Nautica New York City Triathlon Official Website

The "Nitty Gritty" Details (User Opinions)

Jennifer L.
New York, NY

  (07-21-2010)

"This was my first olympic distance tri and what an absolutely fun and fabulous experience. Once again, in my opinion, NYC proves itself to be one of the best cities for a race. Between the course, crowd and the organization, it's a tough one to beat.

The expo was well laid out and easy to navigate. There is a mandatory session that each participant has to sit through in order to pick up your number. It gives a basic run-down of the course and explains logistics, setup, timelines and even gives some handy tips.

Bike check-in happens the day before the race and you have the option to either setup all of your gear and go straight to the swim start on race day (which I am told some people in the later waves choose to do) or wait until the next morning to do it. The reason for this is because the swim start is a mile from the transition areas. Another note, there are plenty of tire pumps that you can use so that is one less thing you have to carry with you.

Race Day - That morning, I was dropped off near my transition area to lay down my biking and running gear and then walked the mile up to the swim. The path to the start is right along the river so you see exactly what you are about to be swimming. When you arrive, you pick up your chip anklet and can drop off a bag that will meet you at the finish. From here, you go to the appropriate corral (which are all along the river too) as you wait for the start of your wave. It's a pretty cool site to see the waves in front of you jump into the Hudson and swim downshore.

When the time comes, you walk onto a platform and can either jump in and hold onto a rope (there is a strong current) or sit on the ledge and slide in when the horn is blown. I chose the latter. And off I was in the Hudson. To be honest, it wasn't half as bad as I imagined...it's salt water, the temperature was about 76 degrees, I saw no debris floating and luckily, none of the jellyfish that people speak of. Once you are at the finish, there is a plank with volunteers to help pull you out of the water. And off you go on the 1/4 mile back to transition.

Once you are on your bike, make sure to keep it in an easy gear because there is a quick but steep incline as you exit onto the circle and onto the highway. It's not a big deal, but if you're not prepared, it can be a doozie. The ride on the West Side Highway up into the Bronx is rolling hills with a downhill or two where you can pickup some major speed. On the way back, it's similar to the ride going out. When you make the u-turn in the 50's there is a short uphill and then you're back into the park.

As you exit transition for the run, there is another steep ramp to get you onto 72nd street. Again, not a huge issue, but something to be aware as since you're also trying to get your legs cranking and under you. There are a lot of people lining the mile leading up to the park entrance. The rest of the run is around the loop and there are hydration stations every mile. It's a pretty hilly course, just typical Central Park.

Overall, I would highly recommend this to any beginner or experienced triathlete looking for a challenging yet entertaining course in NYC. It sold out in 7 minutes this year and they are going to a lottery system for registration next year...I guess word of it is catching on, so jump on the bandwagon and see what it's all about!"

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2010

Brett N.
Brookline, MA

  (08-03-2009)

"Swimming in the Hudson was fun - just don't open your mouth. :-) The trick the the fastest possible time on the swim course is to stay as close to the outside buoys as possible. Avoid the shoreline! The current closer to shore is weaker, the water is way more shallow, and there's garbage along the wall. You should know that the current will push you toward the shoreline, so make an effort to stay out toward the middle of the river!

Be ready for a long run from the water to transition.

The bike course is the part that took a star off of my course rating. TONS of flat tires. Make sure you have some kevlar tires/training tires. It's not worth the difference to put those thin rubber race tires on there. Aside from that, the course is pretty fun! Only course I've done where you ride through a toll booth.

The run is tough, but fun. It starts with a very steep climb out of transition, runs down 72nd street, and then enters central park for the last 5 miles. Rolling hills and PLENTY of aid stations."

Reviewed by a: Repeat Participant for 2009

Gabriel K.
Brooklyn, NY

  (07-29-2009)

"This was my first tri ever.
The swim in the Hudson was far tougher than I expected.
The current helped, but I kept forgetting to breathe.
The course is amazing.
The ride up the West Side Highway is a blast.
They make you hit the hills in Central Park.
My full review and tons of pix at: imrunningthemarathon.com"

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2009

jeanne m.
brooklyn, NY

  (07-28-2009)

"Never fear the Hudson -- embrace those fast currents and you'll PR for sure by several minutes. Bike course is rolling hills, the run's got Harlem Hill at mile 3-4. So well organized, great crowds."

Reviewed by a: Repeat Participant for 2009

Brett N.
Brookline, MA

  (06-10-2009)

"An absolutely awesome race.

Reasons you must do this race:
- Amazing crowds
- Fun race expo
- How often do you get to ride/run down the middle of any street in NYC - it's quite the experience
- Yummy treats afterward amidst a pretty grand post-race festival
- Swimming in the Hudson will get you the fastest swim time you've ever done
- On the bike you actually get to ride through a toll booth!
- Hang out in NYC afterward for some delicious lunch in little italy... mmm

Things you might have to "deal with" about the race:
- Unless you live in the city, it's a destination race, that's not super easy to get to. I lived in NJ at the time, and had to make the trip to NYC both on race day, and on the day before to check-in, and navigating your way through the city with a bike and everything is never super easy
- Yes the Hudson river is fast, but it's also a little gross

So to sum up - pre-race logistics can be challenging if you're new to the city, but the experience on race day is totally worth it!"

