IRONMAN 70.3 Pennsylvania・Happy ValleyVerified
IRONMAN 70.3 Pennsylvania・Happy Valley: 90 km bike leg, 959 m of climbing. Elevation profile, what the terrain asks of you, the weather this race day usually brings, and how to pace this course.
Course intel
Happy Valley around State College, 90 km with about 959 m of elevation gain and a high point near 600 m, one of the hillier 70.3 routes on the East Coast, alternating long gentle climbs with country hills. Late May in central Pennsylvania is mild with cool mornings; watch out for the chill on the first stretch after the swim and on the descents.
Source: Compiled from the official route and public race information
The terrain on this course
- Flat (±1.2%) makes up 49%
- Main climb 42.7–44.9 km: 90 m of gain (avg 4.1%)
- Main climb 57.6–58.5 km: 33 m of gain (avg 3.7%)
- Main climb 61.4–65.9 km: 240 m of gain (avg 5.3%)
Speed score
There is a climb longer than 2 km out there: go in at an intensity you can hold to the top, and only add past halfway if you feel good. Riders who go hard from the bottom mostly bleed speed in the back half.
Historical race-day weather (around 07-05): 22.0°C · Wind 1.4 m/s
0 to 100, and the higher it is the easier it is to post a good time. Points come off for terrain, for corners, and for the heat and wind this race has actually had over the last five years at the same time of year. Full explanation in the article “How the course score works”.