NYC Tri

Wow, that's awesome.

X2

not sure about hotels, but the course...

Crowds.

There are 2 groupings of "waves". Think it's like 90 minutes between first and last starters.
The early waves usually get REALLY fast current. The later waves only get fast current.
Water isn't as bad quality as people make it seem.

Bike route has some hills. There are spots you can fly. It's crowded though, especially since you're catching up to slower riders.
Steep short hill to start the bike...people seem to never expect this and they're in the wrong gears and are weaving.

The run starts with flat run to Central Park. Wide open. It's set up like they expect a billion runners/spectators, yet I've only seen it quite sparse.
The park is hilly.

The finish is nice...lots of cheering spectators.
But then you gotta walk back to get your transition stuff (or wait in line for a bike-taxi).

Overall, a fun race. But you gotta deal with crowds. It's NYC.
Pre-race meeting is mandatory and it's the day before, plus you gotta check your bike by the evening, so you're doing a lot of walking to get everywhere.
Invariably, there's a thunderstorm overnight that soaks your bike.

Have you been to New York before? I'd pick a hotel based somewhat on how comfortable you'd be navigating the city. The host hotel is usually the Hilton and it's really nice, but probably pricey even with the group discount. If you're new to the city, I'd try to stay north of, say, 34th St. and west of 5th avenue. There are a lot of hotels in that area to choose from. Hotels in NYC are not cheap, especially in the summer, but you should be able to find something fairly reasonable. Stick with one of the national chains.

Definitely make sure you attend one of the transition tours before the race. The guides will walk you through the transition entrances and exits and show you the key points of interest around the transition area, including that short but steep hill that was mentioned below.

The bike course has some challenging hills in spots, though there are no long, punishing climbs. Of of the most challenging aspects is that there's a 180-turn at about mile 23 that's followed by a short, punchy hill. Since you have to slow way down to go around the hairpin, you have to attack the climb with almost no momentum at all, and, again, it's late in the course, so you'll be on somewhat tired legs. I've definitely seen some people struggling to get back up to speed as they climb it.

The first mile of the run across 72nd is flat (and unshaded and hot), and if you're in an early wave, the crowds will be pretty thick and LOUD as you cross 72nd street. It's an amazing environment, and almost unheard of in a short-course race. As the waves wear on, the crowds on 72nd thin out considerably, but the crowds at the finish pick up. Once you get into the park, the course gets quite hilly with one long descent and one long steep uphill at about mile 3.5. There are very few flat sections in the park. There are plenty of aid stations, and at least one spray station, which are awesome, because August in NYC can be brutal. If you're an MOP-er in one of the later waves, you could easily be approaching noon by the time you near the finish on the run,and it starts getting hot as soon as the sun comes up.

It's a good race for spectators, although you can't really watch the bike section easily. Spectators can walk along the river as you swim downstream, but they can't get near transition. After you exit the swim, they can go out onto 72nd and watch you run past, and then go into the park and head for the finish line and wait for you there. There's a reuinion area after you pass through the finish area where it's easy to find your cheering secttion. The expo the day before and the finish line festival are both awesome, though both can get crowded.

The race is a lot like New York itself-- it's crowded, expensive, and can be a logistical pain in the neck, but there's really nothing else like it. Have fun!

Thanks for the info. This will be my first trip to NYC, so I'm somewhat intimidated. All information is greatly appreciated!

I entered and did not get in.
I guess 3x is enough for one race.

I did it in 2008-2010

I thought maybe "once more into the breach" .. But alas.. It looks like IMPrinceton 70.3 here I come..

Does anyone have any idea how many enter the lottery and how many actually get in? I'm relatively new to tris and this is the first time I've entered the NYC.

Its a huge race--4,000 people or so. Out of that, you'll have a small percentage that gets in via volunteering or charity slots or whatever. I would say unscientifically that something like 2/3 of the people that I know who enter the lottery get in.

Thanks Brooklyn!