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2006

John L.
Islip, NY

  (06-03-2009)

"Just a great race to do... course is beautiful... Views from the Parkway at times are magnificent... running on 72nd into Central Park is a blast! The swim is a little "creepy" (jellyfish).... The staff is fantastic and participants from pros to first timers were great to talk to!"

Reviewed by a: Repeat Participant for 2008

Steven L.
New York, NY

  (05-28-2009)

"Last year was the third time I have done the NYC Triathlon.

I really like this race. The race organizer, John Korff, has found a way to move a lot of participants (usually 4000-5000), over a course that is situated in the heart of Manhattan.

The swim is my favorite part. The course begins around 99th Street on the Hudson River Park. Racers go out on a dock that is brought in specifically for the race. You jump in and hold onto a rope while you wait the 2 minutes before the wave goes off. The waves are handled very efficiently and start almost exactly 5 minutes apart. While the idea of swimming in the Hudson may not sound appetizing to most, the race is planned around a favorable current so you can float the course (no strokes or kicking) in 25-30 minutes. With some relaxed stroking, you can usually clear the 1.5K in under 20 minutes. Last year there were jellyfish, but do NOT let this deter you. There was some sort of weird chemical imbalance documented in the Atlantic last summer which led to more jellyfish than usual. This was not a problem in 2005, 2006, or 2007. Be warned though – you will want to bring a pair of flipflops with you to wear to the start – you have to walk the entire distance. Some of this is on pavement and some is on grass next to the West Side highway. Again, this sounds worse than it really is – if you can’t put up with walking the distance of the swim course, you probably shouldn’t be competing in the race. The other warning I have for this race is that you have to run about a quarter mile AFTER you get out of the water to get to the transition. This is on smooth pavement, but comes as a surprise to first-timers.

The bike course is really fun. You ride on the Henry Hudson Parkway, which takes you up the West Side of the Upper West Side, Harlem, and then over to the Bronx and finally Yonkers. When crossing the Harlem River, you ride through toll booths which is a unique experience. The course is an “out and back” format. It is a mix of flats, downhills, and uphills on the way up with a few more downhills on the way back in. There is one large climb during the race which is on the way back. The end of the bike can be confusing: You pass the start point and continue about 0.5 miles to the end of the Parkway and U-Turn at 59th Street to head back up the Parkway to the bike finish. This can again come as a surprise to first-timers. I consider the bike course to be very fast overall with a lot of long hills.

The run course offers varied terrain and is a nice tour of New York. You run out of the transition and go up a short, but steep hill. After that you run across town on 72nd Street, which is a wide boulevard. This is where the greatest crowds are located prior to the finish. Running between the tall the buildings while cheered by thousands of onlookers is definitely a rush. You follow 72nd Street right into Central Park and onto the outer Central Park Loop, which is a series of rolling hills up to Harlem. The Park is packed with a mix of spectators and other joggers. You get words of encouragement from many people while you make your way uptown. There is a large uphill near the start of the third mile, which is followed by a large down hill and then another large uphill as you go West to East in the Park. After you finish the second large uphill, you are home free: except for a few small hills, you have about 2 miles of flats and downhills before the finish. The finish is tricky. You run over what looks like a bridge, and come down the other side and then take a sharp right that goes out and around a fountain before arriving at the finish. It is almost like running a capital P. Wait to kick at the top of the bridge thing otherwise you’ll be out of gas by the finish.

Overall, this is a great Olympic distance race – short swim, fast bike, and challenging, but nice run course. As I said before, it is run extremely well which is a huge positive in my mind. I recommend this to both first time Olympic Distance racers and those who are looking for a solid destination race. "

Reviewed by a: Repeat Participant for 2008

emily d.
bronxville, NY

  (05-26-2009)

"Swimming with the jellyfish was unpleasant but the tide made for a very fast swim time. The bike portion along the West Side Highway was fast with some rolling hills...actually hit 40 mph on one downhill. The run takes you along 72nd street into the park where there are more fans and people cheering than at any other race I've ever done. The support from volunteers, police, and New Yorkers is unparallelled!"

Reviewed by a: Repeat Participant for 2008

Katya B.
San Francisco, CA

  (05-13-2009)

"Awesome race in New York City. Register quickly because it sells out in a couple of hours. The swim is in the Hudson River. Yes, it's clean but watch out for the jelly fish! They're big, red and sting slightly. The bike course takes you up the west side highway with great views of Manhattan. The run starts across 72nd St and then the loops around Central Park. Lots of spectators on the course to cheer you on the whole way!"

Reviewed by a: First Time Participant for 2008