Which IM bike course has the toughest climbs? I’m looking for courses with the longest and steepest the climbs
Do those IM courses have a hard run with lots of hills, heat, gravel, or whatever obstacle that makes people finish the run at slower times?
No particular preference with respect to the swim.
http://rcmioga.blogspot.com/2008/07/im-course-elevation-data.html
Thanks Jack. That’s exactly what I was looking for: a list of the IM courses with the highest vertical elevation gain.
I wonder if there is an updated list showing the new IM courses like the new IM Canada in Whistler and the new IM Los Cabos
Tahoe, Nice, Whistler, Lanzarote should all be favourable. You don’t want courses with many short climbs with recovery…you want heavy guys climbing uphill for a long time with no chance to spike their power and recover. LP and Tremblant have climbing but none of the single climbs are long enough to rip things apart. Tpo much recovery after the climbs.
IMO; Lanzarote is not a course for climbers. There is Timanfaya (12-14´at 4 w/kg), Mirador de Haria (20´ at 3,8 w/kg) and then Mirador del Rio (15´with rests). There are 3 technical descents, and the other 140 kms are for stronger guys (50-60 kms/h with tailwind and 25 kms/h with front wind)
(IM LZ 2002 11h37, 2008 (9h48), 2012 (9h21) and 2014 (9h28) finisher. 6 ft and 177 pounds
Wales is one of the ‘New’ course not in this list - probably coming in at 3rd.
Tahoe
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http://rcmioga.blogspot.com/2008/07/im-course-elevation-data.html
Great information. Rcimioga notes the huge variance in elevation data online, which I also find interesting. Also pretty incredible how much elevation gain there is in Austria with it being such a fast course.
GPS just isn’t a great way to get elevation data, and many people’s head units only use GPS.
Altimeters have their own problems too.
IM France?
Embrunman: you climb col de l’Isoard. Not a WTC race, Iron distance (3.8/186/42.2k)
Triathlon de l’Alpe d’huez: you climb 2 cols + l’Alpe d’huez, not a WTC race and not an Iron distance (2.2/115/22k))
Not Ironman branded or length (just less than 100 miles, so in between a 70 and 140) but the Inferno in Switzerland is a brutal race and probably harder than any Ironman (BTW, that elevation is metres…and the green bit is mountain biking cos a road bike won’t make it (the red bit)). Yes, the ‘run’ (yellow) will slow people down (gravel, rocks, maybe even some snow). Never done this race but it is a bucket list one for me…18044 ft of elevation gain in 96.4 miles (actually in 94.5 miles (minus the swim)).
Embrunman: you climb col de l’Isoard. Not a WTC race, Iron distance (3.8/186/42.2k)
Triathlon de l’Alpe d’huez: you climb 2 cols + l’Alpe d’huez, not a WTC race and not an Iron distance (2.2/115/22k))
Embrunman must be the best one for climbers. It might not mean much but a friend of mine won his AG at IM France and DNF’ed at Embrunman. Said it was relentless.
Not Ironman branded or length (just less than 100 miles, so in between a 70 and 140) but the Inferno in Switzerland is a brutal race and probably harder than any Ironman (BTW, that elevation is metres…and the green bit is mountain biking cos a road bike won’t make it (the red bit)). Yes, the ‘run’ (yellow) will slow people down (gravel, rocks, maybe even some snow). Never done this race but it is a bucket list one for me…18044 ft of elevation gain in 96.4 miles (actually in 94.5 miles (minus the swim)).
The swim might be flat but at least it’s not downhill like in Chattanooga!
For a HIM course to warm up on, the Desert Half in Osooyos BC is pretty much all up or down. Although, I don’t know if that is still being held. The run and swim are flat though. But the bike used Richter’s Pass (from the old IMC route), over the top, down the other side, then turn around and head back up again.
For the first time this year there will be a triathlon at Mont Ventoux.
http://www.ventouxman.com/
Bike leg includes the Crillon-le-brave ascent (1.3 km at 12%) as a warm-up for the Mont Ventoux from Bedouin (21.4 km at 7.6% average).
Run and swim are flat.
For a middle of the pack rider, would a road bike be a better option on one of these hillier courses than a tri bike.
Tahoe.
This. Climbing Brockway, it was 9 miles at 5% gradient, as I recall. We were climbing at 5 mph, so that’s a solid hour up that hill. Not to mention the divert into Martis Camp (which is not on next year’s course). Then go around again.
Tahoe.
This. Climbing Brockway, it was 9 miles at 5% gradient, as I recall. We were climbing at 5 mph, so that’s a solid hour up that hill. Not to mention the divert into Martis Camp (which is not on next year’s course). Then go around again.
Wouldn’t 9 miles at 5mph be closer to 2 hours (since it would take 1:48) than 1 hour?
Tahoe.
This. Climbing Brockway, it was 9 miles at 5% gradient, as I recall. We were climbing at 5 mph, so that’s a solid hour up that hill. Not to mention the divert into Martis Camp (which is not on next year’s course). Then go around again.
Brockway was 3 miles long and 1000ft gained. Same as the Martis climb right before it.
So you climbed 1000 ft over 3 miles to the top of Northstar, descended 1000 ft, then did it again immediately. Then again the second time around the loop.
Brutal.
But the new bike course cuts out the first big climb