Which IM70.3 or similar in Europe or east of the USA would you reccomend?
I have been doing sprints and OD for a couple years. Smaller local races. Recently i was looking at some impression movies of IM70.3 races in different countries. It would seem really cool to me to be able to do do one of those races in a beautifull area, but i always thought those would not be an option for me (time, training, money, family etc…). However i was thinking out loud and my wife replied. She answered that if that’s really something i would like to do, we could turn it into a family vacation for a week or so and she’d support me. We talked about it a bit more. We have a 2,5 year old daughter. She’ll be starting school in september 2020 so it would be ideal to do this vacation/race before then. When she starts school, options will be limited to school vacations.
Some criteria and thoughts:
well organised, larger event, in a beautifull area.
need to be able to drive there or fly without layovers (I live near Amsterdam) so that would probably mean europe and eastern USA.
country where there’s no need for medicin (like malaria meds) or vaccinations due to traveling with small child.
ideally race should be somewhere in june-august 2020. (Earlyer races possible but outdoor cycling training starts march-april and i have noticed my cycling really improves march-july)
extreme heat or cold not nessecarily a deal breaker but might be extra challenging, i am used to a moderate climate.
don’t mind swimming in lake, river or ocean (min temp 14°C)
don’t mind riding either flat or uphill, would probably avoid really huge climbs. (uphill is a bit more difficult to train, area where i live is completely flat)
family has to be able to wath the race (they are my biggest and only fans) i am not a podium contender. Last sprint i did i was #18 out of 90 in my category (men age 40-50).
Definitely a flat one in mild weather. My first was Buffalo Springs in Lubbock, Texas and it was way too hard for me as a beginner at that distance. I thought they were all like that until I did a flatter one in nice conditions and realized these can be fun instead of a torture festival. Do easier ones first, then work your way up to the harder ones.
IM 70.3 Maine was a great race. Well organized. Great post race meal of lobster. The town is ok. The beach was nice, but the town was now really “Maineâ€. It was more like a jersey shore town. It’s at the end of August.
The course is beautiful. The swim is normally chilly, but last year I did it in a sleeveless wetsuit with no issue. The water is amazing.
The bike course goes through some pretty scenic spots. Most rolling through farm land.
The run was fine. Its two loops, some road, and some on a nice trail.
No idea if you fly direct to Portland (20 min drive away) or if you would have to go to Boston which isn’t too far. Maybe a couple hours.
Mont-Tremblant seems to fill all the boxes… besides the small hill at the end. KLM has a daily nonstop flight into Montreal, you’ll have to rent a car to drive from the airport to the venue.
Mont-Tremblant seems to fill all the boxes… besides the small hill at the end. KLM has a daily nonstop flight into Montreal, you’ll have to rent a car to drive from the airport to the venue.
I’ll second Tremblant. I’ve raced there 4 times -
2 at 70.3 distance and 2 at 140.6 distance. The venue is awesome and there are a lot of things for family and kids to do. The course is great - lake swim, rolling bike course with good roads, and a relatively flat run course (except for first and last quarter of run) with good shade.
Thank you guys for your suggestions so far. It’s much appreciated.
Definitely a flat one in mild weather. ~ I thought they were all like that until I did a flatter one in nice conditions and realized these can be fun instead of a torture festival.
Thanks for your advice. I’ll keep that in mind.
IM 70.3 Maine was a great race. Well organized. Great post race meal of lobster. The town is ok. The beach was nice, but the town was now really “Maineâ€. It was more like a jersey shore town. It’s at the end of August…
Thank you for this suggestion. I will add this one to my list to check out. I have no idea what a Jersey shore town is like but i think i get what you mean.
Mont-Tremblant seems to fill all the boxes… besides the small hill at the end. KLM has a daily nonstop flight into Montreal, you’ll have to rent a car to drive from the airport to the venue.
Small hills won’t be any problem. I haven’t ever been to Canada, so that is a plus. Added to the list.
If you want something truly memorable, what about Alp D’Huez Tri at the end of July?
Yes, the hill training may be problematic for you but you do have 14 months. Distances are 2.2km/118km/20km.
Sounds epic. I rode up to Alp d’Huez 5 times in a row back in 2014 when i was only cycling. An event to raise money for cancer research. I didn’t have a kid back then and often drove to belgium to train uphill. Now i’m more obligated to manage my time.
Hey, another to consider would be Zell am See in August - absolutely beautiful, accessible and a resort area. I have done this and Mont T several times and they are very similar. If you need August I would head to Zell. The route is great for spectating and the weather is usually ideal. Logistics are pretty easy - fly into Vienna and drive 2.5 hours. We did it when our son was 2 with no issues. Highly recommend it!
And since it is Austria it is run with German efficiency but still friendly!
Slightly smaller then a typical IM , but on our list of todos is Barrelman @ Niagara falls.
Nice place for the fam, not a hilly course. Temperate (niagara) , and mid september
Slightly smaller then a typical IM , but on our list of todos is Barrelman @ Niagara falls.
Nice place for the fam, not a hilly course. Temperate (niagara) , and mid september
Yes! I’m Dutch but live in Ontario now - Barrelman would be perfect for somebody training in Holland. The bike is almost Flevoland flat (but can be windy), and the run is very scenic and takes you past the falls. I understand you’re not looking for a top result on the score sheet, but Barrelman makes it easy for you to get your best possible result.
You are putting a lot into this one race. I would make certain it has a very low (like zero) chance of having your swim cancelled on you. Last thing you want is a duathlon after all this planning you and your family are putting into it.
Lake swim less likely to cancel than ocean
Pollution can cancel both
Marine life can cancel an ocean swim
Cold weather more likely to cancel lake/river swim
River currents not cooperating have cancelled swims.
IM Greece 70.3. You can’t beat that vacation spot. The race course and accommodations are on a 5-star resort. The bike course is a little hilly but not killer. Zwift can really help you build hills when you live in flat terrain. There are a few small hills on the run - nothing brutal. The race views are excellent. The locals are really into the race. Drop your bike off at Athens International for cheap bike storage and go island hopping… Santorini, Crete, Milos.
I have raced all over the U.S. and have done the race+vacation for years. My favorites are on the west coast - Santa Cruz, Oceanside, Santa Rosa, Boulder, Arizona. Don’t go to Texas - just hot, humid and nothing to see there. Florida race sites have been disappointing too. East coast races are more about the small towns they are in.
I’d vote Indian Wells 70.3 in Palm Springs, California, or St. George 70.3 in St. George, Utah. Both races are very beautiful and the surrounding areas are within a short drive of great cities such as Los Angeles, San Diego, and Las Vegas.
The swims are going to be colder for both and the bike at St. George will be hilly but manageable.