I’m considering Ironman 70.3 NC this fall. The different start, transition and finish locations coupled with multiple shuttles looks like a PITA. Since this race has run for many years I’m hoping logistics are a lot smoother than they appear. I booked a hotel at Wilmington Medical park, so hopefully I only need to catch one shuttle to start. What’s the best way for my SAG (aka Wife) to spectate, get to the finish, then collect me and all my stuff at the conclusion. Anyone have tips and tricks to minimize any chaos?
I did it last year, I went down solo so I don’t have experience with people spectating but I thought it was a great race. I stayed in a Airbnb within walking distance to the finish line, and found that quite nice. T2 and the finish line are a short walk from each other, and that’s where check in is as well.
I would suggest getting out to T1 pretty early on Saturday as traffic out to Wrightsville Beach does pickup as the day goes on. When I was heading back into town there was a long line of cars headed out. I did check in on Friday and then had all day Saturday to drop my bike off and drop off my run bag at T2. If possible that would be my recommendation.
I do worry it could be a long morning for your wife if she tried to get to the swim start and then find her way back to T2. I remember seeing a big line of cars trying to park when we arrived on the shuttle, and then a lot of those same roads are closed for the bike start to get back off the island. That said, I don’t actually have experience of that part and maybe it’d be just fine. There’s an active Facebook group for the event that probably would be a good place to ask as well. The first shuttle from T2 out to T1 was a breeze, they had tons of buses and you just hopped right on. Same with the second one over to the swim start. You could also pretty easily walk that section if you wanted to.
It was pretty chilly on race morning, I threw in a hoodie last minute and I’m glad I did. I stayed bundled up until right before it was time to get in the starting area. The morning clothes bag was then waiting for me right after the finish line. They really do a good job with it all.
Last time I spectated this race, I parked about 2km away from T1 and walked in.
I made sure I wasn’t parked on the bike route at that point and it was a pretty smooth trip back to T2. I beat the girl I was dating at the time back by a beer and a half with friends near the .5 mile mark of the run (and she was top 25 Overall AG on the day).
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I’ve done NC the past 2 years. It’s not the best for spectating and the split transitions definitely requires a little more planning and logistics. The best option my family has found was to just setup near T2. That way they can see you come off the bike and a short walk for them to then see you 2-3 times in the first 2 miles of the run, and then again at the finish.
I did the race last year. Great race, very smooth logistics. They seem like a pain, but work very well. No chaos. Good advice already given for different options. A few other ideas:
- Consider a hotel near the finish or an AirBnb within walking distance of the finish/T2 as already mentioned. Two reasons: Did this with my brother (who also raced) and my parents (who spectated) in Wilmington. Also did this at St. George 70.3, another two transition race, with my wife. In both cases, my spectators didn’t want to go through the effort of getting to the swim start or T1. They slept in and walked down to the race later (T2, run, and finish). Walked to the first shuttle (extremely well organized and easy). My parents did exactly what @KC_All_Day family did and they had a great time. Also, good and easy food/drink and logistics post-race.
- For Wilmington, strongly recommend taking both shuttles, especially if your wife is less into getting around T1/Swim start. One problem that occurs there is that the shuttles from T2 going to T1 get hung up in a bit of traffic from people trying to get dropped off by family around T1. There are also a lot of road closures for the bike course that these same people get stuck trying to move around. If your wife wants to find her way like @desert_dude did, could be fun, just route plan that.
- If I was spectating, I’d personally skip the swim start without a specific reason to be there and either do T1 and T2 or just T2/run/finish.
- I’ll second the morning clothes bag suggestion - definitely pack some warm clothes in the morning bag: warmup pants and jacket/hat/gloves can be needed that time of year and I was glad to have them.
- Know that it’s a longer run into T1. It’s fun though, there are a ton of spectators the whole way, and then a water cup station after you cross the road.
- The two pre-race morning swims hosted by a local tri-club are a lot of fun, would recommend. They had people in a boat serving coffee with floats to hang onto.
Appreciate this thread after signing up for this race. Got an AirBnB by the finish line and will walk to the finish and then shuttle to T1 and then swim start.
I’m going to let my spectators work out getting to T1 or swim start but honestly it sounds like a pain potentially. Maybe T1 but getting to swim start might be a pain.. and then getting to T1 since they’re not the kind to ride bikes or that kind of thing… that would make it easy to get from those two points.
I’ve let them know its okay if they just wait around the finish line… I have the 945LTE so they can track me and know when/where I am at while racing.
Curious about bike pumps, how do you stash your pump if you have one at T1? Think I saw they’re not supposed to go in your morning clothes bag… what do you do with it???
Bike support will be there in AM along with a bunch of worried ppl that they need their pump so you’ll have plenty of options.
I too am looking at this race in hopes to qualify. Do you have any input on the bike and run courses? I heard the roads are not ideal but that might just be personal opinion.
It’s a pretty flat and fast course on both the bike and run (and swim is helped by the current). I can’t really recall the road surface, it didn’t strike me as particularly bad apart from a few times you are on metal bridges and that felt a little unstable. The bike is largely an out and back, with very little elevation gain. My GPS had less than 400ft of elevation gain over the entire course. I liked the run course, you go through town on the way out and the way back in, with lots of spectators on course. Like the bike, very little in the way of hills on the run.
I was able to qualify last year with a ~4:40 in the 40-44 age group. I needed some help with roll down as I think was around 75th on the age graded results.
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Agree, flat and fast. I had a great time last year (at a slower non-qualifying pace). Depends on what someone is considering in terms of “not ideal.” Road surfaces were fine. Most of the bike is on a large, straight, multi-lane US highway - boring. For me, the middle part was nicer, on smaller two lane country roads with some curves, turns, etc to add texture and interest. Those surfaces were more variable, but generally fine. Most of the bike is in the classic Southeastern Pine Tree Canyon setting, so not super scenic. @DesertTriGuy I currently live in Salt Lake, so am used to very scenic wide open views on the bike out here. Assume you’re in the west somewhere. I grew up in the south, but I know some westerners that feel weirded out when a road is enclosed by trees.
The wind often comes out of the north that time of year, so there can be some headwind going out on the bike, but tailwind coming back. Not much last year.
That north wind can (and did last year) create some light chop on the swim. Yes, current assisted, but being able to breath either side was helpful. Breathing right was right into the chop, breathing left was much better.
The drawbridge does have a metal grate surface (make sure to take in the views going over, including of the U.S.S. North Carolina) - some triathletes complain about it, but I feel like if you have decent handling skills it’s a non-issue; dry last year, but would definitely be sketchy if wet.
Yes, the run course is great, lots of support out there. No surface issues I noticed, though it has some camber in some places.
We stayed near the finish line, but on Sunday drove out to this breakfast place, Savor Southern Kitchen, highly recommend for anyone racing this year, was worth the wait. My brother also raced, and we found this to be an excellent morning after refuel.