Thanks to local triathletes, the Whirlpool Steelhead Triathlon (1/2 Iron-distance race) will have a new and improved bike course for 2005. Most of the course will stay the same, but we will use a road that has just been re-paved on the north end of the course. Instead of coming south on Blue Star Hwy., we will use a country road just east of the interstate.
You can check out the changes at our website at www.steelheadtriathlon.com. Ken Manti, John Brinker and our Bike Course Coordinator, Mike Jones came up with the new course.
Over 300 have signed up for the race and we will close it at 1,200. Hope to see you all in Benton Harbor, Michigan on August 6th. Z
Tom-- I’ve been thinking that the Whirlpool would be a fun thing to do. I’m doing WIS 5 weeks later. I know in previous posts that you have said that the Whirlpool comes at a perfect time before WIS for a tune-up. What about the course over all? Is it similar to WIS, i.e. will your race be a good tune-up in that respect?
Colin - I think that our bike course is a bit more easy then Wisconsin - We have some small hills, but nothing like Wisconsin. Our run course has one short steep hill and then gradual slow climbs. The swim is a one way swim in Lake Michigan with the current, so it will be a bit faster then the Wisconsin swim.
I’ll let Tom D or others on the forum answer your questions as they have done the race and I have only directed it! Hope to see you this summer. Z
Yes - you are correct - the “current” in Lake Michigan is determined by the wind and we will swim one way with the wind. Last year we went south to north and the swim started from the Pier. This is the typical “current” in the summer. If we do get a “north front” in the day of the race, we will swim from north to south. Either way- you will get a push during the 1.2 mile swim. Z