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Race Reports for Ironman Wisconsin

[1]
Reported by:
Race rating (5)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities? Good
  • Overall course based on my ability: Just right

  • Comments: I knew going in that things don't go as planned in an Ironman- it's long, it's hard and it's going to test you like nothing else. As I write this just 24 hours after my finish- I feel better than I should. I'm a little sore, my finger is swollen, black & blue and I'm going to lose a toe nail- but I did it. I am an Ironman! Last thing I have to say - especially as a local, IMWI might be one of the harder courses - especially the bike course but the crowds, energy & volunteers are amazing. I don't know if I will race an Ironman again - but I do know that I will be there Volunteering in Madison,WI next year- cheering everyone on.
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[2]
Reported by:
Race rating (5)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities? Good
  • Overall course based on my ability: Just right

  • Comments: Ironman Wisconsin is the best spectated race I have ever been a part of, between the fans and the volunteers you feel like a superstar the entire time! This is the first race I have had an indoor transition area and that was a game changer. Having carpet, chairs, and A/C in transition was so nice. Now that I have completed Ironman Wisconsin I fully support every athlete who says that this race has the best volunteers and that the spectators here are amazing. I know that I am biased because this is my first full Ironman, but I have to say that Ironman Wisconsin is the best triathlon in the world!
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[3]
Reported by:
Race rating (4)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities?
  • Overall course based on my ability: Just right

  • Comments: Madison is such a great town with tons of great places to eat, grab a nice craft beer, or relax with a cup of coffee. 2nd time doing this race and both times we had a fabulous time. Such wonderful volunteers, the town really embraces this race. Highly recommend!
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[4]
Reported by:
Race rating (5)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities? Good
  • Overall course based on my ability: Too hard

  • Comments: This was my 5th IM WI and my fastest time by an hour (no thanks to Barlow). I definitely trained the most for this one, and my experience helped on decision making. The last 6 miles of the marathon are a total mental game as the body is begging for a break, and that does get better with age. Even though I am 5 years older than my previous best, I was an hour faster, and I am in the best shape of my life. Maintaining fitness and muscle mass with weights is vital, and having a supportive husband who pushed me to do workouts I wouldn't have otherwise is the reason for my success. I will be his Sherpa next year so he too can become an Ironman. I love doing this race since it is so close to home, especially now that I live right here in Madison. But the toughness of the bike course, and fact that my job has no leeway once school starts makes it difficult to execute and recover. Perhaps a flatter course at the end of august would be a better option for me in the future. Although I've
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[5]
Reported by:
Race rating (5)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities? Good
  • Overall course based on my ability: Just right

  • Comments: Great race in Madison Wisconsin - if there is one that I would do again it would be this one! Great experience!!!!! Love the Midwest!
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[6]
Reported by:
Race rating (5)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities? Good
  • Overall course based on my ability: Just right

  • Comments: IM Wisconsin lived up to all the hype. With one of the last mass starts, the epic climbing and support on the bike, and great run all through town and even into Camp Randall Stadium, it is a winner! I am so impressed by those who chose it as their first! (Over 800 of the 2800 this race!!!) Of course, racing with all my teammates local and EN, and friends always makes the day for me, no matter the outcome. I may come back to taste this beast again and see if I can do better!
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[7]
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  • Organised?
  • Events on time?

  • Lots of volunteers to help?
  • Plenty of drink stations?

  • Post race activities?
  • Overall course based on my ability:

  • Comments: Amazing experience. I will never forget it as long as I live. Bucket list item, checked off!!!
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[8]
Reported by:
Race rating (5)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities? Good
  • Overall course based on my ability:

  • Comments: Awesome race. First IM and couldn't be happier.
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[9]
Reported by:
Race rating (4)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities? Good
  • Overall course based on my ability: Just right

  • Comments: Ironman Wisconsin was a great experience. The course lived up to the hype for it's difficulty. I will say that the crowd support was great through the entire race. As always there were tons of amazing volunteers out there. I even managed to PR my Iron distance time by about 7 minutes. Given all the challenges of family life and having a career I feel very blessed to be able to complete my second Ironman.
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[10]
Reported by:
Race rating (5)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities? Good
  • Overall course based on my ability: Just right

  • Comments: It's been one week out from the race as I wrap up my Race Report. As I began the run, I hated what I was doing and doubted why I was there. As I write today, I'm excited for my next IM to learn more and become more efficient, effective in race execution. Yes, it sucked royally at times. Yes, it was one of the toughest mental challenges I'm endured in some time. Yes, I will do another IM in the near future... after a few years off. ;) http://www.ironman.com/triathlon/events/americas/ironman/wisconsin/...
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[11]
Reported by:
Race rating (4)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities? Average
  • Overall course based on my ability: Too hard

  • Comments: Madison is a great venue. The best volunteers ever!! Treading water at the start of the swim, I looked toward the shore and the view of the spectators is breathtaking. Thousands of people lining the shore, all of the levels of the parking helix, the conference center terraces - its like looking at 3 cruise ships parked on shore with everyone waving you on. The spectator support on the bike hills is great motivation to get up the toughest of the hills - costumes, signs, music, cow bells, bull horns. It was a fun race to do.
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[12]
Reported by:
Race rating (5)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities? Good
  • Overall course based on my ability: Just right

  • Comments: The race provided me an amazing experience. The race was long, difficult, exhausting and amazing. The volunteers were more than I could have hoped for, and the crowd support was encouraging, entertaining, and exciting. Everything about this race is First Class, and the weather could not have been any better. As I was competing in the race, and even afterwards I thought to myself "This is crazy. This is just way too long". But the bigger the challenge, the bigger the accomplishment, and my sentiment quickly went from "I'm not sure if I want to do another one" to "I definitely want another shot at Ironman". Thanks Madison for being a great host.
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[13]
Reported by:
User photo
  • Organised?
  • Events on time?

