Ironman Mont-Tremblant, Quebec, Canada 2016 Race Report

Here it is on Friday, five days removed from Race Day. I will separate this review into four parts:

1) Logistics and Lodging
2) The Swim
3) The Bike
4) The Run

Logistics and Lodging: Mont-Tremblant is 1-2 hours north of Montreal by car, depending on weather and traffic. It's really quite a beautiful location. Think Lake Tahoe about 50 years ago (less development). The area of Tremblant is made up of three distinct villages: The Resort. Looks like any resort such as Whistler with shops, tourist food, and tourist things to do. Then there's the Old Town about five minutes away. Finally, there's Centre ville Mont-Tremblant, the main 'city' about 10-15 minutes away from the lake. It is also known as Saint-Jovite, don't ask me why. Great local food, trails, parks, etc. I recommend renting bikes at CyberCycle in the Old Town and ride the easy and beautiful path on the Petit Train du Nord.

Having T1 and T2 in the same place is pretty awesome. So many venues are not like this anymore. The nearest hotels are right at the Resort. They are very convenient, with a price to match. If you stay somewhere further away check on the availability of a shuttle as the roads are mostly closed on race day, there is limited parking on the nearby roads. It will be just a bit inconvenient compared to staying at the Resort where you can easily walk from the finish to your room. We stayed at an Airbnb about 2km away on Lac Tremblant near Hotel du Lac, no shuttle but it was an easy walk. Nearby Old Town is very quaint and also has lodging.

THE SWIM
Ironman Mont-Tremblant has had 5 years to fine tune this race and they have done a magnificent job. The lake itself is stunning, very clean and clear. This time of year it's very comfortable to swim in, about 69F/20C. It's a wave start and one big loop. There were 6 waves going about 3-4 minutes apart with several hundred swimmers in each wave. After getting out of the water it's about 400 yards from the beach to T1. The changing tent is very large and organized. It's warm in there and there's plenty of room. Get your bike and start riding.

THE BIKE
Before the race, a teammate described this bike course as "hilly but honest." I had no idea what that meant and didn't ask. Now I can say I know what he meant. There is a lot of climbing on this course, ~5,800 feet. But it won't kick your ass and spit you out if you ride it smart. It's mostly rollers, nothing too steep. That said, there's about 10km of some fairly hardcore climbing near the resort at the turn-around. Again, be smart about your efforts and it won't be overwhelming.

The bike is two loops. I haven't dissected my Garmin data yet but I suspect there is less than 10 miles of flatish road per loop, you're mostly climbing or descending. The roads are in fantastic condition and you always have at least a full lane that is off limits to traffic and often the whole road!

Coming back into T2 a volunteer takes and racks your bike while you are directed to your Run Gear bag and back into the tent to slip some shoes on and go for a little run.

THE RUN
The run is two loops. More climbing, about 850 feet over the full marathon. It starts out on steep hill almost right away. The good news is that all the climbing occurs within about 5km of the resort, coming and going. Once your are away from the resort the run goes onto a path in the forest, it is really pretty and flat. I can't say enough about the Mont-Tremblant volunteers and organizers. This is my eighth full Ironman and it was simply amazing. They are encouraging you all along and the vibe is so positive. When you're in your darkest moments, some volunteer offers a drink and a smile that lifts you right back up.

The finish line is unlike any other. Of course it's a climb to get back up to the resort but then you turn around and it's about 200 meters downhill through the middle of town. The crowd is deep and loud on both sides, cheering and clapping.

IN CONCLUSION
Would I race here again? Definitely. I've done Ironman in four countries and four states. There's a lot of venues out there in the world that I'm still interested in. Any questions, don't hesitate to ask. Have a fit day, y'all!