Late Wave start at Chicago Tri - Anyone have one before?

Triathlon Forum
1

Last year, I raced Chicago in the 2nd AG wave (M25-29), so not too many people already out on the course. I got held up a tad in the water, but the bike anr run were clear.

Skip ahead a year and I’m in wave 53, with the AG elites heading off in 20. So 33 waves or people up the road. I know a lot of them will be out of the way, but does anyone have experience with such a late start? I’m looking to race sub 2:00 and am a bit concerned about log jams in the swim, back ups at the bike turnarounds, and trying to find clear space on the bike path (especially around the aquarium).

Please tell me I’m imagining problems that won’t be there.

2

Sucks. At CA 70.3 this year, M 30-34 were the last three waves, and it was a disaster. I hate to ruin your expectations for a good race, but I anticipate your experience will be similar to mine. The event quickly devolved into a fun run instead of a race. Here’s my response to a similar post from the CA 70.3 thread…

This may seem “snotty” but why in the hell are M 30-34 the last 3 waves? I guess someone has to be last but I guess I’m just hoping since I’m dead last at 7:48 that this will not effect my bike time trying to dodge through all couple thousand competitors in front of me?

And on that note…Sure I’ll be in transition by 5:45 like you would like me to…NOT…I’ll still be sleeping if I dont start till 7:48…Okay seriously from someone who did this race in years past can I still get into transition after 7? If so i’ll push it as late as possible.
I was wondering about this as well. When I saw the wave start times for Men 30-34 I thought: a) this must be a mistake and b) if this isn’t a mistake, this will be a disaster on course. Sure enough, after completing and enjoying the heck out of most of the race, I’m still left wondering why start times would be arranged like this…

The first leg was more like a slalom course than a swim course. If I wasn’t swimming over breast stroking, back stroking, and water treading dark blue, white, purple, neon green, red, and light blue caps, I was swimming in Zs just to get from one bouy to the next.

The bike was even worse. At the first “no passing zone,” I (along with about 20 other riders) were stick behind a slower rider ahead. No problem, except when I looked at my computer we were going 2.8 mph!!! Now, guys that I passed 10 and 15 miles earlier had suddenly erased any advantage. Having to slow and straddle the yellow line to pass four riders going along shoulder-to-shoulder wasn’t uncommon either. Of course, this is just part of the sport that has to be taken into account just like anything else, but why would race organizers purposely set up such a catastrophe??? I certainly don’t blame the slower athletes because they’re trying just as hard as anyone else, but I do blame race organizers who are creating a dangerous and frustrating situation.

When I looked at the times I was even more bewildered. Of the Women 25-29, who started 16 minutes ahead of my wave, only 10 of 82 finished in front of me…and I’m a mediocre middle-of-the-packer. Or, looking at it another way, take 50th place among multiple divisions: Men 30-34 were 23% faster than Women 35-39, 18% faster than Women 30-34, and 8% faster than Men 45-49, yet started right behind all of these groups. In what world does a race organizer craft these start times and think it makes for good racing?

Overall, the race was an excellent time, but I certainly hope some constructive criticism to race organizers will improve this problem in the future.

3

Last year, I raced Chicago in the 2nd AG wave (M25-29), so not too many people already out on the course. I got held up a tad in the water, but the bike anr run were clear.

Skip ahead a year and I’m in wave 53, with the AG elites heading off in 20. So 33 waves or people up the road. I know a lot of them will be out of the way, but does anyone have experience with such a late start? I’m looking to race sub 2:00 and am a bit concerned about log jams in the swim, back ups at the bike turnarounds, and trying to find clear space on the bike path (especially around the aquarium).

Please tell me I’m imagining problems that won’t be there.

LOL! Good luck :wink:
Here is your option, find a good USAT race finish top in your AG and qualify for an Elite Start then you’ll go sub 2. I am not saying that is not possible but I am a 2:30 finisher and the packs frustrated even me. Biggest problem will be on the bike turnaround on south side.
Good luck! You’ll need it.

4

Are wave starts already listed?

5

Yeah, I don’t really get this. I’m not going to complain, cuz it is what it is, but I anticipate a mess.
I’m M25-29, we are wave 52. Far back end, as MPro wave is 58.
Did a quick look, and M30-35 are in the 20s, M20-24 are in the 30s.

Now I’ve never done this race before, but as it’s not a true open water swim (only 20yds maybe b/t sidewall and boat line), the swim will be crowded.
As can perhaps be expected with a massive race like this, I have had others tell me that there are many many in the swim who cling to the wall, stop to take breaks, etc…so it’ll be a slalom for sure.

