I am coming in to town for the 2015 race with a total of 24 people(7 athletes and their families). We have not had much luck finding a house in Placid that does not require a 7 day
stay(which we would do but they are insisting on Monday to Monday ). So we are looking now at towns surrounding placid that are on the bike course.
My questions is has anyone here stayed out of town for the race? We are going to want our families to be able to take cabs to the run portion of the race in town and are wondering how hard it will be for them to get in. Equally important is how hard it will be for the athletes to get to town, bright and early on race morning. etc.
Closest place would be the town of Saranac. Which is about 15 - 20 minutes out. It is away from the bike/run course, but I do not know about taxi/shuttle service. And driving into town is a beast on race day.
And most places do at least a 5-day if not a week at that time.
I stayed out of town this year, at a KOA campground in Wilmington. That might work for you, but you might be looking for something more like a house or hotel. A party of 24 will be challenging; especially when a lot of the hotels are already selling out for next year. You can try Saranac Lake area. It’s not too far from Placid and the 5 -7 day minimums might not apply. But it’s not on the bike course. The are some villages on the bike course (like Wilmington, Jay, Keene) but they may not have tons of housing options because they are just tiny towns for the most part. If your party is willing to do group camping, the Wilmington State Campground is smack on the bike course and you could cheer on your athletes practically from your tenting areas. But then getting into town for the run would be difficult if not close to impossible.
As far as cabs… I have no clue. I don’t know if they even have cabs in Lake Placid. In my opinion, a good option for your situation would be to drive to the general parking area on race day and take the free shuttle bus in. Trying to navigate the streets would be a pain, especially when some will be completely shut down on race day.
As far as athletes getting into town early on race day - I had no problem. Parking will be tricky though. Early bird gets the worm. Getting back out is another thing.
Try Rock and River in Keene. They have a lodge onsite that will house a good chunk of your group. It might already be booked, but worth a try and Ed (owner) might suggest alternatives. Stayed there 3 years and getting to/from LP on race day is easy.
I did IMLP three times, and on the last time I stayed about 30 minutes away. We had rented a house somewhere between Jay and Au Sable Forks. It did mean that we had to wake up a bit earlier to get to Lake Placid and there was a lot of traffic ahead of us even though we were one of the first to arrive at the parking lot. However, that wasn’t a problem at all, and it didn’t seem to be a problem for those arriving later. The town and the organisers have been doing this for quite a while and they’ve got the logistics down pretty good. It helps if you rehearse the day before (where you’re going to park, the route you’ll take, how you’ll get to transition with your gear.)
Getting in and out of Lake Placid once the event is underway will definitely be a challenge but lots of people do it. (I’m not sure how since I’ve always been the athlete, not the spectator!) However, since the bike and run course loop through the town, your family can stay around transition and the principal streets and get to see you several times.
Given the choice between staying in Lake Placid and staying out of town, I would definitely choose out of town. I liked being away from all the other athletes after I was done with practice swims and registration and all that stuff. I also liked all the money I saved in accommodation costs!!
Rooster Comb Inn in Keene Valley. Stayed there twice and Steve B is the greatest host. You’d have the whole inn to yourself, and that would be a hoot. Rates are great, drive is not bad, and you’ll love sititng around the campfire at night, sipping wine, telling stories.