IMKY vs Rev3 IM

First IM is a big deal so over thinking things is normal.  I'd look at race reports for the Rev3 HIM they did this year in CT to see how well it was run. 

I'd look at all the factors to see which one you want to do: cost, average temps, bike, swim and run courses, how easy to get to, what appeals to your family, and on and on.

One reason I went with M Dot brand race as first one is I wanted all the bling, wanted to be able to get cool IM finisher gear, and after first one my family enjoyed the atmosphere and looked forward all year to Canada.

I did a small independant first year IM in MA last year as a relay.  They did a great job of organizing things, and did some great different things, but I would never do it as my A race unless I wanted to be super cheap and stay at home. The run was 4 out and backs on the same road with no lights..imgaining running about 18 mlies back and forth on same road 8 times?

Our relay finished at 12:15 and there were 8 folks at the finish line. I would be much slower than that and to finish an IM with no crowd support would suck.

I doubt the Rev3 IM would be as small as the one I did but one never knows.

I am seriously considering the Rev3 Iron Distance race for 2010 as well (and if not the full, definitely the half ... I need to see how I feel after IMFL!).  I wasn't able to make it to CT this year for the HIM but heard great things about it.  They are somewhat unique in 2 ways -- first, for a non-branded event they do an excellent job of attracting top triathletes to their races by offering a great prize purse with great things for the AGers as well.  Second, they are focused on having their races in spectator and family friendly venues (hence the amusement park venue).

I agree with Kathy, check out the RR and do a search because there was a lot of excitement on the boards and in the triathlon community when the race was announced.  Good luck!

I have never done an IM branded race, but I raced the Rev3 HIM as a relay last June in CT, and it was great!  Lots of cool stuff in the goody bags, great expo, a real spectator-friendly environment with athlete tracking and live commentary from the race course.  The Rev3 Full will be the last in a series of races next year, and I think you can count on it being a great "experience".
  Feel free to read my race report.

I did the REV3 Tri in CT this year and they put on a great event especially for a first time event. They went out of their way to make the race as fan friendly and spectator friendly as possible but made sure they did everything first class for the athletes as well. They had an awesome pro field and a lot of good stuff for the amatures as well. Rev3's races directors are world class triathletes in their own right and they used that insight to create a great race. They built great support with the community as well and we had a ton of volunteers. Plus they tried so interesting twists such as the K-swiss mile (a timed uphill mile at about mile 4 of the run) and made that the run prime, then had full race coverage and commentary on line and lots of cameras out in the field. And staging a race at an amusement park is pure genius, if you have ever brought kids to a race I know you will agree with that one.

I am pretty confident that they will do a great job at Cedar Point this year and will be doing my first non M-dot iron distance race with them this year.

For the record, I have never done IMKY so I can't tell you what it is like

Other then the 'branding' the real issue is the swim. The time trial starting at IMKY, and the ohio river have been listed as common complaints about that race. Swimming in Lake Erie adds another set of concerns. The Rev3 organizers have stated that they already have an alternative swim course in the event the lake is too rough. The races are two weeks apart, so the weather could go either way at either race; hot and humid, or cold and damp. I thought about the Disney Marathon when if first came out, didn't do it, now it sells out quickly. Cedar Point could end up the same way.

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I could be wrong, but I don't think that the complaints about IMKY have to do so much with swimming in the Ohio River.  I certainly didn't have any problem with that.  Indeed, I enjoyed it.  The issue is with the start.  And having screwed that up once, I think I know how to deal with it now.  (Hint:  Don't get in line.  Don't resolve to not get in line, and then get in line anyway, which is what I did.  REALLY don't get in line.  Let the end of the line come to you.)

I just signed up for the Rev3 IM at Cedar Point, so we'll see how it goes.  Registration was a little less pricey than the M dot races, but I wouldn't call it cheap.  Based on race reports from the other Rev3 race in CT, seems like they put on a pretty good event, so I would expect the same for this one.  The bike course will probably be a little boring, flat, and windy if that's a factor for you...

I've done 2 branded IM's (including IMKY) and one first year non-branded (Beach 2 Battleship).  I think it comes down to what you want out of the experience.  To me the branded races are like going to a night club - lines, a lot of lights, loud and the non-branded was more like a brew pub - all about the race, smaller, quieter.  On the course, I couldn't tell the differences between the races.  Both had the same things on the course and same level of support.  WTC/NAS sell their races as an "experience" but what I saw at IMKY this year they are cutting back on the experience, such as less things in swag bag, less things at the dinner, more expensive expo, etc. 

One benefit to WTC events is the live tracking but their web site is difficult and unpredicatable, they are terrible at marketing/selling gear on the website.  I think that WTC/NAS is slipping in what they provide.

As far as IMKY, I glad I did the race but I wouldn't do it again.  I didn't like the swim start or the time trial start and I don't see how they could or would want to change it.  It lets them sell 3000 entries and they would have to cut way back on that to support a regular start.

With Beach 2 Battleship, I did it their first year and it is also run by a well regarded race company (Setup Events).  There were some minor logistical problems but I saw the same thing at IMKY (swim start).  They had all the same things you see at a WTC event -dinner, announcer at the finish, expo, etc but on a smaller scale.  It was lonely out on the course but not much different than IMKY.  There were a couple of hundred people at the finish but it wasn't as loud as at IMKY or Lake Placid.

Either way, it comes down to what type of non-race atmosphere that you want. 

I did IMKY last year and thought the race went well except for the 100 deg. temps all day. I live close to cedar point and can tell you one of the biggest differences will be the bike course will not be as hilly as IMKY. in ky it seamed like hill after hill but in northern ohio it is relativly flat. as far as the swim start it will probly be age group waves, I dident have a problem with the time trial start at IMKY. good luck

If anyone is in the OH area, there is an info session on the Rev3 race with a Q&A with 5x Ironman champ Heather Gollnick on 9/9/09 from 6 - 8 pm at Sawmill Creek Resort (www.sawmillcreek.com for directions).

I am choosing Rev3 over IMKY.

For me it is closer, and I will want to ride the course several times to prepare, so the cost difference and family difference of a 2-hr drive vs. a 4-hr drive is big.

Also, I just spectated at IMKY and it seemed like a really great athlete experience, but the info for spectators was TERRIBLE. It was impossible to tell from the course maps where the mile marks were, so if you knew your athlete would be at mile 13 at XX time, you still didn't know where mile 13 was. I asked 5 volunteers and got 5 different answers.  I'm a triathlete, and it was stressful. There was a woman I helped who was in tears trying to find her husband on the course. Rev3 said something about live GPS tracking, which would be great.

The spectator section of the Web site for IMKY was abysmal, too. And the live tracking via chip mat crashed while my athletes were halfway through the run. :-(

We have little kids and travel by RV, so Cedar Point with its Camper Village camping for RVs sounds great. It also is really evident the Gollnicks are purposely including family friendly aspects, like a movie night for kids and such, during pre-event.

Also, I wrote them about a concern regarding the camping area not being open on weekdays, and Todd and Heather Gollnick wrote back at 10pm, 5 hours after I sent my message!!! If that's how the customer service is going to be, this is the kind of race I want to do.


This is my first IM, and I know I'm giving up the "Alice Hohl, YOU are an IRONMAN" thing. But the other factors outweighed it for me.

The full event schedule is up now, if you want to peek. Rev3 is a mass start for the full and wave start for the HIM.

I signed up for Cedar Point.

I just signed up for the REV 3 race so I guess my mind is made up. Thanks for all the input....Jason

I signed up for IMKY, and probably will do the Rev3 HIM.