Ironman China 2010

Date: March 14,2010
Start Time: 06:55 GMT+08:00
Location: Haikou, Hainan, China
Distance: Full
Event Link: http://www.ironmanchina.com

Description: The swim course is two 1,900m loops. The start is on a public beach located on Bei Hai Road. The course is a rectangle with one meter high buoys at the turns. At the end of the first loop there is a short beach run before swimmers enter the water for the second loop. After completing the second loop, swimmers will run through the swim finish arch and enter the transition area. Expected swim conditions: Warm, flat water. While the swim course is in the open South China Sea, any significant swell, surf or chop is unlikely. Bike: Triathletes yearning for wide open spaces will like this bike course. Haikou's roads are new and extremely wide. Plans call for 2 to 3 full lanes to available to the race on all roads. Traffic will be closely restricted. The roads comprising the11K climb up to Scenic Crater Park are the exceptions. These are narrow rural roads that cut through two farming villages. There is a short, sharp climb up to the first of these villages, Shi Shan, where the mud brick and rock buildings abut the road making for an exciting passage indeed. The higher village, Doa Tang, is larger and home to the area's traditional market day. Cyclists passing through Dao Tang on market days will find the village gridlocked with activity. The run course is pancake flat except for the bridges. While the Blue Bridge is a tiny pedestrian bridge, the New Century Bridge is a major vehicle artery with clearance for sea-going shipping. The climb to the apex of the New Century Bridge is significant and (nearly) worth the stunning city vistas from all directions. Evergreen Park is Haikou's largest and most popular city park offering cooling sea breezes during the day and a social focal point for the city in the evening. The out-and-back on Haidan Road and the 8K finishing section are through dense commercial and residential areas and should be exciting. Although warm temperatures are expected, approximately half of the run course is well shaded. The Finish line is located in East-West Lake Park. Runners enter the park through the Datong Street entrance, traverse the traditional arch bridge over the Lake, to the finish line in front of the Park's monument.