Ask The Pros: What Are Your Two Favorite Run Courses?
Alicia Kaye, Timothy O'Donnell, Heather Wurtele, Trevor Wurtele, Kelly Williamson and Greg Bennett share their favorite run courses.
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Top pros pick the top two run courses they’ve ever competed on.
Alicia Kaye
“I really enjoy the run course at the Minneapolis Triathlon. It’s two loops of 3.1 miles, and it goes around Lake Nokomis. It’s very pretty and mentally goes by very fast. I also really like the run course in St. Anthony’s. It’s a simple out-and-back, but the neighborhood is so supportive of the event that there are little cheering sections in front of many of the homes.”
RELATED PHOTOS: 2014 Life Time Tri Minneapolis
Timothy O’Donnell
“Ironman Brasil. It’s a challenging course with some really tough hills on the first lap, but the best is the course’s three-lap format. The crowd is awesome, and getting to spend so much of the run among them brings an awesome energy. The run at St. Anthony’s is flat and fast. It is an absolute drag race and is always a blast!”
RELATED PHOTOS: 2013 St. Anthony’s Triathlon
Heather Wurtele
“The run on the paved trails through Glenmore Park at Ironman 70.3 Calgary has some great challenging terrain, and is super scenic and shaded by pines and trembling aspen. Those trails are also where I first rode my bike as a kid. Ironman 70.3 St. George is super tough, but very scenic, and I just like how it is broken up without any flat sections but still has places to get in a rhythm.”
RELATED PHOTOS: 2014 Ironman 70.3 St. George
Trevor Wurtele
“Ironman 70.3 Mont-Tremblant has a nice mix of dirt and asphalt as well as rolling terrain, with some flat sections. And it’s hard to beat the finish area right in the village of Mont-Tremblant. Ironman Canada (Whistler) has a great two-loop run, with beautiful mountain scenery. There is a mix of asphalt, dirt, shade and more open sections along Green Lake. It also has some nice ups and downs plus flatter sections to mix up the muscle groups, and a great crowd of people out cheering!”
RELATED PHOTOS: 2014 Ironman 70.3 Mont-Tremblant
Kelly Williamson
“Ironman 70.3 San Juan has all the essential elements of a good run course: varying terrain, heat to add to the tough factor and amazing views along the water (if you are in a state to enjoy them). Also, the two-loop format allows you to know where the competition is. Rev3 Quassy is so dense with trees (which means shade), and throws a variety of landscape at you: nice paved roads, some gravel and neighborhoods. I like the solitude of this course and, in a sick way, I like that one last brutal hill before you get to run downhill into the finish chute.”
RELATED PHOTOS: 2013 Ironman 70.3 San Juan
Greg Bennett
“I love cross-country runs the most and concrete pathways the least. Escape From Alcatraz Triathlon is not an easy run, but there is so much variety with terrain. The Beijing International Triathlon is similar to Alcatraz—it’s not easy, but always entertaining! I haven’t won either of these races, so there is no bias.”