Relative Bike Difficulty - IM Canada (Whistler) vs. Lake Placid

Kerrie Freeborn

Contemplating a transfer from IMLP to IMC (Whistler) but wondering if there was anyone who had raced both who could offer an opinion as to the respective difficulty of the bike courses.  Read all of the race reports and course descriptions and compared the course elevation charts, but trying to work out some inconsistencies.  Thanks.

Kerrie

GMAN 19030

I haven't done Placid but I did Whistler last year. IMCabo, IMC, and IMLT built a quick reputation as the three hardest courses on the North American IM circuit last year. They took much of the difficulty out of Cabo which leaves Tahoe and Whistler as the two hardest bike courses. The course elevation chart on the IMC website is not accurate as everyone came out with total gain numbers well over 6,000' (both my 910 and 500 gave me numbers around 6,500'). So according to WTC, LP has more gain than Whistler but that's just not true.

GMAN 19030

Here is what the elevation chart for IMC really looks like.

Edwin Croucher

I don't think you can really compare two difficult courses well unless you have ridden them both. IMLP Shows over 4800 feet of climb in each loop. IMC lists 4213 feet of climb for the entire course. Either way, these are two very difficult courses. Both have challenging run courses as well. IMLP run course is a two loop course same as the bike portion. The run course really only has two hills on each loop. They are whoppers. IMC show a bunch of hills. Runtri lists IMLP as tougher than IMC, but the average finish times are only 12 minutes different. I think RnP have both said all Ironman courses are hard.  Good luck with your decision, either race will be great.

Paul Hough

Trirating.com also has IMLP as just a little harder than Whistler but the TTR rating is based on 9 runnings of IMLP to just 1 of Whistler. It generally takes several years of results to get a settled score. Lake Tahoe is currently listed as the hardest over St George and Wales, but if Tahoe gets decent weather next year, it is likely that Tahoe will lose that distinction.

Al Truscott

Posted By Paul Hough on 23 Feb 2014 11:35 AM


... Lake Tahoe is currently listed as the hardest over St George and Wales, but if Tahoe gets decent weather next year, it is likely that Tahoe will lose that distinction.

As a victim of that course, I think the weather had little or nothing to do with the "hardness" (meaning longer times?), except for transition times. My bike time there was more than 1.5 hrs longer than AZ two months later, and over an hour longer than CDA or Kona. If the temp had been 70F instead of 50 I don't think I would have gone any faster. Cold temps on the run won't slow you down; and the swim was pretty benign, smooth with water temp of 64.

If it had been run the day before, when it was snowing, now that would have been a disaster.

GMAN 19030

The thing to remember with Whistler and course ratings is last year's race was very top heavy due to the 100 Kona slots. I had a buddy who finished in 10:13 in the M40-44, which is wicked fast for a difficult course, and he came in 28th place in the AG.

Kerrie Freeborn

For most of my life, I lived in or less than 90 minutes from mountains equivalent to the hardest IM courses.  Then I moved a long drive or flight from any significant climb - and started triathlons only after moving away.  Wish I'd planned that better! 

Finished IMLP last year, but had a horrible time on bike because of a terrible non-EN training plan and because I was so concerned on race day about overdoing it that I took it way too easy.  Have already seen a tremendous difference with EN and now realize that I can actually race during an IM, so don't expect the same issue this year.  However, it is leading me to take a close look at IMC's bike course.  

John Bayone

Perhaps the real way to see the difference in the hard work that you have put in since July 2013, and will continue to put into your training this year is to return to Placid this year! See ya there.