Anyone doing the Vitoria-Gasteiz Challenge Family Tri?

Slowly trying to shrug the guts for my upcoming first IM distance Tri in Vitoria (Basque Country, Spain).  It is a first time event, but it looks beaut.  Just keen to put out the feelers for any Pirates who are participating or any other first timers looking to give it a crack.  Cheers!

Comments

  • slimshadyslimshady ✭✭✭

    Not doing it Cal but will look forward to your race report with interest as it looks a great event and one I would like to do in the future.

     

  • Cheers Slim.  Yeah it looks pretty good, with the swim through a beautiful lake, and bike thorugh the Vitorian countryside, the run is a bit repetitive (with 6 x 7km rounds) but a scenic course through the old city. 

     

  • Cal I haven't done the event myself but was there last year supporting the OH, the course is brilliant and in particular the run as you run through the old part of Vittoria-gasteiz, the crowds are spectacular, there isn't a part of the run course that has no support! The bike is a rolling route, 2 laps I believe. The only problem that we had was eating as the Spaniards don't eat till at least 8pm at night. We stayed out at a hotel on the ring road near the big shopping centre and ate there (most of the triathletes seamed to find their way there). There is one particular restraunt which is a healthy all you can eat buffet which was just brilliant. It is a beautiful city, green capital of Europe, I would certainly go back
  • looks interesting.  we did a tri in St Jean de Luz last year - just up the road from Vittoria  near Biarritz.

    www.ironbask.fr - all distances including sprint, standard, middle and long plus a paratri

    loads of Spanish from "across the border" doing it.  lovely event but bloody hot on the day - 33C when we set off to do the standard distance.

  • Running Postie, sounds fantastic- thanks for the run down.  I am now starting to look at hotels and not sure whether I should stay in the city close to the finish line so I can collapse post-race in a heap at the hotel.  But interesting that you stayed a bit out of the city, some of the reccommended hotels seem to be out there.  You wouldnt happen to remember which hotel it was would you?  

    By 'the bike is a rolling route', do you mean it is quite hilly?  What about the run course, is there any decent hills in town?

    Also, Im not too sure whatthe weather will be like there in late July, but did everyone don a wetsuit for the swim? 

    Thanks again for your post, race day is edging ever closer, grateful for any tips/scraps of info I can find image

    Cheers!

  • Fat Budha, I never saw that race when I was scoping out European IM distance triathlons, looks really good though!  I am paid and locked into Vitoria-Gastiez for this year, but maybe nextimage

    Cheers!

  • Just changed my nickname from 'Cal Starr' to 'Jive Turkey'

  • http://m.boulevardvitoriahotel.com/fotos.htm this is where we stayed. We had the hotel suit, which had a kitchenette. If it is just yourself going then I would stay in a hotel near the finish ( I didn't hear of anyone complaining about the hotels) as it is quite a walk to the Boulevard hotel. If it is like last year, they bus you out to the lake, so you will have 2 transitions. The organisation was very good last year. It was a wet suit swim last year, even though it was in the high 20's by mid day it was still cold in the morning. If you have family going it, there was a bar near the lake on the corner, that was taking full advantage of the tri being there and was open from 'oh my god o'clock' in the morning. The full race is on local t.v throughout the day as well. The bike course is as I said rolling, no killer hills but not flat either. The run course is almost flat bar 1 incline I believe.

    The weather was 40 c the day before the race but was about 28c on the day, so very hot and because the run is in the centre of town, it was quite extreme.
  • I'm in, and transport etc fully booked.  Ferry from Potsmouith to Bilboa the weekend before, then staying in Vitoria in one of the race hotels, then home onthe Thursday.  First Challenge event for me, dates tied in well with family holiday, and town centre hotel and finish seem to work well.

    Details sem to show that a coach will pick us up from race hotels, and take us tot he start, and later come back for supporters etc, and retrun them back to town after the swim has finished.

    Linkies provided in TriTalk for both bike and run for the LD Championships, which were shorter distances, but same route are below (not my GHarmin feeds, but borrowed)

    Bike: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/208339268

    Run: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/208339270

     

  • That was where yesterdays stage of the Tour of the Basque country finished....

    Looked a bit hilly for my taste

  • I think, or at least I hope, it depends onhow you get into town.  From the course profiles etc, and the Garmin feed, it's not TOO hilly, about 1300m gain over the bike, about half of Tenby.

  • RP, thanks for the details mate.I'll have the family with me, so havent thought too much of what they will be doing for the two days that I will be prepping and stepping.  With two young kids, not sure if the bar will cut it image but I'm sure they'll find something to do. 

    Im based in Bangkok so hopefully the weather isnt like it is here now, a 40 - 28 variation over a couple of days is pretty severe!

    Cheers again!

     

  • M..TRI,

    Fantastic, good to see someone else on board!  Cheers for the Garmin feeds, although they dont seem to be similar to the courses outlined on the event website:

    Cycling: http://www.challenge-vitoria.com/cycling/

    Running: http://www.challenge-vitoria.com/running/

    These links have the elevation aswell.

    M, this is your first Challenge event, but is it your first IM distance triathlon? 

    And, all you guys are 'pirates', whats involved in locking in a triathlon as a pirate?

    Cheers for the comments,

    Jive

     

     

  • JT, Garmin feeds I posted were from the Long Distance Championships, which was a 120km bike, and 30km run, and not exactly the same course, but very similar.  Thought they might be useful as they do give elevation etc, which you don;t fully get from the race website.

    Yes, it's my first 'Challenge' event, but not my forst Iron distance race.

  • Jive turkey I had my 8 year old son with me, I found a nice little play park on the run course, so I could watch in peace and he could run riot in safety. There are loads of touristy things to do and being very green it is family orientated. The shopping centre is just off the finish area and it is a real cafe culture city. We even graced the mcd's there( on the ring road) a lot nicer than the rubbish they serve hear!
  • MTri,

    Thanks for the info. Yeah I thought it was just shy of the im distance but good to know that they are similar and the elevation isn't too full on. Hey, how did you fine the conditions on the swim leg (in the lake)? It would be flat and clear right?

    Thanks again! JT
  • Postie,

    Thanks for the info!

    JT
  • JT/ MTriumphant / anyone who participated last sunday in Challenge Vitoria,

    How was your race?

    Would you recommend it next year? It will be my first full triathlon. Very excited about it and would like to set my goals for next year!

    Thanks!!!

     

  • Guys, Vitoria is my hometown and the course is flat. It is a separate transition course that may not be for everybody.

    There is a huge sporting atmosphere and the city gets very busy in August for the local celebrations that may be a great extra if you stay after the race. This is one of the biggest local festivities in the whole of Spain and people from all over the country come over.

    I would have done it this year if they had released the news earlier image

    Let me know about your experience! I would love to know.

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