Ironman 70.3 Putrajaya, Malaysia

[jetsonhoo]

Ironman 70.3 Putrajaya, Malaysia

I have just completed my first ever 70.3 Ironman course at Putrajaya, Malaysia
under heaty weather of Southeast Asia.

Swim: 1.9km, Bike 90km, Run 21.1km

The swim course is relatively easy as it was raced in the man-made lake of Putrajaya as there was no choppy wave of the rough sea as you normally get when you race in this part of the world

Ride. it was covering 2 sets of 45km course. Relatively flats with elevation gain of 400m, It was a relatively fast ride. I easily pushed over speed of 45kmh at the straight road with the of the aerodynamic of my Specialized Shiv and Tokyowheel Epic 60-88 set up. Awesome speedy ride

Run. The run was though. the 21.1 km of naked, bare run course with the temperature reaching 40C was a killer. Luckily with the great ice-water bath support along the way, I pass through the finishing line confidently

Great support from the organizer, with continuous supply of nutrition, hydration, and medication, this hard race has made it possible to conquer by average amateur athletes.

Bike: Specialized Shiv
Wheelset: Tokyowheel Epic 60-88 set up
Shoe: Saucony Kinvara

Continuing the discussion from Triathlon Course reviews:

@marcelewals

Golden Triangle Triathlon - Epic in every way - 3 countries, one race.

Last year I joined the Golden Triangle Triathlon organized by the local tourism office with the support of a race organizer. The Golden Triangle is reference to the Opium trade between Thailand, Myanmar (Burma) and Laos. What is really different about it are a few key factors.

Swim: 1.7km, bike 53km, run 12km.Start: by barge in a high speed Mekong river in Laos and swim to the exit on the Thai side. when I joined in 2014 it had just been raining and the river was cold (18c) and very fast. It took me less then 15 min to finish due to the drag, but many racers missed the exit entirely due to the current, and had to be “rescued” by the boars and jet ski’s. To get a feel of the chaos that time, there is a great youtube summary when the river wins from the athletes

Ride: The 55km bring you from T1 to T2, it starts by taking you through a small city where the school children are supporting you along the way, passing old pagoda’s and temples. then the long stretch to Mae Sot, the border town with Myanmar, passing along the river and through rice paddies, it includes one major but gradual climb of around 200 meters at about 1/3rd of the segment. after that its pretty steady.

Once arrived in T2, you run along the main road straight down the border into Burma. Once you cross, you will be amazed by the excitement of the people. The entire border town is cheering along the road, giving water, energy drinks and smiles and cheers. It makes you feel like being in the olympics (not that I know how that feels but still). You make it up one hill along the local temple and down on the other side, only to make your way back to the border into Thailand. Once passed the border you turn right and after a few hundred meters your enter a forest and there is no one but the jungle around you. The contrast is amazing… Then there is yet another steep climb on 2 segments for about 600 meters circling through the green. Its a tough spot in the race, just 5km before the finish. Once you conquered that hill, you are home free making your ways across the finish line.

Its a must do race if you live in Asia, simply because of the experience.

Bike: Giant TCR Advance, DT Swiss 1800 standard alu wheels

Continuing the discussion from Triathlon Course reviews:

@marcelewals

Although this is not the perfect forum, it would be nice to hear riders review Triathlon race courses and give interesting tips and experiences. I started with one below, please be encouraged to write about your favorites.