I am trying to plan out my race schedule for next year. I am told that Ironman Florida will no longer be in Florida, but will move. That is not my concern…however, will it still be in the same time frame? Any insight is appreciated.
Thanks
----->Trent
This race has been rumored to be on its last legs for a couple of years now. Apparently it was pieced together for 2004 on a one time deal. I doubt you will find out about 2005 untill a few weeks before the 2004 race. That is just the way these things work.
Yeah, I heard that they had to get an extension for it to be here this year. I’m glad I got in this year before it disappears. The time frame fits my schedule next year also, so I am hoping that they keep a race in November…but I don’t really care where it is. I had read something in this forum about possibly Arizona. That would be a nice area during the November time of year.
----->Trent
Arizona will be in April, sounds like they will move Ralphs, but not sure where in the calendar year. TNO has had a few threads on this as well. Believe that Williamsburg is a possibility, but not sure if they could get it together in time for 2005. Jamma.
Too bad. Ironman Florida is a great race and great venue. Fast course. The temperature in November could not be any better for an IM.
I thought the speculation was that the venue would be moved to Disney. WTC set up the 1/2 there, and I assumed it was exploratory. I’ve not been thrilled with Disney races thus far, but will reserve judgment to see how the 1/2 works. It’s a bit unfortunate if it moves to Orlando as we already have the GFT here (Clermont), which is a popular local IM. The two courses, by the way, could not be more fundamentally different. Clermont is acutally a hilly venue, short but steep buggers. The course would be about 2 MPH slower for most triathletes. The difficulty of the bike course also translates into a slower run time. Huge overall time difference. I’m guessing about an hour difference from IMF, for average IM’ers.
Any news on this possibility?
There’s always the other IM in Australia which will be in November.
I would love to do Australia, but the cost of taking my family there is far more than I want to spend next year on a single event. I am doing 9 races, of which I will be travelling to 7 of them, so going across the water is not an option for me.
As for the disappointing Disney races…I did their marathon this year and loved it. The support was great, and it was very well organized…however, waiting in the cold for 3 hours to start running was not the most enjoyable thing I have ever done. All-in-all, I really enjoyed the race. I am planning on doing their Olympic distance triathlon next year, so I will see how they do with triathlons.
---->Trent
“I am told that Ironman Florida will no longer be in Florida, but will move.”
Actually, if it moves out of state, I doubt seriously that they will call it Ironman Florida.
Anyway, I’ve been wondering the same thing, since I’d like to do my first IM around then and would do better on a flat course. If there is no longer a flat-course IM Florida in fall 2005 (either in Panama City or perhaps near Orlando), then I’ll probably try the Great Floridian instead. But the Panama City venue would be my first choice.
The Great Floridian is anything but FLAT. Last year they did the hill loop twice, instead of the flat loop followed by the hill loop…which is supposedly the norm. It surprised everyone that I know who did the race last year (2003).
----->Trent
“The Great Floridian is anything but FLAT.”
I know. That’s precisely why it would only be my second choice, assuming that I choose a race reasonably close to home. Last fall I did the Horrible Hundred Century, which included most of the same hills. As I approached Sugarloaf Mtn., my mantra was: “I will NOT dismount. I will NOT dismount. (I may stand up out of the saddle, but I will NOT dismount.)” And after going into my easiest gear and standing up for the last half of the climb, I did not dismount. But I’d prefer not to go into that kind of oxygen debt (twice, I think, since they made it a two-loop course) in my first IM.
Not to cast aspersions on anyone who would rather do an ‘easy’ Ironman than a ‘hard’ one (it’s an Ironman after all, which should count for something :-)), I really don’t think you can compare Panama City to Clermont. GFT is a much tougher race, and surely part of the challenge is not only managing the distance, but managing the course/conditions as well? I think we’ve moved away from 140.6 miles as an ultimate challenge to 140.6 miles made ‘easier’. Or 140.6 miles not being a true ironman unless it has that little ‘copyright’ sign behind it? Which gets me way off topic into the whole T. iT. thing - but that’s for another day 
Cheers
Barry
I may do a harder one later, but deliberately to choose a harder course for my first IM would be just plain dumb. I like challenges, but I’m not a fool.
On the point that it would not be called “Ironman Florida”…I think that is a very fair statement. In reality if disney can pull in the demographic of your typical IM nut (lawyers) they have themselves quite a week of spending. How much do you think Im will charge little Mikey (or is it Mickey?) for the honor of Ironman Disney or Ironmouse or the Goofy Ironman?
Quote from a court room:
(Judge) - well, Mr. Mouse, I am not sure why it is you would leave your woman Minnie due to some emotional or mental issues that may be able to be resolved, she may need you more now than ever.
(Mickey) - your honor, I did not say that Minnie was nuts, I said she was “Fucking Goofy”!
Rob
I guess I must be a fool then - I always knew I was dumb! I think when I did GFT ('97) IMF wasn’t around. I still stand by my opinion, but as I said, not casting aspersions at all. Good luck with your first.
Cheers
Barry
I did GFT in '96 for same reason. That was just before the distance of 140.6 started booming with races everywhere and and selling out in a day everytime.
Ironically I have only done Ironman Florida once (1999) at that point I lived ON the Great Floridian bike course in Montverde. For those of you familiar with that area it was right where the boarding school on highway 455. I biked on sugarloaf 4-5 times per week and my long run built up to a 20 mile effort from my apartment to the top of sugarloaf and back.
I have done the great floridan 4 times so far (1 time before I lived there and 3 times since) and each time I hae raced it I have lived in a flatter area.
I live in Naples now which is as flat as a pancake and I head up to central florida ~once permonth to do sugar loaf repeats to get ready for lake placid. I know that this is not perfect but I think that it’s best I can do in this state.