NEW Clearwater Bike Course - Will the problems be solved?

Triathlon Forum
1

As was to be expected, the Clearwater course has been revised for the second edition of the 70.3 worlds.

Well, they have certainly done something with cutting waves down to approx 150 athletes and 5min in between the waves and revising the bike course but will it work? We’ll see on November 10th.

See the details below and at: http://www.ironman.com/index.php?id=1144339776

****Course maps and descriptions for the course in Clearwater for the Ford Ironman World Championship 70.3

SWIM: Professional female athletes will start the race at 7:00 AM, with professional male athletes beginning shortly after at 7:10 AM. Age group athletes will be seeded in 10 waves this year, an increase from four waves in 2006, with the first of ten waves going at 7:15 AM The final wave will enter the water at 8 AM The official cutoff time for athletes to complete the 1.2 mile/1.9 km swim is 1 hour, 5 minutes, following the start of the final wave. Click here to see a course map of the swim.
BIKE: The 56 mile/90.1 km bike course will travel in a clockwise direction and now incorporates primarily right-hand turns. This year’s course will no longer include the 14 mile single-lane stretch on the Courtney Campbell Causeway into Tampa. The redesigned course will provide wider lanes and a more traditional racing format for cycling, encouraging slower cyclists to use the far-right side of the lane. Athletes will be taken on a fast yet challenging route through areas of Clearwater, Palm Harbor, Largo and Pinellas Park. Click here to see a course map of the bike.

RUN: Spectators and athletes alike will enjoy the 13.1 mile/21.1 km run course that now consists of two identical loops, with the turnaround point being located near the transition area at Pier 60. Click here to see a course map of the run.

Course maps and descriptions for the course in Clearwater for the Ford Ironman World Championship 70.3****SWIM: Professional female athletes will start the race at 7:00 AM, with professional male athletes beginning shortly after at 7:10 AM. Age group athletes will be seeded in 10 waves this year, an increase from four waves in 2006, with the first of ten waves going at 7:15 AM The final wave will enter the water at 8 AM The official cutoff time for athletes to complete the 1.2 mile/1.9 km swim is 1 hour, 5 minutes, following the start of the final wave. Click here to see a course map of the swim.
BIKE: The 56 mile/90.1 km bike course will travel in a clockwise direction and now incorporates primarily right-hand turns. This year’s course will no longer include the 14 mile single-lane stretch on the Courtney Campbell Causeway into Tampa. The redesigned course will provide wider lanes and a more traditional racing format for cycling, encouraging slower cyclists to use the far-right side of the lane. Athletes will be taken on a fast yet challenging route through areas of Clearwater, Palm Harbor, Largo and Pinellas Park. Click here to see a course map of the bike.

RUN: Spectators and athletes alike will enjoy the 13.1 mile/21.1 km run course that now consists of two identical loops, with the turnaround point being located near the transition area at Pier 60. Click here to see a course map of the run.

2

The drafting and race specific problems might be eased somewhat with the new course but I just don’t think its the correct location. The place has no triathlon history, no spirit or character and from what I heard poor for spectators.

3

The place has no triathlon history

What? Ever hear of St Anthony’s triathlon? How about St Pete Mad Dogs, one of the largest Triahtlon Clubs in the US? Tampa/St Pete is a hot bed of local triathlon activity year 'round.

I do agree, it is an urban setting, so you are not going to get that local “home town” support feeling that you could from a smaller venue.

4

Maybe having a triathlon for the next 20 years will help build a history of triathlon :wink:

.

5

I know I already brought this up but…I still can’t get over the word “challenging” used in the bike description.

6

In reply to: “The place has no triathlon history”

The St. Anthony’s triathlon has been held in Pinellas county for the past 25 years and sells out its 3000 plus slots in hours (in this sport that constitutes having some history). As I pointed out in another thread, the first triathlon in Pinellas county this year was on January 1st and the last one will be sometime in December. The sport is alive and well in the Clearwater area. http://www.satriathlon.com/

7

These changes will go a LONG WAY toward making the bike course better this year. We follow the same type of swim starts for the Ironman 70.3 Florida race at Disney. With good officials on the course and with this swim start system, the bike course will be fair and clean this year. Z

8

Two choices to make the bike course challenging in that area:

  1. pick a day with a hurricane

  2. make the 56mi on sand

It is going to be a big draft fest once again.

9

It may help…

I would like to see this race in October - BEFORE KONA. Kona (IMHO) should be the end all race for Ironman. 70.3 seems like an afterthought right now. I’d like to see this race in San Diego or HNL. Clearwater was ok (except for my $1,200 hotel bill for 4 days- reg. room). Clearwater was ok…run course is still not spectator friendly. I would have 90% of it on that main drag past the Hilton and Sheraton AND the Causway bridge…there you have two hard “hills” (and a nice view) - don’t like the turn into the finish line area either…probably a traffic issue - that area is like Alii in Kona town for crowdedness factor.

The big issue in Clearwater no bike marshalls and not enough marshalls for the AG waves…and a whole lot of people.

Location was fine. Spectator support was very good for a first year race. I had a lot of folks on street corners cheering for cyclists and runners. (Those in the packs probably couldn’t hear or see them…) I had a great experience, but I wasn’t drafting and didn’t really care if others were…it was a celebration race for me…I qualified for the inaugural race and was trying to PR…success.