Named after the Hawaiian word for green sea turtle, the Ironman 70.3 Hawaii
is one of the most beautiful races that the Ironman brand has to offer.
It was my first triathlon, and the race that hooked me into the sport.
I
will try to capture as many parts of it as I can, so that you can learn
something perhaps you didn‚’t know before!
Travel to the Big Island
There are two airports to fly into on the Big Island (aka Hawai‚’i).
The
closest one to the race venue is Kona International Airport (KOA).
From
there, it is about a 45 min drive (usually with no traffic), to the
Fairmont Orchid (where the pre-race festivities take place).
PRO TIP: When in Kona, stop by Walmart, Costco, or Longs before heading to your
hotel, so you can load up on your essentials (water, sun screen, snacks,
post race drinks).
Otherwise you end up paying resort prices for everything
once you are in that area.
You might even want to stop somewhere to get
food if it is meal time.
If you are not as serious a racer, or don‚’t want to ship your bike for the
race, I recommend renting your bike from Bike Works in Kona.
That is THE bike shop for all your race needs, and bike rentals.
In 2017 I rented a road disc bike for $140 for the race weekend, and in
2018 I put my bike together in their parking lot, almost broke it, and they
helped me before I over torqued my stem!
Bike Works is also a great place to get CO2 cartridges, because you can
return them for store credit if you don‚’t use them! Make sure you also put
in your request for rental as early as possible.
If they run out of
rentals, they will even put you on a wait list!
Accommodations
In both 2017 and 2018 we chose to stay at the Westin Hapuna Beach Resort
(formerly known as the Hapuna Beach Prince Hotel).
Personally I love making
race morning as easy as possible.
The Westin hotel is only a 10-15 min walk
from the room to the race start, so there is no waiting or shuttles to deal
with.
Westin Hapuna Beach Room
Westin Hapuna Beach Bath
The hotel itself just went under a renovation, and the pools are great for
post race relaxing!
You can even walk (ride) your bike to T-1 the day before the race, through
a side road, and avoid the traffic of the other racers!
There aren‚’t many Airbnbs near the race start or finish, but there is a
dirt parking lot at the Fairmont Orchid and shuttles to the start for
racers/spectators.
The Fairmont Orchid is a very nice hotel, and is very
convenient post race, but I prefer the post race bike ride back to the
hotel instead.
Pre-Race Festivities
The pre-race environment for Ironman events are always full of fun and
energy.
Many racers get caught up in the atmosphere, visiting all the vendors,
walking around a lot, sightseeing, over training, etc.
This venue is no
different, but the actual pre-race areas are relatively small.
However, you
end up walking more than you would expect so don‚’t waste steps.
The pre-race brief is usually crowded, and held in a very large ballroom
(so it‚’s AC!).
There are sign-in sheets at the front, so it is technically
honor system, but your signature needs to be down there.
The brief is about an hour long (standard), and does a good job covering
the main points and scaring people into not drafting.
Next door to that is the bike shop and merchandise store, again in a
ballroom, and also AC.
That place can get very crowded, so don‚’t go before
or after the athlete briefing if you can help it.
Next door to that is the athlete check in, which is again in a ballroom,
and takes roughly 5-10 minutes.
At athlete check in, you receive a draw string bag, filled with a schedule,
swim cap, tri-tat race number, bike stickers, a T-1 bag and a T-2 bag.
You
will need to leave your T-2 bag at the Fairmont Orchid the day before the
race (location for drop changed each year).
I think they leave it in the
sun, so keep that in mind for nutrition.
PSA: If you do what is recommended and put on the tri-tat the night before, you
will be in pain if you sleep shirtless and the tat gets stuck to the
sheets.
Trust me.
Morning of the race is fine.
I recommend doing the Friday 10:45 AM Athlete check-in, 11 AM Race Brief,
12 PM T-2 bag drop, and then rushing over to the Hapuna Beach State Park
for the 1 PM T-1 bike drop.
There are no shuttles to T-1, so many racers just ride over (5-6 miles) and
then get picked up.
Kama‚’aina can park free with I.D., otherwise it‚’s $5 I
think.
If you do this plan, MAKE sure you have everything you need for your T-2 bag before you get to the
expo! The T-1 area always opens at least 30 min early, and rack location is
first come first serve.
So don‚’t wait until 5pm!
After all the pre-race stuff, it is time to prep everything for the next
morning, eat some food, and relax.
Race Morning
I usually get up about 3-4 hrs before the race, or 1.5 hrs before I need to
leave my room.
This gives me enough time to eat, drink and empty in my own
privacy.
Being able to walk to the start from the hotel is super awesome
because I get to sleep in a little!
T-1 opens around 5 am, and I try get there around 5:30 am.
If you go too
early, you do a lot of sitting around and anxiously waiting.
At T-1, there are tons of bike pumps, people giving body marking, and
sunscreen.
Music is blaring and there is a lot of open space to swim, run,
or hang out with loved ones.
Don‚’t forget all your bike nutrition/water and T-1 bag (helmet, bikes
shoes, batteries, computers, etc.) Also make sure you adjust your gearing
for that first big hill and pump up those tires!
Race Start/Swim
The swim start is a rolling, self seeded AG start, and usually it is a 4
person send off every 5 seconds.
I‚’ve never done a true mass start, but I
hear they are not fun…so I am a fan of this type of start.
Spectators at swim start
The swim is breathtaking.
The water is clear about 20-30 feet deep, and
often times you can see honu! My goggles fogged the first year, and I was
too busy swimming to notice myself, but from what I heard there are fish as
well.
The last two years were the same, with three right hand turns and a final
left hand turn.
The sky is pretty lit by the time the swim starts, but not
visible until 15 min after swim start.
