Got an e-mail this morning from the race director of the Iron Horse Triathlon saying that this year’s race is cancelled. How sad. This was to be the 25th anniversary of a great event and I’ll miss it this year. This was a USAT-sanctioned 1.5/45/10 race held every Father’s Day in Springfield, IL and this would have been my 4th race there. It was very well run and organized, well-officiated and a great venue. The race director, Paul McDevitt went above and beyond to make this a top-notch event, and it showed. The stated reason for this year’s cancellation was low turnout - likely due to the introduction of several new races here in the midwest that are unfortunately on the same weekend. While it’s certainly a good thing that the sport is growing to such an extent that several new races have been introduced to accomodate that growth, it’s unfortunate that a great event such as Iron Horse has to fall by the wayside. I can only hope that there will be enough demand for the return of this quality event that it will be resurrected next year - if so, I’ll be there.
Sorry to hear the race was cancelled. We had the same issue arise in Texas this year with the calcellation of the Sriders/Strutters Duathlon. Race had been ongoing for 12 years and was cancelled for lack of participants. Used to draw couple of hundred between the long and short courses. Was our favorite race as we made a weekend out of the trip and was always well run by Jack Weiss.
Are we talking about the same event?
I did the race years ago(96,98) I believe. I thought the water for the swim was like sewage, (the female participants all emerged with brown beards) and they allowed wetsuits even though the water tempature was about 98 degrees A friend of mine actually removed his wetsuit mid swim because he was overheating so badly. The aid stations on the run were manned by locals and one friendly guy was handing out water scooped out of an old metal trough. Since it was about 110 on the run with no shade I took a cup. It tasted like warm bile and later I got a call for the National Center for Disease control telling me that I may have Leptospirosous from swimming in that lake or from some of the drinking water on the course and to go see my doctor immediately.
I cant imagine why turnout is down?
Ironhorse was a quality event put on by a quality guy. The bike was safe, non-congested, and drafting was not tolerated. (Not too many races like that now.) The run was always hot (on the old course) but that was part of the fun and challenge. I missed the year they had bacteria problems with the lake but they were very cautious after that. I don’t remember the lake ever being anywhere close to 98 degrees and sewage-like (are you thinking of Leon’s in Hammond IN?). I do remember it being a non-wetsuit swim a couple of times. In any case, it was a great race for many years. The DeBooms used to win it all the time when they lived in Iowa, and tri-pro Lauren Jensen won it on the women’s side for years. Ironhorse’s only problem was that it got squeezed out by other races. This year there are four other races on the same day that drew the Chicago and St. Louis crowds away.
Yeah, I heard about the Leptospirosis incident - that was before I started doing tri. Believe me, things have changed since then - I’ve done it 4 times and never experienced any of the things you mentioned. Sorry you have such negative memories - it’s been a great event the last 4 years. Iron Horse was my first tri 4 years ago, and they didn’t allow wetsuits that year due to warm water temps. They’re super-anal about water quality testing (as you might imagine following the previously-mentioned unpleasantness), and as far as I know, there haven’t been any issues since. The volunteers have been great in my experience - no cups of hot swill for me. They’ve always actively solicited input following the race, and it seems to me that they’ve implemented the recommendations they’ve received. If it goes off next year, give it another try - I think you’ll like the changes.
Glad to hear they made changes. It was pretty funny watching the women run to their bikes with full beards though! I guess the slime in the water clings to the fine hairs on womes faces.
You know there’s a person behind that race. The guy pours his heart and soul into a race for years and the only thing you can talk about is non-pristine water. Have some heart.
I know that. We actually paid to be in the expo to support the event, twice. I flew out from CT on both occasions to work the expo and do the race. If someone has a problem with a Spinergy wheel I expect to hear about it and always do. I wouldnt expect anyone to say “Paul pours his heart and sole into those wheels so stop complaining about the problems”. Spinergy wheels are my company’s product and the race was his. As a consumer of that product I have every right to voice my opinion about problems.( I think contaminated water is a problem). It was not an unknow problem either. From what I have heard and read the town of Springfield had an ongoing lawsuit against a local developer who had problems with septic systems leeching into the lake. If the promoter has any inkling of a problem( brown muck on competitors faces should raise a flag ) he has the responsibility to thoroughly test the water. I doubt that was done since after the outbreak of Lepto, the tests were done and the lake was closed to swimmers and boaters. I applaud anyone who puts on a race. It seems like one of the toughest jobs out there. But dont tell me to “have some heart” when for a few days in 1998, I was running around to doctors, at my own expense making sure I didnt have a life threatening disease because someone assumed the water was O.K.
I agree with everything you say. Personally, at the passing of this race, I think this is a good time to recall the good things about the race (kind of like a funeral). You don’t feel that way - and that’s ok. Maybe I would feel different about the race if I, too, had my health adversely affected by the lake water quality.