My wife has been checking out Ironman Austria as an option for a European Ironman race. Any information related to the course and venue from anyone who has done the race would be appreciated (she has printed out the race information package, but is looking for something more personal in nature).
Thanks in advance!
Fantastic race and good vacation. The bike course is unbelievably nice - I had a big smile on my face most of the ride. As a vacation spot it is not the best place I have been, but that might be because I was too torqued up for the race to enjoy myself.
The food is excellent - everyplace we ate was great and there are a lot of choices. Klagenfurt is really nice and feels very Italian (it was built by Italian architechts). Actually, I think Austria is probably culturally more similar to Italy than to Germany despite the fact that they speak German. The scenery is fantastic.
It is a bit tough to get around. My wife and I thought we would do a lot of sightseeing, but unfortunately we did not. We took the train to Salzburg which took 4-hours each way. It was a pretty 4-hours, but not the way I wanted to relax before the race. Salzburg itself was pretty, but it seemed like a giant tourist trap - it was crowded and hot and packed with American tourists. I much prefered Klagenfurt. We skipped Vienna after not enjoying Salzburg. If I had the trip to do over again, I would have rented a car - there is a lot to see that we missed because it is so hard to get around. My wife did not do the race, and I was sorry that she did not get to see the stunning bike course.
Also the race is great. Very well organized. Fantastic fast course - swim is in a clear clean Lake and ends in a canal lined with spectators for the last 800 meters. The bike is 3-loops (each loop is about 1/3 flat, followed by 1/3 of climbing with a few steep sections lined with rowdy spectators, followed by a very fast gradual decent. The run is flat out and back along the lake, then out and back into town (Klagenfurt is about 5k from the lake) around the Lindwurm (town dragon).
What Jon said.
Do a search for “Austria” and you should stumble upon my race report, along with some follow up Q & A. I loved the race.
We landed in Klagenfurt on Wednesday, raced on Sunday, and then traveled for about a week. I’d recommend that, and perhaps more travel time if you can swing it. Klagenfurt is a nice little city and easy to get around, but a bit warm for my taste. When I think Austria, I think crisp air and Alps. Klagenfurt is more like northern Italy, and although race day for us was absolutely perfect, it could also be warm and muggy.
After Klagenfurt we rented a car and drove into the mountians of northern Austria (Tyrol). Absolutely gorgeous, and very relaxing. Then we hit Salzburg, which was touristy but charming.
From Klagenfurt you’re within striking distance of a lot of places outside of Austria too. You’re under an hour from the borders of Slovenia and Italy, and about a half day train ride from Bavaria. I haven’t been to Munich in a long time, but I remember it as a great party town.
I’ll “ditto” all of the foregoing. Most of the responders to your question (including me, i think) have written one or more longer posts about various aspects of the race/location. I don’t have a bad thing to say about the area. My only difference from the previous posts is that my wife wanted to sightsee, and was told by our hotel staff to rent a car, not boter with a train. SHe then investigated the Autobahn on her own down to Salzburg. Feel free to let me know if you ahve other specific questions