I´m thinking about what races to do next year.
I want to go and do one in the U.S., and for logistical purposes, Orlando is a good choice. Another option would be Galveston.
Any comments or reviews (course, logistics, organization)…
Thanks!
I raced it this year, and wrote up my thoughts. Let me know if you have any questions.
http://262toboylstonstreet.blogspot.com/2016/04/florida-703-report.html?m=1
I can tell you about Florida done it 3 times not easy. M shaped swim not easy to swim. Bike course last half is hills and can be windy. The run is 3 loops with a couple really nice hills that you get to do 3 times. Oh yes it can be hot. 50 percent chance of a wetsuit swim.
I’ve only done the race once, but live in FL. In that shallow lake I don’t see how it would be wetsuit legal often. Not a fun M shaped swim. No complaints on the bike. Fast course with a couple hills (for Florida) on the back half. Run is brutal. Decent climb the first mile of each loop. No shade the entire run. Like running in an oven. Would be tough if you don’t live someplace warm.
I did it twice. To me it is an easy course if there is such a thing.
BUT I did it when the run was on grass, not sure if they changed that or not.
I did it 2014 and I enjoyed the race. The swim absolutely sucks ! Crowded swim course, M shape, hard to spot. Choppy black water. Nasty ! I loved the bike course. Fast rollers (it’s not flat) and the second half of the course is a little tougher than the first. The run is tough and right out of transition there are two hills that punch you in the face. You can see all the guys that go out too hard because they’re all walking by the second lap. The heat on the run melts the guys who come down from up north and spent all winter on their treadmill. There’s not much to do in Haines City but Orlando is 30 minutes away and many use the race for a mini family vacation. Race is well organized with good support and I like that it has a small town feel to it. I will be signing up and I’m looking forward to doing it again.
Did it in 2015 and 2016. I like the M shape swim course because the swimming in my strength so it gives me an advantage. The bike course is not a closed course but they do a great job with the local police stopping traffic for the racers. I think the course is fast with hills the second half and can be windy because of the open fields. The run is mostly a closed course (maybe minor traffic with cars going to their home but I don’t remember seeing any cars) and does have hills but what goes up must come down so you can recover on the downhills. 2015 was hot and I thought 2016 was perfect weather with it getting a little hot towards the end. This year I took about 45 minutes off my 2015 time. The venue is easy to get too. There is a great park at the start/finish for your family that is shaded with LOTS of swings/slides/jungle gyms/etc. for the family. After my swim, my wife took the kids back to the hotel so they could play in the pool and she gave our little daughter a nap. She had no problems getting out or back in time to see me finish. (We paid $10.00 to park in local business parking lot). The town gets really into the race with music and spraying water from hoses with lots of cheering. I will do it again but not sure about next year. Some friends do other races around the same time so I might join them instead.
I have never done a 70.3 in FL, however have done Galveston which you mention as an alternate. Galveston is a fantastic race and very spectator friendly. I believe DC Rainmaker had a real good write up on the race that I found fairly accurate. With the exception of the swim start (no real warm up and you’re treading water for 2-3 minutes), everything about the course is great. The spectator support on the run, which is 3 loops in the Gardens, is just amazing. It’s a hot race just like FL! Good luck and enjoy
I did it twice. To me it is an easy course if there is such a thing.
BUT I did it when the run was on grass, not sure if they changed that or not.
You are talking about the old venue at Ft Wilderness, Disney. I did that one 3 times and it hasn’t been there in years. The new location is in nowheresville, aka, Haines City. Swim is worse with the M shape, bike is much hillier (relative to the old one) and the run is much hillier (all pavement), but not as humid as running along the ditch in the woods at the former location. Also, the race is now in Apr instead of May.