Add in a pothole-riddled LSD, with 50 waves in front of us, should make for gooood times.

I personally have never had a wave this late, I’m not sure how to approach my race-morning schedule.
Usual habit for me is wake about 30min before I have to leave, wake up, grab some food, put game face on, & get going.

How do you alter this when you have to finish in transition 3hrs before your wave start? I don’t really want to take a nap, but what else to do?

I don’t want to turn this into a fun run, but am I up against a wall ?

6

I would definitely agree with the posts above: it’s going to be messy. For an event of this magnitude (in terms of participants), I don’t think there is any way around it. Lake shore drive doesn’t have many potholes in the summer; it’s the winter where it’s awful. And remember…passing in the Chicago Tri is on the RIGHT instead of LEFT due to the lane setup.

Since this is my first Oly, I’m really going just for the experience and practice. I’m in wave 44 so I know I’m going to run into roadblocks in each of the legs; I’ve set expectations accordingly.

The last sprint tri I participated in allowed competitiors to “re-correct” their swim seeding before the start so it allowed those faster swimmers to get to the front. No such thing allowed here (that I’m aware of)…

7

I was in a really late wave the last couple years…like, I started around 9:30 am. It sucks. The swim is jammed, the bike turnarounds are jammed, the run is crowded. Not to mention it gets hotter the later you start.

good luck going sub 2:00.

How did you find your wave start already?

8

Go to Chicago Tri Page.
Click on Regsitration
Click on Confirm Entry
Takes you to Active.com page
Search by last name.
Tells you wave # & bib #. Nothing more.

9

I did Chicago many years ago and started in one of the late waves. I remember it got hot and I ran out of fluids to drink. So make sure you have plenty of fluids on hand while waiting. It was really a fun day. Congestion on the course wasn’t too bad.

10

Weather won’t be an issue - it’s supposed to be in the 50’s and low 60’s race morning.

11

I had this last year - it was my first Oly - got up at dark o clock and racked and got transition together leaving my wetsuit, cap, goggles and chip in my room. Went back and racked a few z’s got up, ate breakfast and meandered to swim start.

The swim was crowded but about half way through was able to get a decent pace. The hardest part was my transition rack was as far from bike in/out as possible - that sucked.

The bike was not bad - there was enough room to just blow by people.

The run was hot as hell - I blew up.

good luck

For me chicago and St. Anthony’s were fun to experience once but too big to repeat.

12

The reason for this is because Race Directors want slower athletes off the course earlier. On a ‘short’ course like this, the faster AGs should go earlier. However on 70.3+ distance races ‘slower’ AGs are sent out earlier because of $$. The longer athletes are on the course, the longer volunteers and police and medical staff are needed.

13

The late wave starts are always a treat. They rotate who goes first and who goes last every year to keep things fair, so no one is being singled out for a crappy start time on a regular basis.

My memories/impressions/recommendations from the last time I had a late wave start (like close to the end) were/are: (1) head to transition early to get this done and get out of there before the rush; (2) don’t worry about taking care of your pre-race nutrition before you head to transition, you’ll have plenty of time to eat after you’re out of transition; (3) I lived close by at the time and walked home, went back to sleep, made it back in plenty of time; (4) the swim won’t have that many more people to swim through, over or around; (5) the bike course will have a lot of garbage on it - I remember seeing an aero bar extension lying in the middle of the road - so be careful; (6) the south turn-around on the bike course is mess if there are more than a dozen people on the course even if they are fast riders; (7) run course won’t be open, but it will not be like walking through the Loop in rush hour either.

You’re a superstar if you can hit sub 2:00 on this course in a late wave. Be careful and good luck.

14

The reason for this is because Race Directors want slower athletes off the course earlier. On a ‘short’ course like this, the faster AGs should go earlier. However on 70.3+ distance races ‘slower’ AGs are sent out earlier because of $$. The longer athletes are on the course, the longer volunteers and police and medical staff are needed.

I understand the reasons and fully support this in a half (though it better not have the swim cancelled - Steelhead last year was a mess on the bike with 2000+ racers starting within 45 min of each other) as I know the slower people may need the additional hour or 2 to even complete the event within the time constraints. Finishing within 7 or 8 hours of the last wave start is much easier if you go off 2 hours ahead of it.

