Interesting Suggestion

While being a general Layabout after Ironman Coeur d'Alene last week, I was lementing one of the weak spots in the whole Ironman Experience.

Note: This is not meant to be a slam on NA Sports as I know they are extremely shorthanded and this is an area that is far down the list of priorities in terms of organization. They do an excellent job of providing one of the best race experiences in North America.

The athlete guides provided for Ironman races are really lacking useful and much needed information in many areas. Most are just "Cut And Paste" jobs from other races and offer general information at best. (And commonly provide incorrect information)

I know that BT has a ton of folks who have done each of the Ironman Races and would be able to fill in the much needed information. Many other races, (Shorter Distances and non-IM branded events) do not even offer an Athlete's Guide at all.

My suggestion for a new BT feature is this: Provide an area where an Athlete's Guide for each of the races can be posted and possibly even linked to the race link similar to the way that the "Race Talk" thread and the "Race Reports" are linked.

Logistically, it would be cool if we could write them as a group rather then a single author so as to insure we get all of the important information. The first step is probably to put together an outline that can be filled in by section (Like a Race Report) so that we get all of our bases covered. Collaboration is probably the key to making this whole idea work and keep the information fresh in the coming years as the race changes.

Obviously there is a lot of general info (That seems to be covered reasonably well) provided by the existing athlete guide but many details particular to the race are usually left out.

Stuff like Parking, Shuttle Services, Road Closures etc. would be great to know for the athlete as well as the spectators and jockstrappers. More nitty gritty stuff like how the Transition is organized and even inside course knowledge would be key.

Seems to me like it would be applicable to any race and not just Ironman Events. (Especially given that most RD's do not offer much if anything in the way of an Athlete's Guide)

Just an idea. I had originally though it would be cool to contact NA sports and offer to help them update the athlete guide but then I thought, hey, BT would be a much better place for this.