Back in September I participated in a “Revolution 3” triathlon. It is, if not an equivalent to an Ironman race. Well that is my opinion. They are by no means as large but still put on a great show.
Beside some obvious differences such as price(cheaper), and swag(more) and so many volunteers that cater to your every need. I was actually very pleasantly surprised that any question that I had were answered. Clearly their volunteers were very knowledgeable.
I had arrived at Sandusky, Ohio on Friday, the drive was alright didn’t take as long as I had thought it would. Accommodations are plentiful and you could stay on the race site at Cedar Point Amusement Park, but that obviously that comes at a price for the convenience.
My hotel was the Sleep Inn. It was decent and comfortable and they were very accommodating to my needs. The Sleep Inn was on the main strip in Sandusky and walking distance to grocery stores, Wal-Mart and Target.
Saturday morning brought a pre-race swim, short bike and run. Also there was a mandatory bike check in and a race kit pick up. Race Kit pick up was very well organized. We were all given race bands that give us unlimited access to the park. Inside the nice TYR string bag was a nice Rev 3 cotton shirt and a Rev 3 visor and a bunch of other goodies. They also take your photo so when you come into the finish line your picture appears on their very huge screen.
Saturday also was the day that we had our pre race meeting. The officials went through the swim, bike and run courses, told us about any changes or detours if any. After all of this I made my way to the Rev 3 expo. “All 3 Sports” had a huge tent displaying all there merchandise, Muscle Milk was there. “Rev 3” had their merchandise store, which I happily visited.
Sunday morning(race day) was exciting. Transition for the Half Rev(70.3) distance opened at 5 am and closed at 7 am. The transition area was laid out by Bib # and each triathlete had a little name plate that reserved their spot. Your well taken care of.
Sunday was Sept 11 and we all know it was the 10th anniversary of 9/11. The Americans are very patriotic which is great. They choose to remember rather than too forget. There was a really nice ceremony before race start. Click on the link below
http://rev3tri.com/news/rev3-cedar-point-2011-featured-videos/
8:00am was race start, but there were some usual delays. Each age wave was starting 3 minutes. If I remember correctly our wave was sent out around 8:45am after all the delays.
The 1.2 mile swim was calm….the water was murky and dark. A rain storm came in the week prior and washed a lot of mud up a shore, otherwise the swim was straight forward. The course was more of a triangle shape. Click below to see course
http://rev3tri.com/cedar-point/course-info-4/swim-course-2/
The exit of the swim was at the beech and you needed to run up into transition. What was great, was as you were running up the beech there was a blown up arch by Muscle Milk, which acted like a shower to clear off all the sand that was stuck to you. I also had my first experience with strippers…it was great having 2 people pull off your wet suit…big time saver..
The run into transition was easy enough and very clear. The route was all carpeted and well laid out.
The 56 mile bike course was rolling and very scenic. Lots of water and aid stations. Well thought out and planned. Streets were closed and lots of traffic patrol by state trooper.
Click below to see the course
http://rev3tri.com/cedar-point/course-info-4/bike-course/
The ride was an out and back course with a couple of detours, because of last minute changes.
The 13.1 mile run was great with aid stations approximately every 1-1.5 miles. The run course has a lot of turns and some gradual street inclines. Otherwise a great run course.
Revolution 3 was an amazing experience. It was like the big show for me. They are going to give Ironman a run for their money. With prize purses of over $100,000 dollars, it surely attracts a lot of pros. It was a well planned, well thought out and well executed race. They continue to grow and continue to add other races to their roster. I highly recommend this race or any of their other races. If you want more information about any of their races click on the link below.
thanks
Happy Racing!
Ajay Kohli