I also have a feeling that with Chicago, since the pros go off last (at 11:00 am?) sending off the faster waves near the back will help assure a more open course for them to race. What I dno’t understand is how RD’s assume that those who enter the AG race are concerned solely for their placing in their AG, and not the overall, yet still offer overall awards. This is in addition to the “Elite” amateur division, which has its own overall and AG awards. With the M30-34 and M20-24 going off early, we in the M25-29 have a noticable disadvantage. I know everyone gets held up at some point in a race of this size (I was swimming over people last year from wave 23), but I’m envisioning some serious bottlenecks out there for us and subsequent minutes lost in areas - Swim exit, bike out, all 3 bike turnarounds, bike in, run out, the 1/4 mile section behind the aquarium where there is no way off the bike path. It’s just going to be a mess.

My hope with starting the post was to get some tips from people who have raced (and I mean, raced, not participated) from a later wave. How congested is the bike? Will a TT bike be beneficial or should I just go wtih clip-ons for my roadie due to better handling, plus I’ll be pulled along in a moderate draft the entire way (possible advantage to starting late)? Is the run open enough to click off 5:45’s or will it be like a marathon start where I go with the flow at 9:00?

I wish I would have just gotten in the “elite” amateur wave, but due to some unfounded overconfidence at Hy-Vee, coupled with a way too early start and new bike set-up (power was 60W low), I had a miserable race and was nowhere near earning a pro card. So I signed up for Chicago hoping to give it a shot there, but was too late to apply for the elite wave. Hence, I’ll be racing AG, not because I don’t have qualifying times to go elite, but because I’m an idiot.

15

well i clearly don’t have any tips since it’s my first crack at chi.

but just from past experiences…i’d imagine the bike exit will be a messssss.

way too may attempts at flying exits, will lead to a pile up surely. watch out for this.

i just hope there is plenty of room to pass on LSD. on the wrong side nonetheless. i don’t know if lsd is closed totally or only 2 lanes. id imagine totally closed.

16

usually they have one lane open to traffic - and it gets a tad tight
.

17

well i clearly don’t have any tips since it’s my first crack at chi.

but just from past experiences…i’d imagine the bike exit will be a messssss.

way too may attempts at flying exits, will lead to a pile up surely. watch out for this.

i just hope there is plenty of room to pass on LSD. on the wrong side nonetheless. i don’t know if lsd is closed totally or only 2 lanes. id imagine totally closed.

They only close the two lanes and it gets TIGHT! I’ve seen bikes wondering on the car lanes (3rd lane)
Bike exit is a mess due to the ramp.

18

I think Chicago is a tough course to PR at for someone racing as a non-elite AGer, especially starting in a later wave. For example, a few years ago I started in one of the last 5 AG waves and posted times that should have put me close to sub-2:00 in a smaller race (24 min swim, 59 min bike, 35 min run), but I didn’t even break 2:05. The problem isn’t the crowds on the course as much as it is the time wasted in T1 and T2 due to logjams at the exits and also getting stuck behind slow-moving traffic while navigating the HUGE, circular transition area). Pros/Elites get a break with preferential rack placement that allows them to cut through the middle of it (not to mention that T1/T2 are otherwise empty for them). But for AGers, depending on where your assigned rack is, there’s a good chance that you’ll be stuck having to circumscribe the edges of it, and the rows aren’t wide enough to pass anyone in front of you who might be walking with their bike. It’s pretty slow going.

As far as specific advice goes, I used a traditional road bike, but only because that’s the only bike I owned at the time The bike course is flat and wide – with the exception of the 3 180-degree turnarounds. If you have a tri bike, definitely use it. Handling isn’t really an issue. Even though there will be a few thousand bikes on the course in front of you, you can just stay to the far right (on the edge of the lane open to vehicle traffic) and hammer without having to more than the occassional weave when you come across 6-abreast packs . . . The run is also crowded, but you should be able to run sub-6s without any problem right out of T2, as it’s not the case of “packs” of runners as much as it is just one unbroken column of them. As far as transition goes, I don’t think there’s much you can do one way or the other – hopefully you’ll get a decent rack assignment, but that’s really out of your hands.

Having said all that, were it not for the transitions, Chicago has the potential to be a really fast track, even when crowded. So try not to worry too much about the things you can’t control and just go out and take what the course gives you. Good luck!

19

I raced one year and was in a late wave (in the 40’s). I was probably “held up” a few times but I don’t recall any significant issues getting by folks from earlier waves. I raced ~2:30 which was perhaps a little slower than other races I did that year. IIRC, the swim was more open against the wall but you getted tossed around a bit more from the waves bouncing back.

20

Just out of curiosity, if you can go under 2hrs, why didn’t you sign up for the Elite Age Group wave? Would have alleviated many of your concerns and it’s not like qualifying for it is all that difficult.