Recommendations for a US IM course

Triathlon Forum
1

Hi

I’m looking to do my first IM next year and need some suggestions as to which IM NA course would be best. I live in London (UK) and so need to do the overseas entry thing… but ideally I’d like a race which is late-ish in the year, with an ‘easy’ swim (prefer non-ocean), hard/hilly bike course and reasonable run. Weather-wise I would really like warm/hot as opposed to cool/rainy! We’d be making a holiday trip out of the race, so some nice places to visit afterwards would be good too :slight_smile:

Options so far are either IM AZ, IM CdA or IM Canada…

Any info gratefully received…

K

2

Sounds like Louisville. Wisconsin is usually warm, but could be pretty cold any given year.

BYW, Canada isn’t in the US :slight_smile:

3

IMC

  • Later in the year( Late Aug)
  • Non ocean, usually calm water swim
  • Reasonably challenging and very scenic bike course
  • Consistant weather - typically warm, dry and sometimes hot.
  • Awesome area to tour around before or after the race.
  • Many award winning wineries in the area
  • Now run exclusivly by the best triathlon race managment team in the business

What’s not to like!

4

Why didnt’ you list IMWI?
It’s late in the year, hard bike, and the run is very well supported with a ton of great spectators.
Not sure what you could do afterwards but the IM race there is a good one.

5

Why the insistance on IM NA events? (I presume you mean the M-dot branded events). Would the new (2010) Rev 3 event in Sandusky, OH not fit the bill, esp if your family likes a long weekend at a great amusement park?

6

Beach 2 Battleship in Wilmington NC would be good too. They could get a place on the beach and hangout for the rest of the week.

7

I did the B2B 1/2 last year and it was a great race. Set-up events does a great job too.

8

I don’t think B2B qualifies as a hard/hilly bike course
.

9

I don’t think B2B qualifies as a hard/hilly bike course

Not sure why everyone thinks that a flat bike course isn’t hard. 112 miles on any course is hard. And when it is flat, you tend to push the pace harder than usual.
I can’t recommend B2B enough.

10

Not sure why everyone thinks that a flat bike course isn’t hard. 112 miles on any course is hard. And when it is flat, you tend to push the pace harder than usual.

Mark,

I like to stand at the dismount line at IMFL and watch many people stagger off their bikes or cramp up on the spot. Good fun! :slight_smile:

So much for the “easy” bike at IMFL!

Tom Evans told me in the year that he one both IMFL and IMC in about the same time, I note, that IMFL was the harder race!

11

I couldn’t agree more, but the guy asked for a recommendation of a “hilly” bike course. I don’t think ocean swims are necessarily harder either, but the guy was asking for races that meet a certain criteria.

Thom

12

I couldn’t agree more, but the guy asked for a recommendation of a “hilly” bike course. I don’t think ocean swims are necessarily harder either, but the guy was asking for races that meet a certain criteria.

Thom

well, the swim at B2B was certainly easy. :slight_smile:

13

the Great Floridian in Clermont north of Orlando. Not an M-dot branded race but it fits your other criteria—very hilly hard bike course, lake swim and hilly run. International flights into Orlando, a few miles away.

14

Stop looking any further…

http://www.silvermannv.com/

15

the Great Floridian in Clermont north of Orlando. Not an M-dot branded race but it fits your other criteria—very hilly hard bike course, lake swim and hilly run. International flights into Orlando, a few miles away.
The highest pt in FL is only 345’. How hilly could it possibly be? Not saying a flat 112 is easy, though. I like the variety of having to few climbs to change up positions and stretch out a bit.

16

Stop looking any further…

http://www.silvermannv.com/

LOL…that doesn’t fit the bill of an easy swim. :slight_smile:

17

I’ve never done B2B, but the guys at Set-Up Events are awesome. The RD at Kinetic '08 really saved my bacon.

18

The highest pt in FL is only 345’. How hilly could it possibly be? Not saying a flat 112 is easy, though. I like the variety of having to few climbs to change up positions and stretch out a bit.

I’ve done IMLP twice, IMCAL once (before it was changed to 1/2IM), and Great Floridian twice. IMHO, GFT has the hardest bike course of the three. There are a few steep hills and there is a turn before every climb that sapps all your run-up speed :slight_smile: The run at GFT is not hilly, though (3 laps of the lake) but it can get very hot and humid. In 2006, the heat index was over 100F!

EDIT: Looks like they’ve changed the GFT bike course and it now heads up Sugarloaf Mt only once. It’s probably a bit easier than the course I did which was very nearly two identical loops.

19

LOL…that doesn’t fit the bill of an easy swim. :slight_smile:

Hey, it isn’t in the ocean!

I gotta second Silverman: the bike is hard/hilly, the support is phenomenal, great vibe… but last year was most definitely not warm!

20

I’d highly recommend IMAz.

  1. Tempe Town lake has very fast swim, not much wind or waves, fairly wide start and turns, water temps not too cold but still wetsuit legal, no jellyfish
  2. Bike course isn’t hilly, but still challenging and pretty course. The landscape in Arizona is much different than UK.
  3. Run course is flat. Several loops so family can watch you at different places.
  4. Easy to visit Grand Caynon after the race, and drive up through Flagstaff is beautiful.
  5. Easy to travel over to San Diego or LA after race.
  6. Post race travel is great because US Thanksgiving holiday week means less traffic on roads Thursday and tourist things still open.
  7. Weather in Arizona is warm, but not super hot like Louisville.
  8. Hotels in Tempe don’t price gouge.
  9. Plenty of good restaurants.
  10. Race organization.
  11. Phx airport pretty good and not too crowded.