OMC News and Updates

By Steve Johnson

The first annual Branson Mountain Man Triathlon was held Saturday, August 21st with over 75 racers taking the challenge of the infamous bike course and an equally daunting run course. The Branson RecPlex served as the host facility and provided a perfect starting point for what epitomizes Southwest Missouri triathlon racing. Southwest Missouri, and Branson in particular are known for their hilly and mountainous terrain. The Branson Mountain High Road is the most iconic stretch of roadway in Branson drawing cyclists of all levels and was the featured aspect of this event’s bike course. The High Road is also part of Ironman 70.3 Branson.

The buzz about this triathlon was focused around being a perfect sprint distance tri for those preparing for Ironman 70.3 Branson or those just looking for a challenging race. Challenging proved to be a serious understatement; just look at the finishing times and you will understand. When recapping the race with Jim Hoodenpyle, the overall winner with a time just over 1 hour and 30 minutes, we noticed that the finishing times made the race seem like twice the distance of a typical sprint distance tri. Of course, the bike was 20 miles long as opposed to the average 12 or 14 miles but it is clear that this course was not to be taken lightly.

The swim was very similar to the Republic Tiger Tri so I won’t go into detail and the transition area was very standard as well. However, right from the start of the bike you are aware of the type of course you are embarking on. The first mile of the bike course features a significant hill that spikes your heart rate and leaves you breathless. As you reach the top and gasp for oxygen you begin questioning your decision to race remembering that you have 19 more miles and over 2,700 more feet of elevation gain in front of you; before you even start the run. Highway 248’s rolling hills allow you to recuperate and prepare for the High Road. Once on the High Road the climbs are coupled with descents providing for reasonable recovery time in preparation for the next set of hills; although, any series of hills with 400ft of climbing in one mile is troubling no matter how long the descent.

The most discouraging part of the race was transitioning to the run in the middle of the pack and seeing the pain written on the faces of those finishing the last half. The number of people walking let me know that the race was far from over. Unfortunately, it wasn’t long before I was walking too. I later found out that even the fastest runners had to walk a bit. With the bike course being such a focal point for the race, it was not surprising to find that many people overlooked the run course in preparation; myself included. Prior to the race I actually noticed very few people discussing the run. Those who did simply stated they weren’t sure what it was like before they made the drive to the event that morning.

Regarding the logistics of the event, the courses worked very well despite being open to traffic and the swim and transition area where just as you would demand anywhere else. The Branson Mountain High Road did have a lane closed to traffic but highway 248 was open. However, I did not notice any problems with traffic. The few cars that did pass by in either direction used caution and provided plenty of room between the rider and the vehicle. There was plenty of signage letting drivers know to use caution throughout the entire course. The run course worked well with the paved trails and wide sidewalks; I did not hear any complaints about congestion or confusing turns.

If I were to make any recommendations for the event I would suggest marketing the event a bit better and using online registration. I believe this would create more hype and increase the number of racers (if that is a goal). Not having a packet pick-up the day before the race was a pleasant change of pace and checking-in the morning of the race was smooth, quick and easy.

In all, this was a great event with a stellar field of racers. It was a pleasure riding the Branson Mountain High Road with police and volunteers guarding the left lane for racers only. It was well organized and I highly recommend it next year. Just be sure to understand and respect the challenge it presents and do your best to mimic the conditions and features in your training.

To read more from the author, Steve Johnson, visit his blog at www.rookietriathlete.wordpress.com