IM has added a 70.3 to IM Tahoe

[mrs.jacinthe]

The 25th event in the IRONMAN 70.3 U.S. Series will take place on the same day as IRONMAN Lake Tahoe.

North Lake Tahoe has been selected to host the 25th race in the IRONMAN 70.3 U.S. Series: the inaugural IRONMAN 70.3 Lake Tahoe, to take place on Sunday, September 21, 2014, coinciding with IRONMAN Lake Tahoe.

Racing IRONMAN and IRONMAN 70.3 races on the same day in the same venue has been well received by athletes in Asia-Pacific. For 2014, IRONMAN will pilot this program in North America at IRONMAN Lake Tahoe by adding IRONMAN 70.3 Lake Tahoe.

"As IRONMAN expands globally, there is an increased desire for athletes from all regions to have similar opportunities," said Steve Meckfessel, Managing Director of Global Race Operations for IRONMAN. "Lake Tahoe is the perfect venue for this program as it allows athletes with different fitness levels and goals to experience everything Lake Tahoe and the surrounding region has to offer."

IRONMAN 70.3 Lake Tahoe leads athletes through a 1.2-mile swim, 56-mile bike and 13.1-mile run on the same terrain as IRONMAN Lake Tahoe. The race will start with a single loop 1.2-mile swim in the pristine waters of North Lake Tahoe at King’s Beach. Athletes will enjoy a lakeside transition before starting a one-loop 56-mile bike course that will travel through Tahoe City before following the Truckee River past Squaw Valley and into the town of Truckee. From there, the course turns south past Northstar and climbs to Brockway Summit. Athletes will complete the bike course at Squaw Valley, home to the 1960 Winter Olympics. Runners will proceed back up the Truckee River bike path and be treated to a relatively flat course before finishing along the cobbled corridors of the Village at Squaw Valley.

"We are pleased to expand our relationship with IRONMAN with the inclusion of IRONMAN 70.3 Lake Tahoe," said Andy Chapman, Chief Marketing Officer for the North Lake Tahoe Chamber/CVB/Resort Association. "The opportunity to showcase our region as a world-class endurance venue to athletes from around the globe fits perfectly with our human powered sports initiative. Last year’s inaugural IRONMAN Lake Tahoe was an epic experience and we look forward to welcoming both IRONMAN Lake Tahoe and IRONMAN 70.3 Lake Tahoe athletes this fall." Mr. Chapman highly recommends athletes book accommodations soon after registering for the event due to many properties filling up quickly.

At the same time IRONMAN is also announcing a revised bike course for IRONMAN Lake Tahoe. "Athletes want to train on the entire bike course. By replacing the section of the course which went through a private development, with an exciting new section in Northstar, athletes now have the option to preview the entire bike course prior to race day," said Keats McGonigal, Operations Manager for IRONMAN. Updated course maps can be found at Ironman.com/laketahoe

IRONMAN 70.3 Lake Tahoe will offer 30 age group slots to the 2015 IRONMAN 70.3 World Championship taking place on August 30, 2015 in Zell am See-Kaprun, SalzburgerLand, Austria. General registration for IRONMAN 70.3 Lake Tahoe opens on Monday, April 28 at noon EST and will be available at Ironman.com/laketahoe70.3.





Originally from: www.ironman.com/triathlon/news/articles/2014/04/ironman-announces-lake-tahoe-70.3.aspx#ixzz2zYOesRv5

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Do you guys think they're using Tahoe as a test race for the same-day format because a lot of people said the course was too hard for a full IM?  This would go hand in hand with the above announcement that they're changing the bike course, which was (I think) the biggest area of complaint last year. 

[kams]

I am so in for this for 2015!! This makes me so excited!

I don't know if it is confirmed or not, but I think St George was changed to a 70.3 for similar reasons to those that you stated, so I wouldn't be necessarily surprised if that were the case. I don't know enough to really speculate. I DO love Tahoe though!!!

[mrs.jacinthe]

Apr 21, 2014 15:25:21 GMT -5 kams said:

I am so in for this for 2015!! This makes me so excited!

I don't know if it is confirmed or not, but I think St George was changed to a 70.3 for similar reasons to those that you stated, so I wouldn't be necessarily surprised if that were the case. I don't know enough to really speculate. I DO love Tahoe though!!!

Squee!  Let me know if you need crew help!

I'm curious to see how this rolls out.  Will the full athletes be irritated by half athletes on the same course, do you think?  I'll be volunteering again this year (likely in the water) and it will be interesting, to say the least.

[kams]

Yay!!! I will (of course) let you know if I'm coming that way!

HITS does sprint, Oly, 70.3, and iron distance (plus aqua bike, etc) on the same course/same day - I've only heard good things. I think it all depends on how much volume a course can handle. I don't know that full would necessarily be annoyed with halfers, unless the course is just too crowded, which would be the fault of Ironman. I know they love to make a buck, but I'm sure they will put a reasonable max on it. I'd guess the start times might be different, too.

[chw57]

Apr 21, 2014 15:25:21 GMT -5 kams said:

I am so in for this for 2015!! This makes me so excited!

I don't know if it is confirmed or not, but I think St George was changed to a 70.3 for similar reasons to those that you stated, so I wouldn't be necessarily surprised if that were the case. I don't know enough to really speculate. I DO love Tahoe though!!!

Race twins AGAIN! I really want to do it in 2015, too!

[kams]

Apr 21, 2014 20:37:38 GMT -5 chw57 said:

Apr 21, 2014 15:25:21 GMT -5 kams said:

I am so in for this for 2015!! This makes me so excited!

I don't know if it is confirmed or not, but I think St George was changed to a 70.3 for similar reasons to those that you stated, so I wouldn't be necessarily surprised if that were the case. I don't know enough to really speculate. I DO love Tahoe though!!!

Race twins AGAIN! I really want to do it in 2015, too!

It could be our mommas-of-two comeback!

[joenali]

Ironman Whistler 2015!!! Anybody?

Bueller? Bueller?

[shauni27]

y'all are CRAZY! The idea of biking some of those inclines (I used to live at Northstar for 3 years) makes me cringe...I don't even like driving my car up some of them (or down!)