Wow... what a day! What an event! 

This was my first experience of a 70.3 and an Ironman event. Ironman get criticised a lot due to the amout the events cost but after 3 days of parking, traffic arrangements, site organisation, registration, massages and more i was really impressed and couldn't fault any of it. 

Large Expo with registration at the end, all very straight forward. Nice smal rucksack, lots of info and the all important registration pack! We came down on the friday purposely to make sure i could register early and get things sorted from there. 

The saturday then was a lot busier with more athletes arriving and there was Ironkids and Irongirl on that afternoon. Easy enough again to park due to the organisation and go in and drop off the bike and bags ready for the next day. Lots and lots of volunteers on hand, all who seemed very experienced or trained in terms of what we needed to do and were very helpful! 

I had recce'd the bike course and knew from friends that this event was super tough, but on the day it was even tougher. The venue is in beautiful countryside, very remote so no phone signal but the whole site is also on the side of a hill so you are going up and down constantly! Unfortunately on the day the weather came in and we also had to deal with driving misty rain and strong wind! 

Tranistion was on a slope and likewise the run out of the water to T1 was back up a steep grass bank! (I walked it after the swim!) Swim was decent, nice lake swim, bit of wind across us which made it a little choppier than i would have liked but all in all it was fine. 

Bike - Very very tough! 2 laps of a very hilly route! First lap went well, i was cold starting off and couldn't get moving and after the first few hills had to have a word with myself and got the average speed up! I knew there was a cut off time and had to get going. The latter half the lap is very tough, a few 17% plus hills which sap the legs! I got round the first loop and was doing ok.We also had driving wind and rain and were soaked! The second loop i had stopped eating as often and i had started to run out of water so the only flat (ish) section then i had to keep at it but couldn't push as much as the first. The latter half was then a struggle, i cramped up the first big hill and had to stop and stretch for a minute before continuing plus at times i was getting cold from the wind and soaking wet clothes. There were serious times i wanted to quit, especially on the latter stages. The hills kept coming, even the small inclines were a slog but i just kept telling myself to keep going. Welcome relief to get back to T2 but i was knackered! 

Quick stop for a wee and then into the tent. Gladly i had clean socks to put on for the run and a clean dry t-shirt over the tri top. I had some water and a quick energy bar and thought lets give this a go. Great support from my family and the marshalls and volunteers and off i went. The run course was pretty bonkers and ridiculous! Not a piece of tarmac anywhere!! It weaved its way around the ploud field by the lake we had walked up earlier after the swim, across stony gravel paths, off beaten trail, woodland paths, then up a huge climb which i think most people walked! Down the other side the surface was an off beaten farm track covered in mud in places so murder on the legs trying to hold yourself back and not fall over! The route then took you out to the only flat part across the aquaduct which was a stunning scene! Welcome relief again for a feed station at the end! The route continued up and down through more woodland around the lake before going back past the swim start and right down to the other end of the lake and going back up near the finish for the next loop. The first loop went on for ages!! I took far too long but i found once i had eaten more, drank more and got used to the route i began to run quicker on the flatter bits and in other places. There were less and less people around as the laps went by but starting the third lap was a welcome relief as i also made the cut off! Just to keep going for one more! That finish line will live long in the memory!! A great sight, a fantastic feeling! Just over 8 hours for my first 70.3. In the end the time didn't matter as i'd lost most of it on the run and in the transition zones. What mattered was the support i had and that i didn't give up. Very very proud! 

Unfortunately it's the last time Ironman are running the event at Exmoor after 12 years. I signed up in preperation of other events to come but also to experience one of the toughest 70.3 events in the world and finish it is something i'll alway remember! 

I did this race 2 weeks after doing stafford 70.3 I knew it would be a tough course and boy dI'd it live upto all expectations  .....

The swim is in the wimbleball  lake absolutely stunning part of the world swim done it's then a case of 400m climb to T1 out of T1 straight onto the bike climbing  straight away for about 3 mile before turning onto the main 2 lap bike course this is when the fun begins with a few long not to bad drags before a steep descent  before  a sharp left hand 90 degree  corner puts you on a nice for once and only the one flat part of the course before a climb of 10 miles yes 10 miles of climbing (56 climbs in 56 mile I'm lead to belive ) then after 2 loops a nice desent  back into T2 the run is a mixture of grass / woodland and pathways with one almighty climb before a descent down across a damm wall and back this is a punishing 3 loop affair with the most spectacular  views  .....All in all a great but very tough race and possibly a good stepping stone on the way to doing a 140.6 race 

Pre Race Comments 

I decided to drive to the race venue early on Friday to recce the bike route.  I knew from the description and previous experience that this bike course was both technical and dangerous if taken at high speed.  It took me 2 days to eventually recce the whole bike route as the maps provided were not fit for purpose and due to the lack of internet I was unable to access GPS files.  The bike route was not officially marked until late Sat afternoon (far too late) I would suggest using the same principle as all the European races.  A simple M Dot logo and arrow discreetly sprayed on the road with temp paint is the perfect way to mark a route for athletes wishing to make sure they know the course well.

