream. Maybe the sidewalks are closed to non-racers?
and noted two slight changes in the course. I confirmed these are changes by looking at the 2003 course map I have as well as the 2004 Qsheet map.
