Has anyone done this race? Please give me details. I am a little concerned about the swim in the hudson. I grew up not far from NYC but have not been back in 10 yrs or so. I remeber as a kid it was nasty. Am i going to regret doing this race? I am looking forward to the run and ride as I understand it is a nice layout through the park and boro’s. Any details would b great.
Thanks
ken
Hiya,
Did it last year. Complained loudly to and about the host hotel and was comped a VIP entry for this year. Will probably do it annually.
If you are a relatively weaker swimmer, this is a great place to swim. The current is with you and is very fast. And it’s flush against the park so your siting is pretty easy. There is a little junk in the water and it’s extra muddy on the exit, but you will be fine and not regret it.
The swim waves are small enough - very small - so you should not have the usual fight club for the first half like you do at most other tris.
Overall it’s about the best managed race I’ve been in. Mandatory pre-race meetings. AWESOME medal. And the run course may have been a little short. The downside - at least for me last year - was the heat. The bike has a long up-hill, too.
I did this race in '05 and was also worried about the Hudson. The current as the previous poster stated is awesome, but the water is disgusting. There was one point that my face started stinging. But as a weaker swimmer, doing a mile in 24 minutes (this includes many spells of “I can’t put my face back in the water” moments) was awesome. And I can’t say enough good things about the rest of the course. The bike and the run courses are gorgeous with a ton of spectators cheering you on. Prepare for the heat and you’ll have a great time.
M
The host hotel is a hilton. How bad can that be? Will they allow late check outs if you remember? I am excited to do it. I quess I will have some earplugs and mouth wash waiting on the bike. I quess knowing what has gone on in the hudson growing up it is hard to imagine swimming in it. It cant be any worse then tempe town water runoff I swam in at imaz. I did not know of any hills around I assumed it was pretty flat.
No dude, last year the host hotel was the Park Central. Absolute garbage. About half-way through the RD unofficially made the Hilton the host hotel.
I always stay Hilton when I travel and they get things right, mostly. Though in NYC if I’m with a fly honey we are going to Dream.
Current is AWESOME on the swim - I was out in 17:30. Though there are any number of huge logs, milk jugs, and dead cats (seriously - a buddy of mine got a face full of dead cat in his wave) to contend with. Bike course is relatively scenic, with one decent hill. Pretty much the same for the run course - around the circumference of the park, finishing at Dead Rd.
For me, the only HUGE downside was the fact that transition and the finish line were nowhere near one another. No convenient transportation was offered (though that would’ve been tough logistically), and a 2 mile walk in 90 degree heat wasn’t topping my list of things to do that day.
Also, the “host” shop is SBR, of whom I’ve never been a huge fan. Very snotty, extremely unhelpful sales staff. Tons of shit about packing my bike for the trip home. Steer clear of them.
Absolutely no organization at the finish line. A few thousand competitors, a few hundred spectators and a few thousand family members all milling about. It took me a solid 45 minutes to find my wife and her parents after the race.
Fun? Yes. I probably won’t race it again, though.
Sounds like the LA Triathlon, organization and convenience wise. And expensive too.
I’ve done it twice, probably won’t do it again.
the bike course is nice but the pavement is awful. Expansion joints like every 30 or 40 feett are painful for 40K.
I’m also not a fan of races that start at or before 6am. Only in NY is there bumper to bumper traffic at 4am.
Who knows anything about tides? They picked the date for this last year, and I am wondering if it is possible to know what time high and low tides will be at a specific point one year in advance. The current at the NYC tri is great, but is it possible that it would be against the current?
Tides are based on the moon, it’s under control.
the only thing that can effect it is a heavy rainstorm in the days before hand which can increase the current.
If it rains real bad the swim will be cancelled because the NYC sewer system overflows into the hudson when the processing plant on the upper west side reaches capacity.
I did it last year for the first time. Event was well-run. Water was nasty, but I swam in worse. Really enjoyed riding on the West Side Highway and running in Central Park. Logistically it is tough to get around town with a bike and gear. Like many large races in big cities, you might wait a couple hours for your wave to start. Transition closed around 530 or 6am, then I stood around until my wave started at 8 or 830. Chicago was like that also.
I stayed in the Marriott Times Square (using points) and that was a mistake. Too far from the race and lugging a bike around that hotel was brutal - waited 20 minutes to get a damn elevator. Funny though, I was leaving at 430am to race and people were just rolling in from the night or still out.
If you still have family in the area or friends coming along to watch or race, it would be a blast. My friend and training partner bailed on me due to injury last year so I did the whole thing alone. I’ll be out of town that weekend, or else I would do this race again.
Wierd. I actually biked to transition from near the park and had someone meet me and drive back - the day before the race. I don’t remember having to get in there early to get into transition for some reason - but maybe I did.
You’re right, bikes get checked in Saturday. Brought rest of gear to transition Sunday morning. I started in like wave 27 or something, so waited a while to start.
The ride and run are lots of fun but I think this picture says it all when it comes to the swim…bleck! Very fast but eeew!
Did it in 06 and swam into many branches, trees, a plastic bag and even hit a floathing water mellon. It’s a well run race but I didn’t care for the course much and it’s a crazy expensive OLY, I can run half IM’s for less. (I was comped by my company so it was free) The run from the swim to the transition is not much fun, I stripped my suit at the water exit and it helped the 1/4 mile run.
Go to SBRn it’s a great TRI shop.
1/4 mile run after swim to the trans area? Do they at least have hoses set up to rinse off the river water? I am starting to regret signing up.
You have to get into the spirit of the race and ignore the not so exciting swim part (other than it will be your fastest mile swim ever). The ride is absolutely beautiful - its the only time they close off the Henry Hudson highway. If past years were any indication, it’ll be HOT out there; worry about keeping your hydration up instead of what you may bump into in the swim. I’ve been in over a dozen Hudson swims and its not that bad but if you want, you can check the water quality on the DEP website at http://www.nyc.gov/html/dep/html/wastewater.html
3I’ve never done it and never will - because of the swim in the Hudson. I’ll stick to swimming in the ocean and LI sound. I live nearby and had 3 offers so far to be the swimmer on relay teams, LOL! I know people who have done it more than once despite stories of having swum into used condoms, going to the emergency room in their wetsuit due to a scratched cornea when their goggles came off in the swim, seeing dead rats getting swept away by the broom they use to sweep the entry point into the water, etc.
Good luck.
Are you allowed to wear aqua socks or anything on your feet for the 1/4 mile run after the swim? Should I take antibiotics or any other precaution before swimming there? Looking forward to the quick swim, but it should be interesting. That will certainly be a motivation to swim fast. Thanks.
I’m not sure about aqua socks (I’d say probably but never did it myself) - the run isn’t bad. I’ve done the race 3x and never had any problems running to T1. I’d also skip the antibiotics; all the stories about crud in the river are probably true, but the worst I’ve seen first hand is the motor oil from the boats nearby. It doesn’t smell great but overall pretty harmless.