Your top 5 must do USA 1/2 IM races

Triathlon Forum
1

What do feel are the top 5 must do USA 1/2 IM races ? Why , course, support ,transition area,climate, location,food,etc.

2
  1. Florida 70.3 - love the course and the Disney venue
  2. Timberman - beautiful venue, race is very well run
  3. Steelhead - great venue, well run race
  4. St Croix - is in US Virgin Islands and not that hard to get to - what a beautiful challenging course
  5. Eagleman - classic - fast course
3

Little Smokies (Triple T) - SMall race, great support, hard course
.

4
  1. Rockman- Ran by a clown on a pink bike.
5
  1. Little Smokies or Race 4 Day 3 Triple-T - Best event I’ve raced,
  2. Wildflower - absolute classic, fantastic course
  3. Vineman 1/2 - another classic, beautiful location
  4. Big Kahuna - Low key race in a lovely location, perfect entry level triathlon.
  5. …

All have an incredible atmosphere that is unique to each race, you realy have to complete the entire Triple-T to experience the true magic of the little smokies course though :wink:

6
  1. Auburn/Worlds Toughest Half - Auburn, CA - Great venue, challenging course, very well organized and supported.
7
  1. Timberman
  2. Wildflower
  3. St Croix
  4. Eagleman
  5. Muncie
8

Vineman is great. I’d rank it much higher than Eagleman.

9

I’ll add the 1/2IM in Bend Oregon to the list, great location with a nice bike course. The Challenged Athletes 1/2IM in San Diego, very challenging course and inspirational to race with such awesome athletes. My friend is going to Monaco in a week to do the race there, it looks like a real tough one.

10
  1. Little Smokies (better yet, TripleT)
  2. Wildflower
  3. St. Croix
  4. Muncie Endurathon (oldest 1/2)
  5. Timberman
11

Since I have only raced 3 different HIM courses, I can at most give a top three. I will only give a top two.

  1. Timberman (raced 3X). Hands down the best. On par with IMLP. Okay not quite that good, but dollar for dollar it is probably equal (It only cost $150 last time I raced).

  2. Tupper Lake (raced 5X). Not super fancy, but truly a classic, having been held 25 times. At $125 it is a great deal. Always have enjoyed this race.

Eagleman (raced 2X). Do NOT do this race. It is the biggest ripoff, draftfest ever and the course is booooring. I raced it in '99 and '01. In '99 it cost $85 to enter the race and the field was limited to 1200 racers (still too crowded on that flat a course) and the pre-race dinner was free. This was worth it, but certainly nothing awesome about it. Now they are charging $225, they are taking around 1600 athletes, and they charge like $20 extra for the pre-race meal. I fail to see a single compelling reason to ever show up at this race again.

St. Croix is one race I would like do. Ditto for Musselman.

12

“Ditto for Musselman.”

that is my #1

i had a great time
my kids did to

Dirt

.