Parking and pre race admin

It seems I wasted £10.00 for the parking as many athletes gained access to parking without paying the pre paid fee?  The vehicle recognition system did not work – probably due to no Internet or phone signal in that area.  On that note Internet and phone signal was non-existent, this affected the tracker and results for athletes when they finished the race.  I would suggest investing or hiring a booster system for the weekend to ensure spectators could follow the tracker and gain other useful information during the weekend and race.  I registered on Friday so it was easy to park and register pain free. 

Swim

The swim was a rolling start, this is a much more civilised way to coordinate a mass start with so many athletes taking part.  The swim route was probably the best marked out swim I have ever done with 1 lap with massive 2m yellow and red buoy every 100m or so circumnavigating the loop.  Lots of safety boats in the water – excellent job.  The water quality was excellent, very clean and clear. I really enjoyed swimming in the lake – also warm.

Transition

Well marked out and plenty of space for you bike – bag were also very easy to locate and the volunteers were excellent during the race.  Assisting you but never getting in your way or compromising your race. 

Bike

This bike route is very hilly and technical so I was glad to see efforts were made over the weekend to sweep some sections of the roads.  Like most roads in the UK the surface is showing signs of age this resulted in me loosing my very expensive Garmin 1000 (not happy at all).  I also saw a significant number of punctured athletes – more than I would normally see. I actually punctured riding the route the day before due to some of the pot-holes.  The traffic management was excellent – very well marshalled and controlled.  At no time did I feel vulnerable from other motor users, only other poor cyclist! The technical and steep descents were very well marked and manned – if you failed to slow at these points and crashed it was your own bloody fault.  They volunteers did a great job here.   

Run

Wimbleball as a reputation of being one of the toughest 70.3’s in the World, including the very hilly run.  Although the run was well marked I found it unsuitable for running in some places – I can only describe the run surface like a ploughed field.  In other places the route was just too narrow to overtake other lapped runners.  This led to frustration and irritation for all runners at all standards – this needs to be addressed. More though needed here I’m afraid.

I’ve been to lots of Ironman branded events over the years and I have yet to be touched and inspired like I do when I race over seas.  I personally felt the atmosphere was lacking pre and post race – we just don’t seem to elicit the same response and energy?  Not sure why but I didn’t get the same feeling finishing this race as I do racing abroad.  

House keeping

Really simple one – not enough toilets massive queues pre race.    

Would I do this race again? 

It's an ok race, but just lacks a little extra spark so no is the answer to that.  Just too far to travel, poor Internet and phone signals, poor atmosphere and no Pro athletes racing.  I feel AG only racing is a cop-out. I certainly enjoy seeing and meeting Pro athletes at these events. 

Results were also very difficult to access after the race.  

This was a step up for me as I had failed to do a 70.3 in 2013 due to my bike breaking down and I had not really rated the race that much anyway. It was also expensive (almost £200) and you have to factor in travel etc. I would recommened camping on the site as its easy to base yourself there and I would not like to have to try and get in and out of the site at busy times.

Generally I was impressed as Ironman know how to run a race. The swim course was very clear and well marked. The bike course was tough and technical-be prepared to take care if it rains. You had to focus on the course but it was worth it. The run was a bit disappointing as it meandered around the waterpark and was not very well thought out I felt. To be honest I shuffled my way round the run but made it in 7.20 so overall it was worth it. I would recommend it as a first 70.3 but would definitely camp there.

If you like fast flat courses then look away now. There are a few lumpy bits here.

The swim is in the beautiful Wimbleball lake. Loads of room but don't go too far left as there's a small outcrop where I saw several people walking as it was shallow.

Long run uphill to T1. Then out onto the hike for two hilly laps. Definitely do a course recce on the bike if you can. Majority of steep bits are in the 2nd part of each lap. Careful with the descent to Machine Cross. Despite loads of warnings there are still people who come a cropper and miss the sharp tun heading straight to the hedge opposite. More care just before the no overtaking zone are two drains that are slippery when wet. I lost my front wheel but managed to stay upright. Heard of others that had similar. There are two feed stations so you don't need to overload your bike

The tun is undulating with steep ups and downs throughout the 3 laps. Make up time on the downhill. The feed stations are regular so don't need to take any nutrition with you if you've trained with Powerbar products.

Really great camaraderie. We did have the problem getting out kids up and to the site before the 7am start as the road in gets closed. Camping is a great option if you can.