However, it isn‚’t really ever in
your eyes, at least when my AG is in the water (usually 4-5 group).
PRO TIP: Don‚’t hit the swim buoys! I have a bad left shoulder, and ended up
swimming too close to a buoy on the third turn.
It hit my face, stopped me
still, and my left shoulder ended up dislocating when I started my stroke.
It popped back in after, but it hurt for the rest of the swim.
Aaron 0 –
Buoy 1.
T-1 Area
The run up to T-1 is sand, then concrete with carpet over it.
There are
some water hoses for the sand.
Once you pass that area, the bags are along the path in numerical order
(where you placed it).
The bike racks are categorized by famous
triathletes, something I think is pretty cool.
It makes it easy to
remember, and also pays homage to their hard work.
Once you get past the mount line, there are volunteers there to help you
get on your bike, as it is a steep incline in the first 1/2 mile.
Remember to choose the right gear before you rack your bike one last time!
Bike
There is nothing like biking on the famous Queen Ka‚’ahumanu Highway in a
race (unless you have already done it at THE IRONMAN).
The history of the
course can give you chills, except it is too hot for that.
The bike course is fairly straight forward, except for two U-turns (make
sure to practice those).
The rest of the course isn‚’t technically
challenging, but it is physically taxing with the heat, cross winds, and
rolling hills (about 3,500 ft climbing).
The Hawi climb of 5 miles isn‚’t that bad if you are smart about your
pacing, or have a 30/32 cassette.
I have an 11-32 and didn‚’t run out of
gears up that climb.
The year before I had a 11-28 and was a new rider, so it sucked but was far
from impossible.
It did rain a little both years on that climb.
Remember,
what goes up must come down, so look forward to that.
I also struggle with the U-turn at Hawi, so make sure you are ready for a
tight one, after a climb.
I almost fell both years, of course I ride
indoors 99% of the time.
The aid stations are every 8-10 miles, and are pretty long and well marked.
One sneaky hard part is the turn from Kawaihae back to the Queen K.
I hit
my fastest speeds going down that hill, but that means coming up is not
very fun.
I just never expected it to be hard, but I did run out of gearing
there both years and had to push power harder than I wanted.
Again, not the
end of the world, but a segment that can sneak up on you.
The rest of the
rollers are the same ones you already rode, so nothing else to say until
the Fairmont no pass zone and T-2.
PRO TIP: Make sure you are paying attention at all times on the bike.
That goes
without saying at all times, but with the distraction of the beautiful
ocean to your right (or left), and the cross winds, all it takes is one
mistake to fall down a massive hill.
I got distracted for a second and
almost ran into a guardrail which would have probably ended my life…luckily
God was watching and I have since learned my lesson.
Enjoy the ride, but
never get distracted!
T-2
In this race, you must dismount and rack your own bike.
I have twice been
confused as to where my bike was supposed to be and luckily got help from
family to point me in the right direction.
It never crossed my mind to find my spot the day before, but I think you
technically could do that since it is set up (might be next to T-2 bag drop
area if they keep it the same as 2018).
Then you are handed your T-2 bag by volunteers, enter a small changing tent
or just sit in the available chairs, and then leave your bag and start
running.
I think there is water right out of T-2, followed by several aid
stations along the course.
Run
In my opinion, the hardest part of this run course is the rolling hills of
the golf course, not ‚Äö√Ñ√∫Hell‚’s Kitchen‚Äö√Ñ√π as they say.
It is hot and humid
everywhere, and the concrete golf cart paths that go up and down sharply,
followed by soft grass, makes it hard to find a running rhythm.
It is not meant to be a fast run course, but if you are fast then it
doesn‚’t matter where you run.
PRO TIP: Look out for all the goats! I counted 40+ last race, but that also means
goat poop.
But still fun to see them grazing the golf course.
Finish Line and Finish Area
There is nothing like the red carpet of an Ironman event.
However, in
Hawaii, there is no red carpet, but rather grass and a local floral
arrangement arch.
I prefer the red carpet finish, but that is a personal
thing.
The athletes are given three tickets for booze or water, and a meal ticket
for some burgers and such.
Nothing fancy, but better than nothing? I never
eat after races because I am never hungry, but people seem to enjoy
themselves.
There are also some massage areas, and the cool waters of Hawaii just
begging for you to jump in.
I love that feeling (after my Redbull of
course), but be careful not to cut your soft feet on the reef.
I did that
and didn‚’t realize til a few hours later when it started hurting.
The awards are held a few hours after the race, about 4pm, followed by the
roll down.
This is one of the very few 70.3 races with slots to both Kona
and 70.3 WC, but everyone who wins their AG most likely will take the Kona
slot.
The 70.3 WC South Africa slot did get passed up in many age groups to
who ever wanted it.
I was 9th and missed it by one spot! So you never know!
There are no shuttles back to the race start, only to the parking lot from
the hotel (same one used pre-race).
Bikes aren‚’t allowed back on the buses,
so I ended up just riding back to the hotel, picked up the car, and then
picked up Janell at the hotel.
Final Thoughts
This race is highly recommended, and can turn into a great family vacation.
I even met a guy from Europe who convinced his wife that this race was a
good honeymoon idea‚Äö√Ѭ∂she enjoyed a spa day while he raced (don‚’t get any
ideas Janell!).
If you are a healthier eater, I highly recommend Under the Bodhi Tree at
the Shops at Mauna Lani near the Fairmont Orchid.
They even have race week
specials for athletes!
That just about covers it.
If you have any other questions or things I
missed, feel free to comment! Hope you were able to learn something to help
you PR your next Ironman 70.3 Honu!
By Aaron