What is the consensus on the hardest IM70.3 courses in NA that are currently still around?
I have heard Syracuse is tough, and St George is also challenging from experience. Who else makes the list? Canada/Placid/Tremblant? Buffalo Springs?
I think Syracuse got softened up lately, although last year’s conditions made it as tough as it’s ever been. LP seems pretty tough, tougher than tremblant half (i’ve done both fulls but not halves, all the same though I figure). All 3 though have wetsuit lake swims so easy. Can’t think of any course where all 3 legs are difficult. Hawai’i 70.3 does have a difficult swim and run, the bike can be if the Hawi winds are strong.
Muskoka 70.3. The course has changed this year, so I don’t know what it will no be like, but in the past it’s been a wetsuit swim (last year it was upstream instead of in it’s usual lake), followed by a super hilly bike that’s 4k long, and then an equally hilly run. No long climbs, but constant up and down and some rough roads.
From the races you listed I’ve done the full at Placid, Whistler, and Tremblant, and I’d rank them in that order, toughest to easiest. The road conditions are really good at Tremblant and it makes that course surprisingly fast for the amount of elevation it has.
I’ve done 1X St. George and 5X Buffalo Springs. St. George is a lot tougher than BSLT.
New Orleans 70.3 and there’s really no comparison. Supposedly protected swim in Pontchartrain is exposed to winds entering directly opposite the sea wall causing a washing machine effect and the wind never stops there. The M shaped course sucks for turns and sighting.
I’ve done the bike with 50mph wind gusts. It’s totally exposed meaning to wind and sun.
The run is along the lake and also catches a lot of wind and sun.
Any advantages of being flat are totally negated. A few years back a survey revealed that finishing times were the worst for this race making it the most difficult.
I really thought they would have killed it after last year’s cancellation. Apparently, it gets one more year in the new time slot to prove itself.
Muskoka is pretty hard and hilly. I just did Quassy (a Rev3 race), and that’s got some hills too. The Tremblant course is much more rolling and is pretty fast for a somewhat hilly race.
I actually felt like Eagleman last year was harder then either of the above courses due to the heat/humidity of the race.
Isn’t there a list out there with the IM 70.3 breaking them down by S/B/R and Overall times and difficulty? I swear I have seen one, but I cannot seem to find the link.
I’d throw a vote in for Superfrog. While the swim is quick once you get past the breakers, the two trips through the 4’ breakers were EXHAUSTING. Then over 1/2 of the run on soft sand was brutal.
Wildflower on a hot year gets my vote
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Wildflower on a hot year gets my vote
Haha on a hot year just makes it more difficult, it’s always difficult. This is what sets apart races like New Orleans… seriously I did New Orleans in not great shape and it’s an hour faster than Wildflower. Yes the weather can be bad but that’s not how I judge hard courses.
But I guess it doesn’t count since it’s not a WTC race…
Honestly, on a hot year, Eagleman just sucks. Give me mountains and cooler weather over that misery.
Isn’t there a list out there with the IM 70.3 breaking them down by S/B/R and Overall times and difficulty? I swear I have seen one, but I cannot seem to find the link.
Yes, I have seen it as well but it’s data from 2012
St, George and Wildflower are comparable in difficulty. Weather is a huge factor in both.
Honu is tough because of conditions. This year the swim and bike were “easyâ€, but the humidity and lack of wind on run was tough.
I did NOLA in 2016. It was pretty rough but its got nothing on Syracuse.
IMO Cuse is the tougher than Tremblant and LP. I did Muskoka years ago and all I remember is constant hills on the bike and rough roads. St George is a beast as well but conditions this year seemed pretty great to me.
My top 3 would be Muskoka, Cuse, St George.
What is the consensus on the hardest IM70.3 courses in NA that are currently still around?
I have heard Syracuse is tough, and St George is also challenging from experience. Who else makes the list? Canada/Placid/Tremblant? Buffalo Springs?
kind of old data (2010-2011)
http://www.runtri.com/2010/08/toughesthardest-vs-easiestfastest-half.html
If we’re going with non-WTC brands, the old Auburn tri course (before it was changed) and June Lake are both harder than St. George. The old Auburn tri course was the hardest 70.3 I’ve ever done out of 20 races.
Yes it’s is: https://www.ironindex.com/#/main
I think they have neglected the site because I just got a ton of errors upon visiting the page…
I haven’t raced any of the races mentioned in this thread but I am curious where Wisconsin 70.3 stacks up…
Swim: Lake swim, wet-suit legal, nothing difficult about it
Bike: Hilly with rough roads. It is only about 2300 ft of elevation gain (according to IM site) but it is a decently technical course with a lot of up and down. The real issue is that you are robbed on many of the downhills with a sharp turn at the bottom of the hill… You are forced to brake hard on the downhill to make the turn safely.
Run: Hilly, lots of ups and downs the first half
Again, I have not raced the other races mentioned so I have nothing to compare it to, but the course felt tough to me.
Great…! Heading down there on Friday. :-/