Been watching out for the roll down rankings, easier typed than spoken! But it was a qualifier for this year so still the outgoing system, not sure if thereās any 2025 qualifiers left now?
Looks like 1300 finishers so with DN* Iām guessing about 1500 entries? Feels like a small event compared to some. It did sell out though so probably limited space or road capacity?
Interested to hear about the course, obviously tough given the times posted but the handful of people I know that raced sound quite enthusiastic.
I already had Nice on the calendar for this year but ended up entering Leeds when it got announced, primarily because my brother-in-law lives in Thorner which was the first village on the bike course. It was good to be part of an inaugural event. They were talking about 2500 thousand athletes but looking at the tracker it looked as though only 1800 actually registered and then 1300 finished.
It felt bigger and grander than the last Bolton that I did in 2023 but still unquestionably smaller than some of the European events. Still reasonably slick ironman production but definitely a paired back feeling to it (no in person briefing and most seem to be registering and wrecking on the Saturday rather than registering on the Friday and then coming back to rack the day after.
The swim was fine although the second lap was extremely congested with what seemed like a lot of first timers (they said there were 1000 doing their first IM) marked out with Lilac hats. it canāt have been much fun for them having people plough through them while they were breast stroking their wayto a two hour swim.
The bike was brutally difficult but as advertised. There was a bit of rain on the first lap and I thought there would be more accidents than what there actually seemed to be in reality. Typical UK roads although I did think it couldāve been worse.
The support was fairly sparse on the bike the exception being the massive crowds at the top of Black Hill Road (and my own support crew in Thorner!)
The run was not fun at all. primarily through residential streets and continually undulating. The wind was blowing a bit by then as well which added to the unpleasantness.
I was completely spent after the bike and after the first loop of the run I was ready to run walk it in. However, a friend of mine spotted me and told me that I was in third and that was enough for me to get my head back in the game.
The support on the run was pretty epic up around the top of the park. I do hope they bring it back to Leeds but they seriously need to sort out bike and run course. Both and a very strong wiff of an organisation desperately trying to find anything to āmake up the distanceā rather than finding something suitable, logical or enjoyable.
I went to collect my wooden slab this morning but didnāt stick around for the rolldown ceremony. There seem to be 85 Nice slots available for the men and I canāt imagine itāll be easy to sell all of them.
Around 2000 I worked in Leeds for a few different places, a bit at the hospital, then for Freeserve (the ISP) and then a few years later did some work for a law firm. Iāve always liked the place. Never really explored it and had no interest in fitness/running/whatever back then. Just work and beer.
Sheephouse Lane Wrestlers fab as usual, on the signature Black Hill Rd climb up from Wharfedale.
Shame the sun never really popped out till after Iād finished. Faster sw1mmers had a wee shower at start of bike. Wind tho just moderate was a right PITA on the drags.
I enjoyed the sw1m. warm enough, water quality fine. Lake is just big enough for 2 laps, its perfect tbh. Most folks seemed to get fast sw1m times. Distance about spot on!
300m tarmac jog to T1, ouch
Bike hard. Roads surfaces above average IMO. quite technical. loved it. somehow my mojo held out, as had barely recovered from Eastbourne IM the Sunday before.
Never have my legs been so trashed for run as after that. I was cannon fodder for first 2 miles, but then thankfully gradually got going ok, and somehow was well under sub4 target at 3h51. run walk all the way, it should be banned itās so effective. 100 to 10 ratio for me, counting breaths. I enjoyed the run, yes itād be a suburban training jog any other day, but not on IM Race Day.. lots of drags.
Canāt believe I was only 1 min off sub 12, and 5th AG. Tho already have a Nice WC spot from Tenby (4th).
Distance about spot on!
