Decatur Lakeside Triathlon - July 12th 2008
Today I did the Lakeside Triathlon in Decatur and I was very impressed with the event. It was only the 2nd year for the event but it is a real hidden gem within an easy drive from the Peoria area. It has some big time sponsors who put up significant $$$$ that really made the whole thing first class. Since the race is in memory of Rodney Miller, a state police officer and triathlete that was killed while on duty, the amount of police presence was mind boggling. Every police agency from the area was there pitching in.
One of the nice aspects of this race is the distances are in between a sprint and Oly race. The swim was .70 miles, 19 mile bike, and 4.5 mile run. It is a real nice way to step up from a sprint but not have to make the big jump to an Oly distance.
The Venue:
A real nice setup right on Lake Decatur. Plenty of parking around a nice park.
Swim:
.70 miles in a big U swimming clockwise. Plenty of big buoys so sighting wasn't a problem. Huge carpets through the parking lot to make it easier on the bare feet. Waves weren't to big with a very wide starting area so everybody was able to spread out and not end up being a slug fest. Everybody got spread out very quickly at the start. Unbelievable number of safety people out on the swim course.
Bike:
19 miles out and back. Some hills in first 3 miles (and last 3). Most of the roads were in good shape except for about 2 miles of concrete that was very rough. The bumps and holes were marked with yellow paint and in a couple of spots it looked like the whole road was painted yellow! Once beyond that section, the blacktop was very smooth. There was a hill coming out of the transition area and you needed to make sure you had your bike was in the right gear before getting on the bike (just like Galena). I didn't see it but I heard a couple of people missed their gears and tipped over on the hill. I don't think you would want to try and have your shoes clipped to the pedals for this race.
Run:
4.5 miles on blacktop roads. Leaving T2, you run along the lake for a short out and back. Then you pass through the finish area and head up a hill to run on the bike course. Some flat areas but there are some hills that test you. The final hill before the finish was pretty challenging - then a nice long downhill finish.
Post Race:
Lots of food and drinks for participants. Results were posted very quickly. Plenty of food and drinks available for purchase by spectators.
Swag:
Tech t-shirt, finishers medal and awards are very nice.
Overall:
Definitely worth considering for 2009 if you want to step up from sprint distances. Plus it is a good tune up for Evergreen.