Ford Ironman Florida
Panama City, FL
Official Website : http://ironman.com/events/ironman/florida
Date : November 7, 2009
Race Type : Triathlon and Multisport
Race Distance : Ironman 2.4 mi. swim, 112 mi. bike, 26.2 mi. run
Race Description: Since it comes just weeks after the Ironman Triathlon World Championship in Hawaii, one would think that Ford Ironman Florida would offer a relatively easy opportunity to qualify for the next year's "big show" in Kona. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth. Ford Ironman Florida is typically one of the most competitive age-group races of the year. Add to that an impressive pro field, and you have the makings for one very exciting event!
The swim takes place in the Gulf of Mexico. The water is warm enough for a comfortable swim, but cool enough to allow wetsuits -- every triathletes dream.
The flat and fast bike course offers a perfect opportunity for a big-time personal best. The run passes through one of America's most popular state parks.
Just as it is on the bike, the Ironman Florida run course is flat, and, in theory, fast. The run starts with a mile along the beachfront before winding its way through a series of residential neighborhoods. During this part of the course, the athletes enjoy almost non-stop support as people wait outside their houses to greet them.
2 Reviews for Ford Ironman Florida
Great overall race in 2008. Swim was calm with a beautiful sunrise and the sandbar at the 50yd mark gives you a second chance to put your goggles on in the event that you forget at the start (why are my eyes stinging?). The bike is very flat though a bit more of a headwind on the first half of the bike than 2007. Lots of drafting going on but there seemed to be an equal number of penalty cards flashed - not at me of course. The run is long (well, it is an IronMan) but boring. Back streets through neighborhoods and a lonely park run on the 2-loop course could be better. v
This race meets its reputation - it is a flat race that was good for a first time ironman like me. But gosh, it is not pretty, nor exciting... I would be hard pressed to do it again.
I gave it 4 stars for difficulty because it was my first IM, and since it is an IM, it should be "difficult". But I could definitely see other IM-distance races being much more challenging. IMFL was pancake flat on both the ride and the run, the water was WARM and beautiful (which was almost a distraction since it was so clear). Only downside was a miserable head-wind for much of the bike ride (it felt like it was both directions of the out-and-back)
Panama City is also not a place I would like to visit again. Condos were nice and relatively cheap, but the food was underwhelming, and for people like me who had family in tow, there wasn't much for them to do whilst waiting for us to finish the race.
The race was very well supported, with tons of volunteers. AND the run course had people for 2-3 miles around the start/finish, which was great since there were two laps, which meant that almost 12 miles of the race had loads of fans cheering you on (and boy were they drunk!).
It was a good first timers race, especially if you are skittish about IM-distance, but in retrospect, I probably would have preferred a different (and more scenic) course.