We posed a question to the Total Intensity Coaches: What are your Top Five “Must-Do Triathlons?”
Each coach came up with their own lists, so it’s important to note that when we all created our lists, we didn’t know what the other coaches were going to pick as their top-fives. The only caveat to our rankings was to NOT include Ironman Hawaii – that one is a given, so we weren’t going to include the obvious.
The Honorable Mention events were in our first installment.
Here’s our coaches’ #4 ranked “must-do” triathlon…
Ironman Wisconsin
Jenni’s Take (Ranked #2)
Although the miles and miles of farmland on the bike course may not be the most scenic, this is a must-do Ironman for several reasons. IM “Moo” as it is affectionately known, showcases the hospitality of the Midwest people and is the most spectator-friendly IM in North America, if not on the entire IM circuit. If friendly people and LOADS of people cheering you on all over the course isn’t enough, how about running around the football stadium at University of Wisconsin or the Cow finisher’s shirt?!
The weather in Madison in early September is ideal for Ironman racing-not too hot and not too cold! The one loop swim allows for athletes to really get spread out. Be prepared for the long trek up to transition area, as you have ~1/2 mile run from the beach, UP the helix of the parking garage, and into the convention center. That’s right, you have an indoor changing area for this race! Despite the long haul just to get into T1, you’ll thrive off the energy of the crowds as the helix is lined several feet deep with people cheering you on to the next stage of the race. After you get changed, you run through transition area (parking garage) to the helix on the opposite end, where you’ll mount your bike and ride down and out onto the bike course.
The fun doesn’t end here. This course isn’t flat! This course has some technical sections and more hills than you might suspect for the Midwest, including a series of hills called the “Three Bitches”! Each one is a little more challenging than the one before it, but it will be lined with people cheering you on as you get out of the saddle and grind it up to the top. After a few more turns and hills, you’ll head into Verona where you are again met by throngs of people lining yet another climb. Think Tour de France style here! Their energy is just what you need to get you to the finish of the bike course. Once you get back into Madison, you have one final climb-UP the helix!
T2 and T1 are in the same building and after running back through transition, you go through downtown Madison where every street is lined with people cheering you on! You are never alone on this run course. You leave downtown Madison and start touring campus at University of Wisconsin, where you are cheered on by college students sitting on their front lawns, the band out practicing for game day, and oh yes, that tour of the football stadium. This is a 2-lap run course, so you’ll enjoy seeing everyone again and running along the water on the far edge of the course. As you finish this race, you go by the capital and you’ll enjoy a spectacular finisher’s photo with the capital in the background. The people are what make this race a must-do as well as my personal favorite Ironman race!
John’s Take (Ranked #4)
Dubbed “IronMoo”, Ironman Wisconsin has amazing support from the locals and the course will most definitely test even the best triathletes. Held in downtown Madison, home of the University of Wisconsin, you get a cool mix of country on the bike course and college town on the run.
The swim is in a lake only about a mile from the state capital building. Since the transition area is at the top of a parking garage in a convention center, going from the water to T1 includes running up a helix which is lined with cheering fans the whole way. Once out on the bike, you encounter plenty of hills and rare are any flat sections. You’re either climbing or descending. While you climb, however, you will be greeted by thousands of people over the entire bike course. Cowbells are ringing all day long. Ironman helps out by providing spectator transportation out to the halfway point in a small town called Verona. Definitely a huge plus.
The run course is a two loop course that runs through downtown and all over the University of Wisconsin campus, including running into Camp Randall, the Wisconsin football stadium, and making a loop around the field. The run has a mix of hills and flat sections, but is a very spectator friendly course. You are rarely alone on this course and the crowd really gives you the energy you need when you’re in the final miles. The final mile includes a run up and around the capital building and to the downhill finish surrounded by huge crowds and Mike Reilly crowning you as an Ironman!
Please leave your own comments below and let us know what your must-do races are!