  • Lots of volunteers to help?
  • Plenty of drink stations?

  • Post race activities?
  • Overall course based on my ability:

  • Comments: Ironman Wisconsin is really a special race. It's very well organized and all 3 courses are excellent. The city embraces the event which really makes a difference. From talking with people who've raced other IMs they concur that Madison has arguably the best crowd support. The volunteers made the experience a well oiled machine. The only thing I had to worry about was performing as an athlete and that's all I ever want in a race. I'll be back in a few years to do this race again.
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[14]
Reported by:
Race rating (4)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities? Below average
  • Overall course based on my ability: Just right

  • Comments: This race is by far my most favorite. The course is beautiful; the volunteers are very helpful; the finish line is electric. It could be so much better with better quality finish food.
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[15]
Reported by:
Race rating (5)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities? Average
  • Overall course based on my ability: Too hard

  • Comments: This was my first Ironman ever. I could not ask for a better race to do it. My goal set back in 2103 to complete Ironman at the age of 60 has been accomplished. It took almost a year of preparation plus two years of doing triathlons on shorter distances including Ironman 70.3 in 2014. I want to give a huge credit to 3500 volunteers and people of Madison who make this race unforgettable. If you are not afraid of one of the most difficult Ironman triathlon bike courses around, I would highly recommend doing Wisconsin. All the pain will pay off with the cheer ups received as you go through the challenge.
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[16]
Reported by:
User photo
  • Organised?
  • Events on time?

  • Lots of volunteers to help?
  • Plenty of drink stations?

  • Post race activities?
  • Overall course based on my ability:

  • Comments: too many course marshalls I would even say made the bike more dangerous
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[17]
Reported by:
Race rating (5)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities? Good
  • Overall course based on my ability: Just right

  • Comments: I don't think I could have picked a better event to do my first Ironman. With my T1 exception, all the volunteers were amazing. The crowd support everywhere was spectacular. If you want to feel like a pro, go do IMWI. Yes, it is one of the more challenging courses on the circuit, but you will be rewarded my more cheers than you can imagine. It's inspired me so much, that next year I want to go back, but as a volunteer - I can be right there on the course with my friends and training partners, cheering them on. And I'll use the volunteer perk to early register for IMWI again in 2016!
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[18]
Reported by:
Race rating (5)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities? Good
  • Overall course based on my ability: Just right

  • Comments: Excellent race. Fairly well organized (not as good as ours in Door County but pretty good). Volunteers rocked it. Most of all, my #BSCRAZY crew was the bomb! They made this race. Thank you to Marla, Stosh, Sarah, Ty, Jill, Mom, Dad, Steve, Jason Woelfel, Mark, Nicole, Jody, Todd, Julie, Parker, Carol, Jolene, Kuklinski. Marla put together one hell of a crew and I could never recreate this part of the experience!
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[19]
Reported by:
Race rating (4)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities? Good
  • Overall course based on my ability: Too hard

  • Comments: Great venue....very challenging bike course...takes it's toll. Support on this course is out of this world amazing! Fans and Volunteers ROCK! Way cool!
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[20]
Reported by:
Race rating (5)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities? Good
  • Overall course based on my ability: Just right

  • Comments: I had five goals for myself: 1) Finish, 2) Beat 2012 time for a PR, 3) Run a sub 5 hour marathon, 4) Break 13 hour overall time, 5) Do NOT puke on the run course. Although I only accomplished the first two goals, they were the most important, so how can I not be happy with that?!
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[21]
Reported by:
Race rating (5)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities? Good
  • Overall course based on my ability: Just right

  • Comments: The race volunteers were really awesome! The event was truly a spectacle to be a part of. I enjoyed every minute of it. But, I have to talk more about the support of the day. Lis was my wingman throughout the day. She may not have been on the course with me but I could see her pride as soon as the light of the morning was bright enough to light her face. She and I both were unable to speak to each other at several points throughout the morning but the message was clear and pure, her love and support was abundant and it was fuel for me all day long, especially on the run after having seen her face at the start and the half. Her pride was so clearly evident. I have mentioned it several times already, but her glow, her glow!!! I cannot explain what I saw in her eyes. I never will be able to.
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[22]
Reported by:
User photo
  • Organised?
  • Events on time?

  • Lots of volunteers to help?
  • Plenty of drink stations?

  • Post race activities?
  • Overall course based on my ability:

  • Comments: I wanted to try and sneak in under 13 hours. Turns out that it was fairly easy and less painful than I thought it would be.
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[23]
Reported by:
Race rating (5)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities? Average
  • Overall course based on my ability: Just right

  • Comments: With no experience, I hoped to break 12 hrs based on my training. Sure it was hard but I didn't experience a collapse or mental breakdown expected after reading other race reports and online forums. I'll be able to reevaluate and tweak my training to give it another go next year. The race was coordinated very well. I watied in so many long lines but at the same time there seemed to be a million volunteers so it seems they did the best they could. My only complaints had more to do with hotel costs and minimum stay requirements. I didn't find it necessary to sign in 2-3 days early just to make me hang around in town all weekend.
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[24]
Reported by:
Race rating (3)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities? Average
  • Overall course based on my ability: Just right

  • Comments: IM Wisconsin is a fantastic experience.
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[25]
Reported by:
Race rating (5)
User photo
  • Organised?Yes
  • Events on time?Yes

  • Lots of volunteers to help?Yes
  • Plenty of drink stations?Yes

  • Post race activities?
  • Overall course based on my ability: Just right

  • Comments: Of course it's the best, it's my first Ironman!
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